scholarly journals Deglacial bottom water warming intensified Arctic methane seepage in the NW Barents Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naima El bani Altuna ◽  
Tine Lander Rasmussen ◽  
Mohamed Mahmoud Ezat ◽  
Sunil Vadakkepuliyambatta ◽  
Jeroen Groeneveld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Temperature ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Temperature Record ◽  
Last Deglaciation ◽  
Bottom Water Temperature ◽  
Methane Seepage

AbstractChanges in the Arctic climate-ocean system can rapidly impact carbon cycling and cryosphere. Methane release from the seafloor has been widespread in the Barents Sea since the last deglaciation, being closely linked to changes in pressure and bottom water temperature. Here, we present a post-glacial bottom water temperature record (18,000–0 years before present) based on Mg/Ca in benthic foraminifera from an area where methane seepage occurs and proximal to a former Arctic ice-sheet grounding zone. Coupled ice sheet-hydrate stability modeling shows that phases of extreme bottom water temperature up to 6 °C and associated with inflow of Atlantic Water repeatedly destabilized subsurface hydrates facilitating the release of greenhouse gasses from the seabed. Furthermore, these warming events played an important role in triggering multiple collapses of the marine-based Svalbard-Barents Sea Ice Sheet. Future warming of the Atlantic Water could lead to widespread disappearance of gas hydrates and melting of the remaining marine-terminating glaciers.

Dynamics of methane seepage at Leirdjupet Fault Complex (SW Barents Sea) since last deglaciation and possible future scenarios

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Argentino ◽  
Kate Waghorn ◽  
Sunil Vadakkepuliyambatta ◽  
Stéphane Polteau ◽  
Stefan Bünz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Hydrate ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Anaerobic Oxidation Of Methane ◽  
Last Deglaciation ◽  
Methane Seeps ◽  
Geochemical Composition ◽  
Methane Seepage ◽  
The Barents Sea

<p>Methane emissions from Arctic continental margins may increase due to global warming. Present-day ocean fluxes seem to provide a minor contribution to the atmosphere methane pool, but large uncertainties still remain on the magnitude of future emissions from methane seeps and gas hydrate-bearing sediments. The Barents Sea is a natural laboratory to study the evolution of methane seeps in relation to climate change, as it recorded several phases of ice-sheet advance and retreat during the Pleistocene. Glaciations and its concurrent denudation of the Barents Sea influenced the subsurface, causing reservoir expansion and fracturing, thereby driving hydrocarbon (mostly gas) migration which resulted in a sustained regional fluid flow system. New data from this area can shed light on future response of other high-latitude continental shelves worldwide. Here, we present reconstructed methane emission dynamics at Leirdjupet Fault Complex (LFC), SW Barents Sea, since last deglaciation (occurred after ~19 cal Ka BP). The geochemical composition of sediment cores indicate prolonged methane emissions, which started after 14.5 cal Ka BP. Geochemical proxies for anaerobic oxidation of methane in the sediment (barium, calcium and sulfur enrichments, isotopic composition of foraminifera) indicate an overall decrease in seepage intensity over the Holocene toward present-day conditions. Methane-derived authigenic carbonates with aragonite mineralogy and heavy δ<sup>18</sup>O signature recorded an episode of gas hydrate destabilization in this region. Paleo-hydrate stability models suggest that this event was triggered by the influx of warm Atlantic water and isostatic uplift linked to the retreat of the Barents Sea Ice Sheet. Present-day distribution of methane seeps at LFC is strongly linked to underlying faults. Methane hydrates are stable in the southern part of the investigated seepage area and might respond to a future increase in bottom water temperatures.</p>

Variability of the Intermediate Atlantic Water of the Arctic Ocean over the Last 100 Years

2004 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 4485-4497 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. V. Polyakov ◽  
G. V. Alekseev ◽  
L. A. Timokhov ◽  
U. S. Bhatt ◽  
R. L. Colony ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Temperature ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Observational Data ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Lower Latitude ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Temperature Record ◽  
The Arctic Ocean

