ORCID
- Fyfe, Ralph: 0000-0002-5676-008X
Abstract
Cryoconite has been demonstrated to be an efficient accumulator of some classes of contaminants on glaciers in both mountain and polar environments, however the accumulation of contaminants in cryoconite in Iceland has received very little attention to date. To understand the spatial variability of natural and anthropogenic fallout radionuclides and metals on glaciers in Iceland, we present the first study of this region including both cryoconite from three glaciers: Virkisjökull; Skaftafellsjökull; and Falljökull, together with moss balls (‘glacier mice’) from Falljökull. The cryoconite samples and glacier mice were analysed using XRF spectrometry to assess their elemental composition and gamma spectrometry to identify, and quantify, fallout radionuclides, primarily 7Be, 137Cs, 241Am, excess 210Pb, and 40K. The results revealed that the cryoconite samples had similar compositions, influenced by local geology and natural sources of volcanic ash and dust. Higher concentrations of radionuclides and heavy metals were found in both cryoconite and glacier mice compared to control samples comprising nearby proglacial sediments. In comparison to other glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere, however, cryoconite from Icelandic glaciers contains some of the lowest activity concentrations of key radionuclides. Consequently, cryoconite deposits that are released and diluted during the melt and retreat of Icelandic glaciers are unlikely to be of environmental concern following transport to proglacial areas.
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175828
Publication Date
2024-08-27
Publication Title
Science of the Total Environment
Volume
951
ISSN
0048-9697
Organisational Unit
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Smith, E., Clason, C., Millward, G., Taylor, A., & Fyfe, R. (2024) 'Radiological and elemental composition of cryoconite and glacier mice from Vatnajökull, Iceland', Science of the Total Environment, 951. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175828