Status and short-term environmental changes of lakes in the area of Devil's Bay, Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula

• Published in: Antarctic science 2021-04, Vol.33 (2), p.150-164
• Main Authors: Kavan, Jan, Nedbalová, Linda, Nývlt, Daniel, Čejka, Tomáš, Lirio, Juan Manuel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antarctic climate; Antarctic climate changes; Archipelagoes; Biological Sciences; Chemical properties; Chemicophysical properties; Climate change; Environmental changes; Geomorphological mapping; Geomorphology; Glacial lakes; Glaciers; Hydrochemicals; Hydrology; Islands; Kettles (geology); Lake dynamics; Lake ice; Lakes; Moraines; Polar environments; Polar regions; Sediments; Shorelines; Summer; Temperature; Water level fluctuations; Water levels
• ISSN: 0954-1020; 1365-2079
• DOI: 10.1017/S0954102020000504

Climate change affects various components of the polar environment, including lacustrine systems in many regions of the Antarctic Peninsula. However, the recent status of these life-preserving habitats remains poorly known. We performed field geomorphological mapping and limnological characterization of lakes distributed across Devil's Bay in the northern area of Vega Island, James Ross Archipelago, and described some significant changes in their physical and chemical properties during the 2013 summer season. Fifty lakes were described in the area, even though the area is relatively small (~12 km2). Six major lake types were distinguished based on their geomorphological settings and their origins, and their hydrochemical properties were compared with the neighbouring lake districts. The geomorphic characteristics of the lakes range from stable lakes on till plains (21 out of 50 lakes), to kettle lakes on fresh moraines with an unstable shoreline, to very dynamic ice-contact lakes with fluctuating water levels and inundated areas. The ice-contact lake dynamics were observed using ‘Lake Payer’ as an example. At the interface between hydrology and geosciences, this study provides new and original data from a yet largely unexplored region and emphasizes the importance of cross-disciplinary research in polar sciences.