Abstract Recent observations show dramatic changes of the Arctic atmosphere–ice–ocean system, including a rapid warming in the intermediate Atlantic water of the Arctic Ocean. Here it is demonstrated through the analysis of a vast collection of previously unsynthesized observational data, that over the twentieth century Atlantic water variability was dominated by low-frequency oscillations (LFO) on time scales of 50–80 yr. Associated with this variability, the Atlantic water temperature record shows two warm periods in the 1930s–40s and in recent decades and two cold periods earlier in the century and in the 1960s–70s. Over recent decades, the data show a warming and salinification of the Atlantic layer accompanied by its shoaling and, probably, thinning. The estimate of the Atlantic water temperature variability shows a general warming trend; however, over the 100-yr record there are periods (including the recent decades) with short-term trends strongly amplified by multidecadal variations. Observational data provide evidence that Atlantic water temperature, Arctic surface air temperature, and ice extent and fast ice thickness in the Siberian marginal seas display coherent LFO. The hydrographic data used support a negative feedback mechanism through which changes of density act to moderate the inflow of Atlantic water to the Arctic Ocean, consistent with the decrease of positive Atlantic water temperature anomalies in the late 1990s. The sustained Atlantic water temperature and salinity anomalies in the Arctic Ocean are associated with hydrographic anomalies of the same sign in the Greenland–Norwegian Seas and of the opposite sign in the Labrador Sea. Finally, it is found that the Arctic air–sea–ice system and the North Atlantic sea surface temperature display coherent low-frequency fluctuations. Elucidating the mechanisms behind this relationship will be critical to an understanding of the complex nature of low-frequency variability found in the Arctic and in lower-latitude regions.

scholarly journals Pliocene three-dimensional global ocean temperature reconstruction

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 769-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. J. Dowsett ◽  
M. M. Robinson ◽  
K. M. Foley
Keyword(s):  
Water Temperature ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Thermal Structure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Validation Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Bottom Water Temperature

Abstract. The thermal structure of the mid-Piacenzian ocean is obtained by combining the Pliocene Research, Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping Project (PRISM3) multiproxy sea-surface temperature (SST) reconstruction with bottom water temperature estimates from 27 locations produced using Mg/Ca paleothermometry based upon the ostracod genus Krithe. Deep water temperature estimates are skewed toward the Atlantic Basin (63% of the locations) and represent depths from 1000 m to 4500 m. This reconstruction, meant to serve as a validation data set as well as an initialization for coupled numerical climate models, assumes a Pliocene water mass framework similar to that which exists today, with several important modifications. The area of formation of present day North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) was expanded and extended further north toward the Arctic Ocean during the mid-Piacenzian relative to today. This, combined with a deeper Greenland-Scotland Ridge, allowed a greater volume of warmer NADW to enter the Atlantic Ocean. In the Southern Ocean, the Polar Front Zone was expanded relative to present day, but shifted closer to the Antarctic continent. This, combined with at least seasonal reduction in sea ice extent, resulted in decreased Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) production (relative to present day) as well as possible changes in the depth of intermediate waters. The reconstructed mid-Piacenzian three-dimensional ocean was warmer overall than today, and the hypothesized aerial extent of water masses appears to fit the limited stable isotopic data available for this time period.

Early Holocene ocean conditions off the Zachariæ Isstrøm, Northeast Greenland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Davies ◽  
Anders Møller Mathiasen ◽  
Kristiane Kristensen ◽  
Christof Pearce ◽  
Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
Outlet Glacier ◽  
The Impact

<p>The polar regions exhibit some of the most visible signs of climate change globally; annual mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has quadrupled in recent decades, from 51 ± 65 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup> (1992-2001) to 211 ± 37 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup> (2002-2011). This can partly be attributed to the widespread retreat and speed-up of marine-terminating glaciers. The Zachariae Isstrøm (ZI) is an outlet glacier of the Northeast Greenland Ice Steam (NEGIS), one of the largest ice streams of the GrIS (700km), draining approximately 12% of the ice sheet interior. Observations show that the ZI began accelerating in 2000, resulting in the collapse of the floating ice shelf between 2002 and 2003. By 2014, the ice shelf extended over an area of 52km<sup>2</sup>, a 95% decrease in area since 2002, where it extended over 1040km<sup>2</sup>. Paleo-reconstructions provide an opportunity to extend observational records in order to understand the oceanic and climatic processes governing the position of the grounding zone of marine terminating glaciers and the extent of floating ice shelves. Such datasets are thus necessary if we are to constrain the impact of future climate change projections on the Arctic cryosphere.</p><p>A multi-proxy approach, involving grain size, geochemical, foraminiferal and sedimentary analysis was applied to marine sediment core DA17-NG-ST8-92G, collected offshore of the ZI, on  the Northeast Greenland Shelf. The aim was to reconstruct changes in the extent of the ZI and the palaeoceanographic conditions throughout the Early to Mid Holocene (c.a. 12,500-5,000 cal. yrs. BP). Evidence from the analysis of these datasets indicates that whilst there has been no grounded ice at the site over the last 12,500 years, the ice shelf of the ZI extended as a floating ice shelf over the site between 12,500 and 9,200 cal. yrs. BP, with the grounding line further inland from our study site. This was followed by a retreat in the ice shelf extent during the Holocene Thermal Maximum; this was likely to have been governed, in part, by basal melting driven by Atlantic Water (AW) recirculated from Svalbard or from the Arctic Ocean. Evidence from benthic foraminifera suggest that there was a shift from the dominance of AW to Polar Water at around 7,500 cal. yrs. BP, although the ice shelf did not expand again despite of this cooling of subsurface waters.</p>

scholarly journals Reconstructing bottom water temperatures from measurements of temperature and thermal diffusivity in marine sediments

