ABSTRACT
The region around the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula is warming fast, a situation that will lead to widespread changes in local hydrological cycles. King George Island (KGI) hosts a complex network of lakes and rivers, fed by glaciers, snow and rain, and underlain by thick permafrost. We present here the first study of the stable isotope composition of the surface waters in the ice-free southern peninsulas of KGI. Permafrost samples had the highest δ18O and δ2H values (–6.7 and –50 ‰, respectively), and river waters the lowest (–9.1 and –70 ‰, respectively), with groundwater (–8.2 and –62.7 ‰, respectively), lakes (–8.6 and –66.8 ‰, respectively) and (summer) meltwater (–9 and –69.5 ‰, respectively) having intermediary values. Our results suggest that a clear separation of the various water bodies (permafrost, snow, meltwater, lakes) based on the δ18Owater and δ2Hwater is possible. Further, water in lakes on a W–E transect (i.e. with increased distance from the Bellingshausen Sea) have a general tendency towards lower δ18O (and δ2H) values. The results allow for the establishment of a baseline against which ongoing and future changes of the hydrological cycle could be analysed, and past climate changes be reconstructed.
Acknowledgements
Francisco Fernandoy provided stable isotope data for precipitation collected at Frey and O’Higgins stations. We thank the personnel at King Sejong (South Korea), Belingshaussen (Russia, especially Bulat Mavlyudov) and Carlini (Argentina) stations in King George Island for logistic supports, discussions and hot herba mate when most needed. We thank the editor and the reviewers for their comments.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).