GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND CLOSED SYSTEM MODELING OF GLACIER LAKE, NY FOR THE VERIFICATION OF MEROMIXIS

Meromictic lakes are permanently stratified, resulting in anoxic bottom water and sediment with little to no bioturbation. Because of this, meromictic lakes often preserve valuable paleoclimate records. In central New York, Green Lake and its paleoclimate record have been extensively studied for decades. Located 7 miles to the southwest is Glacier Lake which could serve as a corroborating paleoclimate record, however much less is known about its geochemistry. Glacier Lake’s stratification was verified through temperature, pH, alkalinity, ORP, and ion concentration gradients. The top 11m of lake were separated from the bottom waters by a chemocline at approximately 11-12 meters. While almost all ion concentrations increased with depth, sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) concentrations were greatest above the lake’s chemocline. Local stratigraphic records were compiled in order to interpret and explain these differences in water chemistry. An Equivalence Evaporation (EQL-EVP) modeling program was used to predict rates of calcite precipitation under both current and likely future conditions. These rates were then compared to Green Lake’s notorious whiting events, which are largely responsible for preserving its climate record, in order to assess Glacier Lakes potential preservation of a paleoclimate record.