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Geochemical Study of the Tundra Landscapes in the Yenisey Delta and Gulf Area

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Geochemical Study of the Tundra Landscapes in the Yenisey Delta and Gulf Area Permafrost, Phillips, Springman & Arenson (eds) © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger, Lisse, ISBN 90 5809 582 7 Geochemical study of the tundra landscapes in the Yenisey delta and gulf area E.M. Korobova V.I. Vernadsky Insitute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia N.G. Ukraintseva & V.V. Surkov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia J.B. Brown Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Osteras, Norway ABSTRACT: Geochemical studies were conducted at four study sites in the Yenisey Estuary characterised by landscape cross-sections of the flood plain and adjacent watershed. Natural waters and soils formed on the originally frozen marine sediments, outcropping on landslide slopes, showed pronounced salinity and alkalinity. The variation in total salinity and ion composition of the sampled waters and the water-exchangeable soil sorption complex sup- ported earlier data on freeze-thaw transformation of soils and ground waters. Stream flows, transporting waters enriched in iron and manganese from the flood plain swamps to the Yenisey River, could also be induced by freez- ing processes. Trace element distributions in soils may indicate atmospheric contamination of the southern tundra site by distant human sources, e.g. the 200 km distant Norilsk Cu-Ni Complex. A comparison of concentrations and distributions of chemical elements in soil and vegetation at different distances from the Kara Sea was made. 1 INTRODUCTION Tundra landscapes are noted for their high sensitivity to anthropogenic impact owing to several factors includ- ing the presence of severe natural conditions, freeze weathering and a low rate of plant growth and regener- ation. The Lower Yenisey collects the global, regional (due to river transport) and local contamination from a vast drainage area. Concentrations of lead, copper and zinc in snow cover in the lower reaches of the Yenisey River are 3–5 times higher than those observed in the Yamal Peninsula and 10–15 times higher than those in the Canadian Arctic (Solomatin et al. 1989). The main objective of the present study was to inves- tigate the active layer of the Yenisey coastal plain and to Figure 1. Location of the study sites. estimate possible contamination of the terrestrial environment in the Yenisey estuarine zone. This paper river-eroded and reworked deposits. The area was describes field observations and provides results from covered by a thick (300–450 m) low-temperature ϽϪ preliminary hydrochemical and trace element analyses. permafrost ( 7°C) discontinued under the river channel (Ershov 1989). The mean annual temperature is Ϫ11.5°C, the monthly temperature amplitude 2 STUDY AREA AND METHODS reaches 38°C (at Vorontsovo). The prevailing wind direction changed from S, SE in January to NE in July The study took place in the middle of August 2001 in which suggests that contamination of the area from the period of close to maximum thaw depth. The four the local continental sources would potentially occur elaborated sites characterized the flood plain and the mainly in the winter. A thin active layer and a short Taimyr coastal zone and were representative of typical period of water exchange and cryogene concentration (middle subzone) and southern tundra areas. The sites of soil solution (Anisimova 1981) could contribute to were located within the delta, inlet and gulf sections contaminant conservation in local biogeochemical of the Yenisey estuary (Fig. 1). cycles. The influence of marine sources on element Watershed areas were formed from Pleistocene composition and water chemistry was expected to be marine sediments 2–5 to 100–170 m thick covering more pronounced on Cape Shaitansky. Each site was Palaeozoic trapp formation while flood plain areas characterized by landscape cross-sections of the flood were characterised by accumulation of weathered, plain area and the adjacent watershed areas of the 601 Taimyr Peninsula. Field studies included leveling, 400–500 g/m2 in short willow thickets, and reached description of the soil and vegetation cover, and sam- maximum values in tall shrub thickets that consider- pling of the watershed and flood plain plots. The struc- ably exceeded the phytomass levels of the watershed ture and texture of soil depth profiles were described areas. In typical tundra sub-zones, sites the overground in detail and sampled at study plots selected to pro- phytomass ranged from 36 to 820 g/m2. Maximum val- vide a range in conditions of river deposition and ues corresponded to the areas overgrown by shrubs atmospheric contamination. Soil profiles were sam- represented mainly by willow that supported the ear- pled continuously with regard to the generic soil hori- lier data (Ukraintseva et al. 2000). zons. Vegetation was sampled at 1–3m2 plots located The mean thaw depth on the watershed equaled over the soil profiles. Surface and