Climate-Associated Changes in Mercury Sources in the Arctic Fjord Sediments

Despite the large climatic fluctuations in the Arctic over the Holocene, the dominant mercury (Hg) sources and the potential changes in Hg sources associated with the climate remain unclear. Here, we use Hg isotopes to reconstruct changes in Hg sources and processes in two Svalbard fjord sediment cores spanning the Holocene. The Hg isotope ratios of the fjord sediment cores are similar to bedrock and Hg bound to terrestrial total organic carbon (TOC) but different from other sediment cores influenced by atmospheric Hg drawdowns via the sinking of marine particulate organic matter. The absence of significant Hg and TOC relationships indicates that bedrock erosion caused by glacier dynamics is the major Hg source to the fjord sediment rather than those bound to marine and terrestrial TOC. Measurable shifts in Hg sources are observed at regional cooling (4.3 ka) and during the Medieval Warm Period in the late Holocene. The negative shift in delta Hg-202 (by -0.5 parts per thousand) at 4.3 ka from baseline (similar to 10 ka) is consistent with the rapid increase in glacier-mediated physical and chemical erosions of bedrock. The significant positive shifts in delta Hg-202 (by 0.5 parts per thousand) in the late Holocene are explained by enhanced input of atmospheric Hg and its drawdown via the sinking of marine particulate organic matter and some anthropogenic influence, which suppressed the positive Delta Hg-199 and Delta Hg-200 shifts. This study suggests that Hg isotope ratios measured in sedimentary archives can be used to decipher climate and other local to global changes modifying Hg sources in the Arctic.

Automated summary

This study uses Hg isotopes to reconstruct changes in Hg sources in sediment cores from two Svalbard fjords during the Holocene. The results show measurable shifts in Hg sources at regional cooling and during the late Holocene Medieval Warm Period. The study suggests that Hg isotope ratios in sedimentary archives can be used to decipher climate and other changes modifying Hg sources in the Arctic.