Scientists observe Ob's changes
By the middle of the 21st century, river runoff in the Arctic basin is projected to increase by 4-14%. Therefore, one of the most important tasks of biogeochemistry is to obtain the information about changes in the flow of macro- and trace elements.
The article of the ecologists from University of Tyumen, Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RAS (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences), the Institute of Water and Environmental Problems of the SB of the RAS (Barnaul) and the Arctic Research Center of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug named "Distribution of Basic, Rare and Rare-earth Elements in Waters, Suspended Substances and Stream Sediments of the Mouth of the Ob River" by Andrey Soromotin, Dmitry Moskovchenko, Vitaly Khoroshavin, Nikolay Prikhodko, Alexander Puzanov, Vladimir Kirillov, Mikhail Koveshnikov, Evgeny Krylov, Alexander Krasnenko and Alexander Pechkin was published in Water journal.
The environmentalists conducted hydrochemical studies in the lower reaches and the mouth of the Ob which showed significant differences in the chemical composition of the Ob in summer and ice season.
During the ice season there is a decrease in the supply of almost all elements, apart from iron and magnesium, since high concentrations of these metals in winter compensate for the decrease in the volume of the water flow. While in summer, biogenic processes and the growth of suspension play a significant role.
The Ob water, in comparison with other rivers, contains an increased number of dissolved elements, which form soluble organomineral complexes in acidic peat soils.
Source: UTMN Department of Strategic Communications and Naked Science website