Antarctic Science

Table of Contents - 1993 - Volume 5, Issue 01  


Papers—Life Sciences and Oceanography

Limnological features of the saline lakes of the Bunger Hills (Wilkes Land, Antarctica)

E. Kaup a1, D. Haendel a2 and R. Vaikmäe a3
a1 Tallinn Botanical Garden, Academy of Sciences of Estonia, EE-0019 Tallinn, Kloostrimetsa 52, Estonia
a2 Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig/Halle GmbH i.G., Außenstelle Bad Lauchstädt, 0-4204 Bad Lauchstädt, Hallesche Str. 44, Germany
a3 Institute of Geology, Academy of Sciences of Estonia, EE-0105 Tallinn, Estonia pst. 7, Estonia

Article author query
kaup e   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
haendel d   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
vaikmäe r   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Abstract

Twelve saline lakes 5-35m above sea level in Bunger Hills (66°10'S, 101°00'E) were investigated from January to April in 1987-89. Some lakes may be relict and all were subject to wind-borne marine salts with present salinities between 3.4-79.0°/‰ and δ18O values mostly between -10 to -14%. Temperatures up to 17.7°C were measured at the bottom of Lake Polest where a sharp thermohalocline was observed during the period of open water. Mg2+ dominated over Ca2+ in all the lakes. Phosphates concentration was 3-10 μgP I-1 and total phosphorus 8-16 μgP I-1. The concentrations of nitrates and nitrites were often equal, ranging between 1-4 μgN I-1. Dissolved O2 was usually near saturation levels but peaked at more than 230% of saturation in the hypolimnion of Lake Polest as a result of temperature-enhanced photosynthesis with an assimilation rate of 23.9 mgC (mg Chl a)-1h-1. The values for chlorophyll a were 0.26-1.93 mg m-3 and for primary production 0.013-0.171 gCm-3d-1, the latter being an order of magnitude higher than in the fresh water lakes of the Bunger Hills.

(Received May 30 1991)
(Accepted May 29 1992)


Key Words: hydrology; lake chemistry; phytoplankton production; Antarctica.

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