Relationship between light availability, chlorophyll a and total suspended solids in a glacial lake of South Andes

MODENUTTI, BE; PÉREZ, GL; BALSEIRO, EG; QUEIMALIÑOS, CP

Dublin

Congreso; XXVII SIL Congress; 1998

Lake Mascardi has a horseshoe shape, receiving in the east arm (Brazo Tronador) the Upper Río Manso, with high-suspended loads of glacial flour. This situation brings out a gradient in light penetration and total suspended solids in Brazo Tronador, whereas the west arm (Brazo Catedral) is not as strongly affected by the glacial debris. Planktonic chlorophyll a, light availability and total suspended solids were examined in relation to the observed gradient.