Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Niroshan Gajendra, Jasmine S. Berg, Hendrik Vogel, Longhui Deng, Sarah M. Wolf, Stefano M. Bernasconi, Nathalie Dubois, Carsten J. Schubert, Mark A. Lever
Summary: This study investigates the degradation and long-term preservation of sedimentary carbohydrates in Lake Cadagno. The research finds that carbohydrates are a significant contributor to sedimentary organic carbon burial and are effectively preserved over millennia in lake sediments.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Luyao Tu, Madeleine Moyle, John F. Boyle, Paul D. Zander, Tao Huang, Lize Meng, Changchun Huang, Xin Zhou, Martin Grosjean
Summary: Human activities have fundamentally altered the global phosphorus cycle for millennia, with noticeable changes in lake-wide phosphorus burial rates after the industrial era. Lake sediments provide important records of past phosphorus burial rates, and the disruption of the global phosphorus cycle is primarily attributed to anthropogenic soil erosion.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sara Zaferani, Harald Biester
Summary: Understanding marine mercury biogeochemistry is crucial for human health, as consumption of mercury-enriched ocean fish is a major pathway of mercury uptake. Research on mercury accumulation in ocean sediments is still rare, but findings show that in upwelling areas, mercury accumulation rates are significantly higher, indicating effective atmospheric mercury input through scavenging by organic particles.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
William C. Daniels
Summary: Paleoclimatologists use lake sediments to reconstruct past changes in precipitation and evaporation. Recent research in Arctic lakes shows that aquatic plants contribute significantly to the wax signals, providing a method for identifying the sources of plant waxes in these lakes.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Qunhui Zhang, Jiming Jin, Phaedra Budy, Sarah E. Null, Xiaochun Wang, Casey A. Pennock
Summary: The study found that whole lake warming manipulation in an arctic lake can extend water stratification time and strengthen water stability. The onset date of warming affects the stability of the water column. This research helps us better understand the thermal processes in arctic freshwater lake systems and their responses to future warming.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Qing Sun, Andrei Daryin, Jiayu Zhao, Manman Xie, Fedor Darin, Yakov Rakshun, Youliang Su, Haowei Dong, Guoqiang Chu, Shuxian Wang
Summary: The study reveals that elemental data from sediments in Lake Shuang in the Altai Mountains show distinct cyclical variations similar to Arctic sea-ice variations, indicating the important role of Artic sea ice in modulating environmental change at Lake Shuang.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Johannes Hardeng, Jostein Bakke, Pierre Sabatier, Eivind Wilhelm Nagel Storen, Willem Van der Bilt
Summary: River flood hazards have increased worldwide due to human encroachment and global climate change. A study in Norway investigated lake sediments to reconstruct flood events over the past 8000 years, revealing two different flood regimes triggered by rainfall and snowmelt. Comparisons with paleoclimate reconstructions showed a shift towards more snowmelt-triggered floods in the late Holocene, following a period dominated by extreme precipitation-triggered floods.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ruo He, Jing Wang, John W. Pohlman, Zhongjun Jia, Yi-Xuan Chu, Matthew J. Wooller, Mary Beth Leigh
Summary: The study found that aerobic Gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs dominate in assimilating CH4 under anoxic conditions in Arctic lakes, and these methanotrophs have the capacity to generate intermediates such as methanol, formaldehyde, and formate from CH4 oxidation. This expands the knowledge of aerobic methanotroph metabolic processes and suggests potential coupling of CH4 oxidation to iron reduction in the Arctic lakes.
Article
Biology
Audree Lemieux, Graham A. A. Colby, Alexandre J. J. Poulain, Stephane Aris-Brosou
Summary: The risk of viral spillover, which occurs when a virus infects and transmits sustainably in a new host, is difficult to quantify. This study used a metagenomics approach to analyze soil and lake sediments from Lake Hazen in the High Arctic, reconstructing the virosphere and assessing the spillover risk. The findings suggest that increased runoff from glacier melt, a result of climate change, is associated with higher spillover risk.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vladimir Dauvalter, Zakhar Slukovskii, Dmitry Denisov, Alina Guzeva
Summary: The chemical composition of sediments from Lake Bolshoy Vudjavr in the Russian Arctic zone was studied. The sediments have been heavily polluted by wastewater from apatite-nepheline production and atmospheric fallout, resulting in the enrichment of alkali and alkaline earth metals, N, P, and other elements. The pollution level of the sediments increased significantly after the launch of the Apatite Plant.
