Sediment Plug Flow-Through Experiments on Arctic Soils and Thawed Permafrost Sediments, Alaska, 2018-2023

The cycling of mercury (Hg) between soil complexation and mobilization via groundwater in the Arctic is an understudied subject with large implications for Hg fluxes as the climate warms. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by using sediment plug flow-through experiments to investigate the main controls on total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) cycling in Arctic coastal soils, sediments, and thawing permafrost. Cores were collected from Drew Point in 2018, Elson Lagoon in 2019, and Simpson Lagoon between 2021-2023. Experiments took place at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 2023. Cores were sectioned and groundwater flow through the plug reactors was simulated using natural waters collected in the region of Simpson Lagoon. Within this dataset are soil characteristics and sampling information, as well as THg, MeHg, dissolved oxygen, sulfide, manganese, iron, and dissolved organic carbon concentrations collected over the course of the experiments.

随着气候变暖，北极地区汞（Hg）在土壤络合作用与地下水介导活化之间的循环过程迄今尚未得到充分研究，但其对汞通量的影响不容忽视。本研究通过沉积物塞式渗流实验，旨在填补这一认知空白，探究北极滨海土壤、沉积物及解冻多年冻土中总汞（total Hg, THg）与甲基汞（methylmercury, MeHg）循环的主要控制因素。研究岩芯分别于2018年采自德鲁角（Drew Point）、2019年采自埃尔森泻湖（Elson Lagoon），并于2021至2023年间采自辛普森泻湖（Simpson Lagoon）。实验于2023年在伍兹霍尔海洋研究所（Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution）开展。岩芯经切片处理后，采用辛普森泻湖区域采集的天然水体模拟塞式反应器内的地下水流过程。本数据集包含土壤特性与采样信息，以及实验过程中测定的总汞、甲基汞、溶解氧、硫化物、锰、铁及溶解有机碳浓度数据。