As part of a geochemical study of the Commonwealth Glacier in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, two 3-meter snow pits were dug in the accumulation zone and analyzed for major ions by ion chromatography. This dataset shows the mean annual atmospheric flux of chloride, sulfate, nitrate, and calcium to the Commonwealth Glacier. Determination of the atmospheric flux of these ions to the glacier surface aids in assessing the chemical composition of precipitation to the McMurdo Dry Valleys and the role of glaciers in the geochemical cycles of the region.
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This micro data set contains stable isoptope data for water samples taken from Lake Chad. Although it is not part of the core monitoring program, it is potentially important.
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Investigation of the effect of short-term variation in soil moisture and soil temperature on nematode anhydrobiosis as part of the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project. The percent of anhydrobiotic (coiled) nematodes with relation to soil moisture, temperature, and salinity was determined. The study began in the austral summer of 1996/1997.
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Concerns over environmental disturbance in the McMurdo Dry Valleys are increasing with increasing foot traffic from tourists and scientist. The effect of pedestrian disturbance was monitored by comparing the species composition, depth distribution and soil properties between adjacent high-, low- and no- traffic sites. This study began in the austral summer 1995/1996.
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Investigation of the effect of penguins (high C and N inputs) on soil biota was part of the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project. The number of soil organisms (nematodes, rotifers and tardigrades), divided by species, sex and maturity was monitored at Cape Crozier in order to accomplish this. Samples were gathered on December 5, 1997 from Cape Crozier.
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In the Antarctic Dry Valleys, soil polygons are prominent features of the landscape and may be key units for scaling local ecological information to the greater region. We examined polygon soils in each of the 3 basins of Taylor Valley, Antarctica. Our objectives were to characterize variability in soil biogeochemistry and biodiversity at local to regional scales, and to test the influence of soil properties upon invertebrate communities.
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In this data package, we present chlorophyll concentrations, percent loss-on-ignition organic matter, sorbed ammonium concentrations, and percent biogenic silica for hyporheic sediments collected in January 2019 from nine transects across Von Guerard Stream, Taylor Valley, Antarctica. These samples were collected to address questions about the retention and processing of particulate organic matter in the hyporheic zone of McMurdo Dry Valley streams.
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In this data package, we present diatom community assemblages from hyporheic sediments collected in January 2019 from six transects across Von Guerard Stream, Taylor Valley, Antarctica. These samples were collected to address questions about the retention and processing of particulate organic matter in the hyporheic zone of McMurdo Dry Valley streams. The six transects were located at pools, riffles, and meanders (three of each geomorphology type) along Von Guerard Stream and extended across the stream channel to the edges of the wetted zone, ranging from 6.6 to 13.6 m in length.
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This data package contains chemical characteristics of snow in the ablation zone of Canada Glacier, located in Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica during the 2016-17 austral summer. Specifically, snow samples were collected from the ablation zones of Canada and Commonwealth Glaciers to characterize the chemistry of recent snowfall in the ablation zones of these glaciers.
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This data package includes shapefiles for selected glacier, stream watershed, and stream channel boundaries in the McMurdo Dry Valleys region of Antarctica. A combination of satellite imagery and digital elevation models were used to delineate watershed and stream channel outlines, while glaciers were outlined by hand. Watershed boundaries provide an estimate of the overall topographic contributing area for each stream in Fryxell Basin, whereas stream channel boundaries provide a topographic area estimate for stream channel, beyond the wetted margin, for each stream.