Alpine glacier-fed turbid lakes are discontinuous cold polymictic rather than dimictic.

ABSTRACT: Glacier retreat as a consequence of climate change influences freshwater ecosystems in manifold ways, yet the physical and chemical bases of these effects are poorly studied. Here, we characterize how water temperature differs between alpine lakes with and without direct glacier influence on seasonal and diurnal timescales. Using high temporal resolution monitoring of temperature in 4 lakes located in a catchment influenced by glacier retreat, we reported unexpectedly high surface temperatures, even in proglacial lakes located 2600 m a.s.l. Cold glacier meltwater and low nighttime air temperatures caused a distinct diurnal pattern of water temperature in the water column of glacier-influenced lakes. Precipitation onto glacier surfaces apparently leads to rapid cooling of the glacier-fed la

SUBMITTER: Peter H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5478930 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature