Antarctic Blue Ice Areas Are Hydrologically Active, Nutrient Rich and Contain Microbially Diverse Cryoconite Holes

Abstract Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and least inhabited place on Earth. One of its most enigmatic regions is scoured by katabatic winds blue ice that covers 235,000 km2 of the Antarctic fringe. Here, we demonstrate that contrary to common belief, high-altitude inland blue ice areas are not dry, nor barren. Instead, they promote sub-surface melting that enables them to become “powerplants” for water, nutrients, carbon and major ions production. Mapping cryoconite holes at an unprecedented scale of 62 km2 also revealed a regionally significant resource of dissolved nitrogen, phosphorus (420 kg km−2), dissolved carbon (1323 kg km−2), and major ions (6672 kg km−2). We discovered that unlike on glaciers, creation of cryoconite holes and their chemical signature on the ice sheet is governed by ice movement and bedrock geology. Blue ice areas are near-surface hotspots of microbial life within cryoconite holes. Bacterial communities they support are unexpectedly diverse. We also show that near-surface aquifers can exist in blue ice outside cryoconite holes. Identifying blue ice areas as active ice sheet ecosystems will help us understand the role ice sheets play in Antarctic carbon cycle, development of near-surface drainage system, and will expand our perception of the limits of life.