Climate change affects various components of the polar environment, including lacustrine systems in many regions of the Antarctic Peninsula. However, the recent status of these life-preserving habitats remains poorly known. We performed field geomorphological mapping and limnological characterization of lakes distributed across Devil's Bay in the northern area of Vega Island, James Ross Archipelago, and described some significant changes in their physical and chemical properties during the 2013 summer season. Fifty lakes were described in the area, even though the area is relatively small (~12 km2). Six major lake types were distinguished based on their geomorphological settings and their origins, and their hydrochemical properties were compared with the neighbouring lake districts. The geomorphic characteristics of the lakes range from stable lakes on till plains (21 out of 50 lakes), to kettle lakes on fresh moraines with an unstable shoreline, to very dynamic ice-contact lakes with fluctuating water levels and inundated areas. The ice-contact lake dynamics were observed using ‘Lake Payer’ as an example. At the interface between hydrology and geosciences, this study provides new and original data from a yet largely unexplored region and emphasizes the importance of cross-disciplinary research in polar sciences.

中文翻译：

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南极半岛维加岛魔鬼湾地区湖泊现状及短期环境变化

气候变化影响极地环境的各个组成部分，包括南极半岛许多地区的湖泊系统。然而，这些保护生命的栖息地的近期状况仍然鲜为人知。我们对分布在维加岛北部詹姆斯罗斯群岛魔鬼湾的湖泊进行了野外地貌测绘和湖泊学特征描述，并描述了 2013 年夏季期间其物理和化学性质的一些显着变化。该地区描述了 50 个湖泊，尽管该地区相对较小（约 12 公里）2）。根据地貌背景和起源区分了六种主要湖泊类型，并将其水化学性质与邻近湖区进行了比较。湖泊的地貌特征范围从平原上的稳定湖泊（50 个湖泊中的 21 个），到海岸线不稳定的新鲜冰碛上的壶形湖泊，以及水位波动和淹没区域的动态冰接触湖泊。以“Lake Payer”为例，观察了冰接触湖的动态。在水文和地球科学的交界处，这项研究提供了来自一个尚未开发的地区的新的和原始的数据，并强调了极地科学跨学科研究的重要性。