Elemental dynamics and interactions in a carbonate-buffered, sulfatic
and ferruginous lake
Abstract
Lake Medard is a recently established post-mining lake in the northwest
of Czech Republic that displays significant concentrations of dissolved
sulfate (dSO42-) and ferrous iron (Fe2+) in its density and redox
stratified bottom water column. Siderite-buffered anoxic sediments, also
rich in iron(III)-oxyhydroxides, underlie that water column
characterized by limited labile organic substrates. This composition
sustain a transitional redox state between nitrogenous/ferruginous and
euxinic conditions. Our study focuses on the Lake Medard bottom water
column elemental concentration profiles, sulfate-sulfur and -oxygen
isotope compositions, bioactive ion concentrations, and planktonic
microbiome data, combined with mineralogical and isotopic analyses of
the upper anoxic sediments. This integrative approach reveals that the
internal biogeochemical iron cycling is interlinked with that of
nitrogen, sulfur and other redox sensitive metals. Minor seasonal
oscillations in the monimolimnion redox potential impact mineral
dissolution/(re)precipitation reactions, causing shifts in metal
partitioning within anoxic sediments. Carbonate-buffered reactions
appear to respond to a subsurface CO2 flux thereby influencing
monimolimnial alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations.
These hydrochemical modifications shift the sedimentary redox signals,
occasionally favoring carbonate over oxyhydroxide metal-binding
processes. Our findings address the fate of newly formed sedimentary
oxyhydroxides in a transitional redox-stratified water column featuring
ferruginous conditions without quantitative sulfate depletion to provide
insights on interlinked biogeochemical processes within a concise
framework