Sediments on the surfaces of a glacier in eastern B.C. and elsewhere in the world are acting as a sponge and absorbing large amounts of contaminants that are contained in glacial meltwater.
Sediments on the surfaces of a glacier in eastern B.C. and elsewhere in the world are acting as a sponge and absorbing large amounts of contaminants that are contained in glacial meltwater.
Those are the findings published Thursday in the Nature journal Scientific Reports by researchers at the University of Northern British Columbia and the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom.
The paper, titled Extreme Levels of fallout radionuclides and other contaminants in glacial sediment (cryocoynite) and implications for downstream aquatic ecosystems, is available at: www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-48873-z
“This is of interest given the increase in glacier retreat due to climate change, and thus more meltwater, which is releasing contaminants that were previously locked up in glaciers.
Continue reading at University of Northern British Columbia.
Image via University of Northern British Columbia.
