Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1633
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1633
04 Jul 2024
 | 04 Jul 2024

Terrestrial runoff is an important source of biological INPs in Arctic marine systems

Corina Wieber, Lasse Z. Jensen, Leendert Vergeynst, Lorenz Maire, Thomas Juul-Pedersen, Kai Finster, and Tina Šantl-Temkiv

Abstract. The accelerated warming of the Arctic manifests in sea ice loss and melting glaciers, significantly altering the dynamics of marine biota. This disruption in marine ecosystems can lead to the emission of biological ice nucleating particles (INPs) from the ocean into the atmosphere. Once airborne, these INPs induce cloud droplet freezing, thereby affecting cloud lifetime and radiative properties. Despite the potential atmospheric impacts of marine INPs, their properties and sources remain poorly understood. Analysing sea bulk water and the sea surface microlayer in two southwest Greenlandic fjords, collected between June and September 2018, and investigating the INPs along with the microbial communities, we could demonstrate a clear seasonal variation in the number of INPs and a notable input from terrestrial runoff. We found the highest INP concentration in June during the late stage of the phytoplankton bloom and active melting processes causing enhanced terrestrial runoff. These highly active INPs were smaller in size and less heat-sensitive than those found later in the summer and those previously identified in Arctic marine systems. A negative correlation between salinity and INP abundance suggests freshwater input as sources of INPs. Stable oxygen isotope analysis, along with the strong correlation between INPs and the presence of the bacterium Aquaspirillum arcticum, highlighted meteoric water as the primary origin of the freshwater influx, suggesting that the notably active INPs originate from terrestrial sources such as glacial and soil runoff.

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Corina Wieber, Lasse Z. Jensen, Leendert Vergeynst, Lorenz Maire, Thomas Juul-Pedersen, Kai Finster, and Tina Šantl-Temkiv

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Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1633', Anonymous Referee #1, 23 Jul 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1633', Anonymous Referee #2, 13 Aug 2024
Corina Wieber, Lasse Z. Jensen, Leendert Vergeynst, Lorenz Maire, Thomas Juul-Pedersen, Kai Finster, and Tina Šantl-Temkiv
Corina Wieber, Lasse Z. Jensen, Leendert Vergeynst, Lorenz Maire, Thomas Juul-Pedersen, Kai Finster, and Tina Šantl-Temkiv

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Short summary
The Arctic region is subjected to profound changes due to the warming climate. Ice nucleating particles (INPs) in the seawater can get transported to the atmosphere and impact cloud formation. However, the sources of characteristics of INPs in the marine areas are poorly understood. We investigated the INPs in seawater from Greenlandic fjords and identified a seasonal variability and highly active INPs originating from terrestrial sources.