Silicon isotope fractionation upon amorphous silica precipitation is susceptible to freeze-thaw cycles. Here we make use of this characteristic to distinguish between a closed system in freezing soils: where silicic acid concentration is increasing, leading to amorphous silica precipitation that induces Si isotope fractionation where 28Si is preferentially incorporated into the colloidal amorphous silica; and an open system in freezing soils: where silicic acid is mixing with surrounding soil pore waters and amorphous silica precipitation is not induced. We analyzed a temporal series of soil pore water collected from September to November 2021 on a natural gradient of permafrost degradation from a palsa (closed system) to a fen (open system) in Stordalen, Sweden. We compare the evolution of the δ30Si values in soil pore waters where freeze-up has occurred (closed system) or where freeze-up is delayed or absent (open system). We couple our δ30Si data with variations in redox-sensitive element (e.g., Fe) concentrations, sensitive to limited biogeochemical connectivity in a closed system. The dual-approach of silicon isotope geochemistry with redox sensitive element analysis has important implications for capturing the lateral transfer of water and nutrients from permafrost soils during winter months.
Villani, M., Hirst, C., Lundin, E., Giesler, R., Mörth, M., & Opfergelt, S. (2022). Silicon Isotopes: A Tool to Capture Winter Biogeochemical Connectivity in Permafrost Soils (Stordalen, Sweden). AGU Fall Meeting 2022, Chicago, USA. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/269533