Article
Geography, Physical
Aaron K. Medford, Brenda L. Hall, Thomas V. Lowell, Meredith A. Kelly, Laura B. Levy, Paul S. Wilcox, Yarrow Axford
Summary: The record of Renland Ice Cap shows rapid glacier fluctuation over the past 12,000 years, indicating a close relationship between glacier activity and climate change. The findings suggest that understanding ice variations in a region requires examination of multiple geographic and geomorphologic settings.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Dukki Han, Tim Richter-Heitmann, Ji-Hoon Kim, Michael W. Friedrich, Xiuran Yin, Marcus Elvert, Jong-Sik Ryu, Kwangchul Jang, Seung-Il Nam
Summary: By studying sediment cores from the western Arctic Ocean, researchers have found microbial communities in Arctic Holocene sediments that reflect geochemical and paleoclimate changes. Bacterial communities were more diverse than archaeal communities, and showed specific differences in the boundary layer of the sulfate-methane transition zone. The assembly of bacterial communities was influenced by both dispersal limitation and environmental selection.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karista Hudelson, Derek C. G. Muir, Guenter Koeck, Xiaowa Wang, Jane L. Kirk, Igor Lehnherr
Summary: Lake Hazen, the largest lake north of the Arctic circle, is experiencing mercury pollution and climate change. The sensitive Arctic char inhabiting the lake has shown significant declines in mercury concentrations over the past 31 years, with increased rainfall and earlier freeze-up of lake ice being linked to increased age and length of the fish.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kathryn Vall, Collin Murphy, David P. Pompeani, Byron A. Steinman, Kathryn M. Schreiner, Daniel J. Bain, Seth DePasqual, Zachary Wagner
Summary: This study investigates the timing and transport mechanisms of pollution associated with ancient copper mining on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, United States. The results indicate that pollution from mining emissions about 6000 years ago was transported atmospherically and affected nearby lakes, providing insights into the spatial patterns and magnitude of early metal mining efforts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hailei Su, Di Shi, Jiwei Yang, Yanru Tao, Fuhong Sun, Yuan Wei
Summary: The study revealed that mercury concentrations in sediments from Taihu Lake were relatively high, posing a moderate ecological risk level. This highlights the importance of strengthening monitoring and management to mitigate the impacts of mercury pollution.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caitlyn Donadt, Colin A. Cooke, Jennifer A. Graydon, Mark S. Poesch
Summary: Bioaccumulation of mercury in freshwater fish is a complex process influenced by environmental and biological factors. While surface water mercury concentrations were high in the studied tributaries of the Red Deer River, patterns of fish THg concentrations varied by species. The study suggests that mercury poses a risk to piscivorous wildlife health in these streams, but bioaccumulation is not solely driven by environmental factors and commonly associated factors like body size and trophic level may not strongly influence mercury concentrations in these ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caitlyn Donadt, Colin A. Cooke, Jennifer A. Graydon, Mark S. Poesch
Summary: The study found that fish trace element concentrations in the Red Deer River are primarily influenced by biological factors rather than being restricted to areas with high surface water concentrations. Body size is positively correlated with trace element concentrations, and mercury biomagnifies while arsenic biodiminishes.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kasia J. Staniszewska, Colin A. Cooke, Alberto Reyes
Summary: The study identified two distinct sources of meltwater - one with long subglacial residence time containing dissolved carbonate-associated elements, and another with short subglacial residence time containing potential legacy trace elements and moderate concentrations of legacy nutrients. Trace element fluxes and yields were modeled using grab sampling results paired with correlated high-frequency conductivity or turbidity measurements, showing that mercury yield was comparable to or lower than yields from other glacial meltwater streams globally. Long-term discharge data suggests that future contaminant yields will increase until peak water is reached, but at present, glacial meltwater does not significantly augment downstream nutrient and trace element contaminant budgets.
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonio Martinez Cortizas, Ingrid Horak-Terra, Marta Perez-Rodriguez, Richard Bindler, Colin A. Cooke, Malin Kylander
Summary: The study revealed a complex control process of mercury accumulation in peat, involving factors such as peat decomposition, dust deposition, and humid climates. Bromine can be used to normalize mercury accumulation, but the weights of the factors involved in their accumulation differ significantly.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jason M. E. Ahad, Hooshang Pakdel, Thibault Labarre, Colin A. Cooke, Paul R. Gammon, Martine M. Savard
Summary: Fugitive dust from surface mining is a major vector for airborne contaminants in Canada's Athabasca oil sands region. Compound-specific isotope analysis identified petcoke as the primary source of this dust, demonstrating the potential for accurate source apportionment in snowpack.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kirsten K. Smythe, Colin A. Cooke, Paul E. Drevnick, Robert J. Cornett, Jules M. Blais
Summary: The study found that alkylated polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in sediments from Cold Lake were elevated and increased with the onset of bitumen extraction in the area. The PAC sources to lake sediments were dominantly pyrogenic, likely from historic forest fires, but shifted to more petrogenic sources with expanding oil sands extraction at Cold Lake.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sarah L. Roberts, Jane L. Kirk, Derek C. G. Muir, Johan A. Wiklund, Marlene S. Evans, Amber Gleason, Allison Tam, Paul E. Drevnick, Ashu Dastoor, Andrei Ryjkov, Fan Yang, Xiaowa Wang, Greg Lawson, Martin Pilote, Jonathan Keating, Benjamin D. Barst, Jason M. E. Ahad, Colin A. Cooke
