Dissolved Organic Matter Composition in the Laurentian Great Lakes Ice and Its Contribution to Spring Melt
Abstract Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a vital role in lakes, but its behavior in winter is poorly understood. This study examined the differences in DOM between lake ice and the upper water column across 18 sites in the Laurentian Great Lakes, integrating in situ sampling and remotely sensed ice data to create a mass budget model to estimate basin‐scale DOM storage and release from ice. We found that the composition of the DOM pool in ice varied based on ice thickness, water DOM composition, nutrients, and dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Calculations of protein‐like, microbial humic‐like, and terrestrial‐like DOM storage in ice under different ice cover scenarios revealed considerable contributions to the upper water column following ice melt, especially for protein‐like DOM which, during extensive ice cover years, contributed an average of 17.7% to the protein‐like DOM pool in spring. This ice‐derived DOM may be an important source of labile carbon for microbial communities, but projected reductions in winter ice cover and duration under climate change may alter DOM dynamics, potentially impacting this important spring carbon subsidy.
Authors
- Donald G Uzarski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7184-6156)
- Trista J. Vick‐Majors (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6868-4010)
- André Arsenault (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8165-7183)
- Justin Chaffin
- Hunter J. Carrick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4030-6827)
- Rachel Eveleth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0556-4326)
- Jonathan P. Doubek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2651-4715)
- Nolan J. T. Pearce (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6600-5275)
- Henry A. Vanderploeg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1358-8475)
- Marguerite A. Xenopoulos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2307-948X)
- Casey M. Godwin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4454-7521)
- Sarah C. D’Amario
- Michael R. Twiss (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1042-917X)
- Michael D. Rennie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7533-4759)
- Arthur Zastepa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1292-932X)
- Maureen L. Coleman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5065-0106)
- Ted Ozersky
- Kirill Shchapov
- R. Michael McKay
- Warren J. S. Currie
Institutions
- Michigan Technological University (US)
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CA)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (CA)
- Lake Superior State University (US)
- Central Michigan University (US)
- York University (CA)
- University of Michigan (US)
- University of Chicago (US)
- University of Minnesota, Duluth (US)
- NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (US)
- The Ohio State University (US)
- Trent University (CA)
- Oberlin College (US)
- Lakehead University (CA)
- University of Windsor (CA)
- Algoma University (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences
- Published
- 2026-02-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jg009367
- Primary Topic
- Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00