Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Book chapters
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-49143-1_3
Title (Primary) Chemical setting and biogeochemical reactions in meromictic lakes
Title (Secondary) Ecology of meromictic lakes
Author Schultze, M.; Boehrer, B.; Wendt-Potthoff, K. ORCID logo ; Katsev, S.; Brown, E.T.
Publisher Gulati, R.D.; Zadereev, E.S.; Degermendzhi, A.G.
Source Titel Ecological Studies
Year 2017
Department SEEFO
Volume 228
Page From 35
Page To 59
Language englisch
UFZ wide themes RU2;
Abstract The chemical composition of meromictic lake waters varies widely. Concentrations of total dissolved substances (TDS ) range from very low (<20 mg L−1) to very high (>300 g L−1), i.e. saturated with respect to particular salts. pH varies from acidic (<3) to alkaline (>10), and redox conditions range from well oxygenated and dominated by high concentrations of dissolved ferric iron (Eh about 600 mV in iron-rich acidic pit lakes) to strongly reduced (Eh < −100 mV). While the ranges of TDS and pH apply to both mixolimnion and monimolimnion, redox conditions are typically oxic for mixolimnion (except for hypolimnion in some meromictic lakes during thermal stratification) and permanently anoxic for monimolimnion. Concentrations of reduced chemical species, e.g. ferrous iron, hydrogen sulphide and ammonia, vary over a wide range in monimolimnia. Chemical differences between mixolimnion and monimolimnion are the reason for density differences that keep the stratification stable. Several processes occur in the water column of meromictic lakes that are known from sediments of holomictic lakes. Permanently anoxic conditions above the monimolimnetic sediments of meromictic lakes provide better conditions for the conservation of settling organic material and prevent disturbance by bioturbation . Based on these special conditions, we divide Chap. 3 into four sections. After a brief introduction, we present ten selected examples to illustrate the variety of chemical conditions in meromictic lakes in Sect. 3.2. We refer also to appropriate case studies presented in Chaps. 5–12. Section 3.3 is devoted to biogeochemical processes that have the potential for creating and sustaining meromixis and that occur in the water column of meromictic lakes but usually not in the water column of holomictic lakes. Special biogeochemical aspects of monimolimnetic sediments in meromictic lakes are presented in Sect. 3.4 from a palaeolimnologic point of view.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=18482
Schultze, M., Boehrer, B., Wendt-Potthoff, K., Katsev, S., Brown, E.T. (2017):
Chemical setting and biogeochemical reactions in meromictic lakes
In: Gulati, R.D., Zadereev, E.S., Degermendzhi, A.G. (eds.)
Ecology of meromictic lakes
Ecological Studies 228
Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, p. 35 - 59 10.1007/978-3-319-49143-1_3