Summary: The study found that anthropogenic atmospheric Hg deposition in western Canada is showing a synchronous decreasing trend, while increasing in the east, with spatial patterns mainly driven by longitude and proximity to point sources. Recent sediment-derived Hg fluxes were consistent with wet deposition monitoring results, validating the reliability of the research method.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Colin A. Cooke, Jason H. Curtis, William F. Kenney, Paul Drevnick, Peter E. Siegel
Summary: Lead and mercury emissions and deposition have long histories extending into preindustrial times, but the timing, magnitude, and persistence of preindustrial emissions remain unclear. This study uses a well-dated sediment core from Lake Antoine, Grenada to assess the past 3000 years of tropical lead and mercury deposition. The results show that preindustrial increases in lead and mercury concentrations can be explained by variations in mineral and organic matter inputs from the watershed, reflecting climate-driven changes in the lake level. There is no evidence that preindustrial use of lead and mercury raised deposition rates in this remote ecosystem. Industrial-era accumulation rates in Lake Antoine have been accelerated by land use and land cover change within the crater rim, but global industrial pollution is still evident. After correcting for watershed inputs, recent atmospheric deposition rates of lead and mercury are in close agreement with monitoring data, challenging previous assessments that suggested preindustrial use of mercury raised atmospheric deposition rates globally.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Kasia J. Staniszewska, Alberto Reyes, Colin A. Cooke, Brooklyn S. Miller, Robin J. Woywitka
Summary: The impact of permafrost thaw on the fluxes of mercury, methylmercury, and lead in arctic watersheds is still unclear. Through studying the Old Crow River in arctic Canada, it was found that these trace elements were mainly associated with suspended sediment and mobilized during periods of high discharge. However, the widespread presence of thermokarst and thermokarst lakes in the watershed did not result in anomalous concentrations, fluxes, and yields of these trace metals.
Article
Ecology
Craig A. Emmerton, Paul E. Drevnick, Jessica A. Serbu, Colin A. Cooke, Jennifer A. Graydon, Megan Reichert, Marlene S. Evans, Mark E. McMaster
Summary: This study investigates the concentrations and yields of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in small tributaries and major transboundary rivers, and associates these patterns with THg concentrations in fish tissues. The results show that landscape conditions influence the changes of Hg in rivers and the concentrations of Hg in fish tissues. Site-specific monitoring of THg and MeHg concentrations in water and fish is crucial for assessing regional-level patterns in fish tissue concentrations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Byron A. Steinman, Nathan D. Stansell, Michael E. Mann, Colin A. Cooke, Mark B. Abbott, Mathias Vuille, Broxton W. Bird, Matthew S. Lachniet, Alejandro Fernandez
Summary: Uncertainty about the influence of anthropogenic radiative forcing on the position and strength of convective rainfall in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) inhibits our ability to project future tropical hydroclimate change in a warmer world. Paleoclimatic and modeling data inform on the timescales and mechanisms of ITCZ variability, yet a comprehensive, long-term perspective remains elusive. The study quantifies the evolution of neotropical hydroclimate over the past millennium and shows an interhemispheric pattern of precipitation antiphasing occurred on multicentury timescales in response to changes in natural radiative forcing. This reinforces the idea that ITCZ responses to external forcing are region specific, complicating projections of the tropical precipitation response to global warming.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Colin A. Cooke, Craig A. Emmerton, Yi Yi, Lucie Levesque, Nancy Glozier
Summary: The mining activities and wildfires in northeastern Alberta, Canada have increased the pollution of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in freshwater ecosystems. Through studying PACs in river water before and after the Fort McMurray wildfire, it was found that petrogenic PACs were the main source, while pyrogenic PACs mainly came from the wash-in of ash during short-term episodes of burned watersheds. This research provides new insights into the impacts of increasing wildfire frequency and severity in this industrialized region.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Colin A. Cooke, Paul E. Drevnick
Summary: Mountaintop removal coal mining has negative impacts on downstream ecosystems by delivering nutrients, ions, and heavy metals. This study shows that it also affects ecosystems downwind and releases polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs).
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Mitchell L. Kay, Izabela Jasiak, Wynona H. Klemt, Johan A. Wiklund, Jelle A. Faber, Lauren A. MacDonald, James V. K. Telford, Cory A. M. Savage, Colin A. Cooke, Brent B. Wolfe, Roland I. Hall
Summary: Large-scale mining activities in northwestern Canada have led to enrichment of hazardous metals and metalloids. Studying sediment metal concentrations in lakes can provide valuable information for evaluating the risk of contaminant dispersal and should be included in environmental monitoring programs.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Jacob L. Bongers, Vanessa Muros, Colleen O'Shea, Juliana Gomez Mejia, Colin A. Cooke, Michelle Young, Hans Barnard
Summary: In the Chincha Valley of southern Peru, pigmented human remains and grave goods have been found in over 100 large mortuary structures from different periods. The study investigates 38 red pigment samples to determine their sources and how they were applied to human remains. It reveals that cinnabar and hematite-based pigments were mixed with water and applied to individuals of various demographics, contributing to social difference and group identity.
JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
(2023)