Permafrost thaw affects the chemistry of mountain ponds
Permafrost is warming and thawing due to climate change. Among the related effects, water quality modification has gained increasing attention globally. Nevertheless, the impacts of diffuse permafrost thaw on water chemistry in high-mountain areas remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adeff7 |
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| author | N Colombo M Pettauer S Brighenti D Godone F Salerno R Balestrini C A Delconte E Pintaldi A Benech L Paro M Martin A Brunier N Guyennon M Freppaz |
| author_facet | N Colombo M Pettauer S Brighenti D Godone F Salerno R Balestrini C A Delconte E Pintaldi A Benech L Paro M Martin A Brunier N Guyennon M Freppaz |
| author_sort | N Colombo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Permafrost is warming and thawing due to climate change. Among the related effects, water quality modification has gained increasing attention globally. Nevertheless, the impacts of diffuse permafrost thaw on water chemistry in high-mountain areas remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the seasonal and interannual variability of water chemistry of two close-by ponds located in high-elevation catchments (European Alps, NW Italy) with and without permafrost. We analyzed major ions and stable water isotopes (2014–2022; weekly to monthly sampling during the ice-free season) and leveraged ground thermal measurements in a 30-m deep borehole. We also used geochemical modeling to investigate the impacts of permafrost thaw on dominant weathering processes. Despite similar climatic conditions, lithological characteristics, and water sources contribution, we observed higher concentrations and more pronounced seasonal increases of most solutes in the pond located within the permafrost catchment compared to the pond in the permafrost-free catchment. This was particularly evident for sulfate, with mean concentrations approximately four times higher in the permafrost pond. In the permafrost catchment, progressive warming and thawing during the investigation period enhanced sulfide oxidation, likely due to increased exposure of unweathered, sulfide-bearing rock particles. However, enhanced weathering did not lead to acidification and water quality deterioration due to pH buffering capacity provided by dissolving silicates and carbonates. Global warming is expected to further accelerate permafrost thawing and related chemical weathering in transitional permafrost areas. Water quality issues may arise in catchments with poor acid neutralizing potential of rocks. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e0a14b2049d14b3aa9f62b4be5cb9fc4 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-e0a14b2049d14b3aa9f62b4be5cb9fc42025-08-01T06:49:30ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262025-01-0120909400710.1088/1748-9326/adeff7Permafrost thaw affects the chemistry of mountain pondsN Colombo0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2244-3147M Pettauer1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4383-3945S Brighenti2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6111-2311D Godone3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1455-6862F Salerno4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3419-6780R Balestrini5C A Delconte6E Pintaldi7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8345-4283A Benech8https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5877-863XL Paro9https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8326-4936M Martin10https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1075-7739A Brunier11N Guyennon12https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0306-0610M Freppaz13https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4290-6850University of Turin, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences , Grugliasco, ItalyInstitute of Applied Geosciences, Graz University of Technology , Graz, AustriaCompetence Centre for Mountain Innovation Ecosystems, Free University of Bozen/Bolzano , Bolzano, Italy; Eco Research , Bolzano, ItalyResearch Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council of Italy , IRPI-CNR Torino, ItalyInstitute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council of Italy , ISP-CNR Milano, ItalyWater Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy , IRSA-CNR Brugherio, ItalyWater Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy , IRSA-CNR Brugherio, ItalyUniversity of Turin, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences , Grugliasco, ItalyUniversity of Turin, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences , Grugliasco, ItalyDepartment Natural and Environmental Risks, Environmental Protection Agency of Piemonte Region , Torino, ItalyUniversity of Turin, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences , Grugliasco, ItalyClimate Change Unit, Environmental Protection Agency of Valle d’Aosta , Saint-Christophe, ItalyWater Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy , IRSA-CNR Montelibretti, ItalyUniversity of Turin, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences , Grugliasco, ItalyPermafrost is warming and thawing due to climate change. Among the related effects, water quality modification has gained increasing attention globally. Nevertheless, the impacts of diffuse permafrost thaw on water chemistry in high-mountain areas remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the seasonal and interannual variability of water chemistry of two close-by ponds located in high-elevation catchments (European Alps, NW Italy) with and without permafrost. We analyzed major ions and stable water isotopes (2014–2022; weekly to monthly sampling during the ice-free season) and leveraged ground thermal measurements in a 30-m deep borehole. We also used geochemical modeling to investigate the impacts of permafrost thaw on dominant weathering processes. Despite similar climatic conditions, lithological characteristics, and water sources contribution, we observed higher concentrations and more pronounced seasonal increases of most solutes in the pond located within the permafrost catchment compared to the pond in the permafrost-free catchment. This was particularly evident for sulfate, with mean concentrations approximately four times higher in the permafrost pond. In the permafrost catchment, progressive warming and thawing during the investigation period enhanced sulfide oxidation, likely due to increased exposure of unweathered, sulfide-bearing rock particles. However, enhanced weathering did not lead to acidification and water quality deterioration due to pH buffering capacity provided by dissolving silicates and carbonates. Global warming is expected to further accelerate permafrost thawing and related chemical weathering in transitional permafrost areas. Water quality issues may arise in catchments with poor acid neutralizing potential of rocks.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adeff7sulfide oxidationwater qualitymountainsEuropean AlpscryosphereLTER |
| spellingShingle | N Colombo M Pettauer S Brighenti D Godone F Salerno R Balestrini C A Delconte E Pintaldi A Benech L Paro M Martin A Brunier N Guyennon M Freppaz Permafrost thaw affects the chemistry of mountain ponds Environmental Research Letters sulfide oxidation water quality mountains European Alps cryosphere LTER |
| title | Permafrost thaw affects the chemistry of mountain ponds |
| title_full | Permafrost thaw affects the chemistry of mountain ponds |
| title_fullStr | Permafrost thaw affects the chemistry of mountain ponds |
| title_full_unstemmed | Permafrost thaw affects the chemistry of mountain ponds |
| title_short | Permafrost thaw affects the chemistry of mountain ponds |
| title_sort | permafrost thaw affects the chemistry of mountain ponds |
| topic | sulfide oxidation water quality mountains European Alps cryosphere LTER |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adeff7 |
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