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2391-2422
Author(s):  
F. Miesner ◽  
A. Lechleiter ◽  
C. Müller
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Heat Flow ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Marine Sediments ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Measured Data ◽  
Temperature History ◽  
Artificial Data ◽  
Bottom Water Temperature ◽  
Steady State Heat

Abstract. Temperature fields in marine sediments are studied for various purposes. Often, the target of research is the steady state heat flow as a (possible) source of energy but there are also studies attempting to reconstruct bottom water temperature variations to understand more about climate history. The bottom water temperature propagates into the sediment to different depths, depending on the amplitude and period of the deviation. The steady state heat flow can only be determined when the bottom water temperature is constant while the bottom water temperature history can only be reconstructed when the deviation has an amplitude large enough or the measurements are taken in great depths. In this work, the aim is to reconstruct recent bottom water temperature history such as the last two years. To this end, measurements to depths of up to 6 m shall be adequate and amplitudes smaller than 1 K should be reconstructable. First, a commonly used forward model is introduced and analyzed: knowing the bottom water temperature deviation in the last years and the thermal properties of the sediments, the forward model gives the sediment temperature field. Next, an inversion operator and two common inversion schemes are introduced. The analysis of the inversion operator and both algorithms is kept short, but sources for further reading are given. The algorithms are then tested for artificial data with different noise levels and for two example data sets, one from the German North Sea and one from the Davis Strait. Both algorithms show good and stable results for artificial data. The achieved results for measured data have low variances and match to the observed oceanographic settings. Lastly, the desired and obtained accuracy are discussed. For artificial data, the presented method yields satisfying results. However, for measured data the interpretation of the results is more difficult as the exact form of the bottom water deviation is not known. Nevertheless, the presented inversion method seems rather promising due to its accuracy and stability for artificial data. Continuing to work on the development of more sophisticated models for the bottom water temperature, we hope to cover more different oceanographic settings in the future.

Seasonal variability of natural methane seepage offshore Western Svalbard

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Moser ◽  
Knut Ola Dølven ◽  
Bénédicte Ferré
Keyword(s):  
Gas Hydrate ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Methane Flux ◽  
Mixing Rate ◽  
Bottom Water Temperature ◽  
Acoustic Data ◽  
Methane Seepage ◽  
Continental Shelves ◽  
Water Conditions ◽  
Methane Fluxes

<p>Natural methane seepage from the seafloor to the water column occurs worldwide in marine environments, from continental shelves to deep-sea basins. Depending on water depth, methane fluxes, and mixing rate of the seawater, methane may partially reach the atmosphere, where it could contribute to the global greenhouse effect. Estimates of annual marine methane fluxes are commonly calculated from hydro-acoustic data collected during single research surveys. These snapshot estimates neglect short (i.e., tide) and long (seasonal) variations.</p><p>Here we compare the seepage activity along the upper limit of the gas hydrate stability zone offshore Western Svalbard in August 2017 (bottom water temperature (BT) ~3.46°C), June 2020 (BT ~1.75°C), and November 2020 (BT ~3.96°C) using high-resolution vessel-based multibeam data. Our results complete annual methane flux estimates by Ferré et al. (2020) and confirm a significantly reduced seepage activity during the cold bottom-water conditions. We investigate short-term variation by comparing a 7.5 km long multibeam section at three phases of the lunar semidiurnal (M2) tide. We will discuss how these processes affect annual methane fluxes estimates offshore Svalbard and further Arctic methane fluxes estimates.</p><p>The research is part of the Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE) and is supported by the Research Council of Norway through its Centres of Excellence funding scheme grant No. 223259 and UiT.</p><p> </p><p>Ferré, B., Jansson, P. G., Moser, M., Serov, P., Portnov, A., Graves, C. A., et al. (2020). Reduced methane seepage from Arctic sediments during cold bottom-water conditions. Nat. Geosci. 13, 144–148. DOI: 10.1038/s41561-019-0515-3</p>

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