Sea-ice meltwater and excess alkalinity in the east greenland current

The oxygen isotope method has been used to assess the importance of sea ice meltwater to the observed excess alkalinity in the surface waters of the Transpolar Drift Stream-East Greenland Current. Our results indicate that calcium carbonate releases due to the metting of sea ice can only contribute a maximum of 25% of the observed excess alkalinity (112 Jleqfkg). The principal source for this excess alkalinity must therefore be high alkalinity river inputs to the Arctic Ocean. In contrast, sea ice meltwater can readily account for ali the observed excess alkalinity (10 Jleqfkg) in the surface waters of the West Spitsbergen Current.