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Article Dans Une Revue Geophysical Research Letters Année : 2003

The fate of mercury species in a sub-arctic snowpack during snowmelt

Résumé

An extensive mercury study was conducted in April 2002 prior to and during the annual melting of a snowpack in a sub-arctic site along the Hudson Bay (Canada). Gas-phase measurements show that the snowmelt coincides with an elemental mercury (Hg°) pulse in the snowpack air far above ambient levels. Additional measurements of inorganic mercury (Hg2+) and methylmercury (MeHg+) in snow pits, in surface snow and in a meltwater sample clearly reveal that most of Hg is removed from the snow during the first days of snowmelt. We estimate that gas-phase exchanges contribute poorly to remove Hg from the snowpack; consequently during a snowmelt day more than 90% of Hg present in the snow surface is likely released with the meltwater. In arctic areas, where Hg accumulates at an accelerated rate in the snow surfaces [Lu et al., 2001] during mercury depletion events (MDE), the discharge of this toxic and bio-accumulating pollutant in water systems could be a threat to ecosystems and local indigenous populations.

Domaines

Géochimie
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Dates et versions

hal-00000529 , version 1 (28-07-2003)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-00000529 , version 1

Citer

Aurélien Dommergue, Christophe P. Ferrari, Pierre-Alexis Gauchard, Claude F. Boutron, Laurier Poissant, et al.. The fate of mercury species in a sub-arctic snowpack during snowmelt. Geophysical Research Letters, 2003, 30, pp.No12, 1621, doi:10.1029/2003GL017308. ⟨hal-00000529⟩
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