Phosphorus recycling and retention in Lake of the Woods: Reactive-transport diagenetic modeling across spatial and temporal Scales

Abstract

<p>The dynamics of sediment phosphorus (P) remobilization and recycling in many polymictic systems due to distinct external and internal loading conditions are poorly understood. Here we used a multifaceted approach of quantifying sediment P binding forms and corresponding metal contents in sediment cores down to 30 cm from 8 different locations at Lake of Woods (LOW) in different seasons. We also measured pH, redox potential and dissolved oxygen uptake across the sediment-water interface and the concentration of nutrient and metals in pore water at different depths. Additionally, we applied a reaction-transport diagenetic model to construct the spatial and temporal trend of internal P loading in response to environmental variations. The summer diffusive fluxes of P ranged between 3 and 83 µmol m<sup>-2</sup> d<sup>-1 </sup>whereas the winter fluxes were lower ranged from 0.1 to 0.35 µmol m<sup>-2</sup> d<sup>-1</sup>. P recycling efficiency were 13% to 77%. P bound to redox sensitive iron (Fe)-P binding forms in sediments were the major source of P release in all stations, while P immobilization is controlled by redox-insensitive calcium (Ca)-P phases. The modeling results supported the notion that P release was mostly driven by the diagenetic recycling of redox sensitive and organic bound P.</p>