Mercury accumulation in sediments of Lhù’ààn Mânʼ (Kluane Lake, YT): Response to past hydrological change

A recent study on Kluane Lake (Yukon, Canada) reveals that mercury accumulation in lake sediments is strongly influenced by hydrological changes driven by climate. The research found that during the Slims River hydrological period (1650–2015), mercury was primarily delivered to the lake via organic matter and carbonate-rich sediments from glacially derived inflows, particularly Slims River. However, a climate-induced geomorphic change in 2016 led to the loss of this main inflow, suggesting potential shifts in mercury accumulation patterns. The study used sediment cores from two regions of the lake to analyze these changes, providing insights into how glacial inflows and complex hydrology control contaminant dynamics in northern lakes.

Zabel, N. A., Hall, R. I., Branfireun, B. A., & Swanson, H. K. (2021). Mercury accumulation in sediments of Lhù’ààn Mânʼ (Kluane Lake, YT): Response to past hydrological change. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 53(1), 179–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2021.1940790