ground water 51.6 Ϯ 9.2 cm under moss cover and 76.7 Ϯ 13.5 samples were collected at selected points of the cross- under lichen and grass cover confirming the presence section to characterize water migration parameters. of lower soil temperatures under thick moss cover The chemical composition of water samples was (Table 1). The gravimetric moisture content in peaty Ϫ determined with the help of potentiometry (NO3 , Cl, layers was highly variable (74–280%, 63.4 Ϯ 40.4%, 3Ϫ Ϫ Ϫ PO4 ), ion-selective electrodes (NO3 , Cl ), titri- n ϭ 30) and in general higher than the levels associa- Ϫ 2Ϫ metry (HCO3 ), nephelometry (SO4 ), photometry ted with loamy (40.8 Ϯ 22.5%, n ϭ 59) and sandy ones ϩ 3Ϫ (NH4 , PO4 ) techniques and AES-ICP (cations). (17.4 Ϯ 9.9%, n ϭ 21). Volumetric values ranged Accuracy of determination was 2–10%. The main from 19–58% based on average moisture contents for ions in filtered soil water extraction were determined each plot (Table 1) also reaching maximum values in by standard chemical methods of soil analysis peaty layers of flood plain depressions. (Arinushkina 1961). Air dried and homogenized soil and plant samples were analysed with the help of XRF 3.3 Water and soil water extraction salinity and spectrometers ORTEC-TEFA and SPARK-1. composition 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3.3.1 Water samples Salinity of the collected water samples varied from 3.1 General features of the studied sites 0.049 to 1.75 g/l and was in general higher at the flood plain plots compared to the watershed plots. The max- The landscape topographical sequence studied at imum value was found in water, collected on outcrop- ping marine sediments (SK1-7) characterized by the Cape Shaitansky area included a narrow coastal zone ϩ 2ϩ Ϫ ϫ enhanced concentrations of Na Mg , HCO3 and with a sheared earth fragment sized 5 8 m, a land- 2Ϫ slide fissured slope shearing surface 20 m wide, and SO4 . High colority values presumably indicated a gently convex hill top sloping north-eastward to both a higher soluble organic and mineral colloidal content (Table 2). a swamp in an ancient river channel. A landscape cross- Ϫ section near set. Vorontsovo was characterised by HCO3 dominated among anions (47–97 eq%) in all samples. However the samples from the gulf and inlet a 570 m wide and 3 m high (on average) right-side flood- – plain area, an adjacent slope and a watershed tundra sites (SK, VR) were noted for somewhat enhanced Cl portion (15–30 eq%) compared to the delta zone section. On Tysyara Island, the transect consisted of the ϩ two fragments 350 m and 80 m long situated on the (1.5–14 eq%). Na prevailed in waters formed on medium-level and high-level flood plain area respec- the landslide-exposed marine clay (85 eq%) and in the tively. A landscape transect near set. Karaul crossed northernmost thinly-thawed soil and water of the inner flood plain depressions (SK1-25, VR1-11a, 36–40 eq%) a low- and medium-level flood plain 600 m wide, a nar- 2ϩ row gently sloping terrace on a debris cone, a slope and while Ca portion was the highest in the river and ox- the present watershed area (based on an ancient marine bow lake water (63 and 54 eq%). In most of the ground water samples Ca2ϩ quota were almost equal to those of terrace) sloping to a lake depression. Actual thaw depth 2ϩ ϩ ranged on the average from 30–50 cm on tops to Mg (35–49 eq%) and in Na – enriched waters mag- 80–90 cm on slopes and lowered on the flood plain. nesium-ion contents exceeded those of calcium. 3.3.2 Soil water extractions 3.2 Vegetation biomass and its role in the soil Water extractions were made for different depths and water retention and thaw depth generic horizons. Salinity levels, an order of magni- tude higher, and enhanced pH values were found in The density of growing vegetation on study plots in the water extractions from the soil developed on the young southern tundra sub-zone of the Yenisey Delta, ranged landslide shearing surface (SK1-10, 0.10–0.21%, from 20 to 190 g/m2 (100 g/m2 on average) for the pH ϭ 7.88–8.48) relative to the other sites and plots grassy communities, attained levels of approximately including the nearby watershed (Table 1). The total 602 Table 1. General field and preliminary laboratory information on the studied sites and plots. Sampling Volumetric plots Sampling Soil, parent Max thaw water 1Mean 1 indices location Landscapes Habs, m material depth, cm cont., % pHw salinity, % Typical tundra subzone, Yenisey Gulf, Cape Shaitansky SK-1-15 72°04Ј608 N Hill tops and slopes, 26.6 Peaty gley on clay 43* Ϯ 12.2** 33.6 Ϯ 18.4 6.65 Ϯ 0.2 0.01 Ϯ 0.001 82°21Ј595 E herbsրlichen/moss tundra eluvium n ϭ 11*** n ϭ 7nϭ 4nϭ 4 SK-1-10 72°04Ј573 N Slope, young landslide, 7.2 Outcropping marine clay 86 Ϯ 18.2 18.6 Ϯ 16.3 7.9 Ϯ 0.55 0.17 Ϯ 0.044 82°21Ј490 E grasses communities with buried peat horizon n ϭ 12 n ϭ 7nϭ 5nϭ 5 SK-1-25 72°04Ј824 N Flood plain, moss/sedge 4.7 Peat gley on sandy and 29.0 54.6 Ϯ 16.6 4.49 Ϯ 0.1 0.033 Ϯ 0.02 82°21Ј650 E marsh loamy alluvium with n ϭ 3nϭ 5nϭ 4nϭ 5 buried peat layers Typical tundra subzone, Yenisey Inlet, set.
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