Distribution of dissolved aluminum and dissolved iron in Kongsfjorden: A glacial fjord in the Arctic

Abstract

Iron plays a pivotal role in marine primary production and the carbon cycle. Glaciers have been recognized as a regional iron source to the ocean. Understanding both the endmember values and the transport processes of glacial iron passing through coastal waters to the ocean is essential to comprehend the fate and flux of iron derived from glaciers to the ocean. Fjords are typical coastal pathways in polar marine environments, connecting glacial meltwater to the open ocean. To better estimate iron transport from glacial meltwater to the ocean, we examined dissolved iron (dFe), dissolved aluminum (dAl), iron stable isotopes (δ⁵⁶Fe), and other biochemical parameters, including dissolved organic carbon, total suspended matter, and chlorophyll a in an Arctic fjord system, Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. In surface Kongsfjorden, low dFe levels averaging 5.23 ± 0.43 nM were detected in the inflow along the southern bank of the outer fjord, while elevated dFe concentrations were observed in both the inner and middle fjord regions (10.74 ± 5.22 nM), as well as in the outflow along the northern bank of the outer fjord (9.37 ± 2.85 nM). The association of dFe distribution with circulation patterns, in addition to the correlation between dFe and salinity, emphasizes that both glacial input and circulation regulate dFe distribution in Kongsfjorden. dFe and dAl endmember values from glacial meltwater were estimated as 82 ± 21 nM and 1089 ± 200.7 nM, respectively. The summer flux of glacier-derived dissolved iron and aluminum in Kongsfjorden were calculated to be 4.6–19 Mg/summer and 29 ± 5.4 Mg/summer, respectively. A short residence time for dFe in the Surface Water of Kongsfjorden was estimated at approximately a few days to a week, while dAl exhibited nearly conservative behavior, suggesting a possible application as a tracer for glacier input. The average δ⁵⁶Fe value in Kongsfjorden surface water was 0.08 ± 0.19‰, and our extrapolated glacial δ⁵⁶Fe input fingerprint ranged from 0.1‰ to 0.3‰ as iron traveled from the glacier towards the ocean. Our results emphasize the transport pattern of glacier-derived iron towards the ocean through Arctic fjord systems.