汞是一种全球性污染物,雪冰是冰冻圈汞的生物地球化学循环中最主要的介质之一,汞在雪冰消融过程中的行为受到众多学者关注。除两极地区外,高海拔地区分布着大量山地冰川,其对气候响应更加敏感,距离人类居住区更近,可直接影响水资源和水质安全等。因此,研究山地冰川消融过程中汞的行为及环境效应对全面理解汞的生物地球化学具有显著的科学价值,同时对指导人类适应气候环境变化也具有很强的实际意义。概述了山地冰川区汞的沉降与贮存,总结了雪冰消融过程中汞的迁移转化以及冰川径流汞传输的特征,认为山地冰川消融是潜在的汞释放源,汞在冰川径流补给生态系统中的归宿和生态环境效应值得关注。最后,对山地冰川消融释汞过程和冰川径流汞传输研究的热点问题进行了展望。
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant. As one of the significant cryospheric environmental matrix, snow-ice plays a unique role in Hg biogeochemical cycling, which has drawn a wide attention of scientists. Besides polar regions, a large aggregate of glaciers are distributed in the high elevation of mid-high latitude areas. These al- pine glaciers are proximate to human residence and are sensitive to the climate change, which would readily impact the human society, water resource security and water quality. Consequently, investigating the behavior and environ- mental effects of Hg relevant to the melt of alpine glaciers represents significant scientific and social importance. The deposition and storage of Hg in alpine glacier areas were outlined and the removal characteristics and transfor- mation of Hg during glacier melt process and transport of Hg in glacier-fed river were summarized. Based on this study, we suggested that glacier be one of the potential sources of Hg to the downstream areas. Moreover, it was worth concerning the fate and environmental effects of Hg in the ecosystem fed by the glacier runoff. Eventually, we proposed prospects of the process of Hg release during glacier melt and the hot issues of Hg transport in glacier run- off.