The last glaciation of east-central Ellesmere Island, Nunavut: ice dynamics, deglacial chronology, and sea level change

2000 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 1355-1371 ◽  
Author(s):  
John England ◽  
I Rod Smith ◽  
David JA Evans
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Ellesmere Island ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Regional Variability ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
East Central ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
The Impact

During the last glacial maximum of east-central Ellesmere Island, trunk glaciers inundated the landscape, entering the Smith Sound Ice Stream. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates on individual shell fragments in till indicate that the ice advanced after 19 ka BP. The geomorphic and sedimentary signatures left by the trunk glaciers indicate that the glaciers were polythermal. The configuration and chronology of this ice is relevant to the reconstruction of ice core records from northwestern Greenland, the history of iceberg rafting of clastic sediments to northern Baffin Bay, the reopening of the seaway between the Arctic Ocean and Baffin Bay, and the regional variability of arctic paleoenvironments. Deglaciation began with the separation of Ellesmere Island and Greenland ice at fiord mouths ~8-8.5 ka BP. Ice reached fiord heads between 6.5 and 4.4 ka BP. Trunk glacier retreat from the fiords of east-central Ellesmere Island occurred up to 3000 years later than in west coast fiords. This later retreat was favoured by (1) impoundment by the Smith Sound Ice Stream in Kane Basin until ~8.5 ka BP, which moderated the impact of high summer melt recorded in nearby ice cores between ~11.5 and 8.5 ka BP; (2) the shallow bathymetry and narrowness (<2 km) of the east coast fiords, which lowered calving rates following separation of Innuitian and Greenland ice; and (3) the likelihood of higher precipitation along east Ellesmere Island. Glaciers throughout the field area readvanced during the late Holocene. The greater advance of coastal glaciers is attributed to their proximity to the North Water polynya in Baffin Bay.

Exploring ice core sea ice proxies through process-based modelling

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Rhodes ◽  
Xin Yang ◽  
Eric Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Sea Salt ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Sea Salt Aerosol ◽  
Aerosol Emission ◽  
The Impact

&lt;p&gt;It is important to understand the magnitude and rate of past sea ice changes, as well as their timing relative to abrupt shifts in other components of Earth&amp;#8217;s climate system. Furthermore, records of past sea ice over the last few centuries are urgently needed to assess the scale of natural (internal) variability over decadal timescales. By continuously recording past atmospheric composition, polar ice cores have the potential to document changing sea ice conditions if atmospheric chemistry is altered. &amp;#160;Sea salt aerosol, specifically sodium (Na), and bromine enrichment (Br&lt;sub&gt;enr&lt;/sub&gt;, Br/Na enriched relative to seawater ratio) are two ice core sea ice proxies suggested following this premise.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here we aim to move beyond a conceptual understanding of the controls on Na and Br&lt;sub&gt;enr&lt;/sub&gt; in ice cores by using process-based modelling to test hypotheses. We present results of experiments using a 3D global chemical transport model (p-TOMCAT) that represents marine aerosol emission, transport and deposition. Critically, the complex atmospheric chemistry of bromine is also included. Three fundamental issues will be examined: 1) the partitioning of Br between gas and aerosol phases, 2) sea salt aerosol production from first-year versus multi-year sea ice, and 3) the impact of increased acidity in the atmosphere due to human activity in the Arctic.&lt;/p&gt;

Glacier dynamics and paleoclimatic change during the last glaciation of eastern Ellesmere Island, Canada

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 779-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
John England
Keyword(s):  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Ellesmere Island ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Regional Warming ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
The North ◽  
Glacier Dynamics

A 300 km transect along the east coast of Ellesmere Island fills a major gap in the late Quaternary data base of the Canadian High Arctic. The last glacial maximum (LGM) is marked by prominent moraines and meltwater channels that terminate within 30 km of modern ice margins. Shells in glaciomarine deposits, collected beyond the LGM, indicate deglaciation by more extensive ice prior to 35 ka BP. More than 60 14C dates from glaciomarine sediments provide a chronology for past ice dynamics during the LGM. To the north, while many areas remained ice free due to severe aridity, several glaciers remained in contact with the sea until 7.1 ka BP. Farther south, most glaciers reached the coast and significantly infilled several fiords. This southward increase in glacier extent is due to larger glacial catchment basins and increased precipitation towards storm tracks in northern Baffin Bay. The earliest dates on deglaciation along the transect range from 8.1 to 7.7 ka BP. Initial retreat was controlled by the extent of the marine-based ice margins, which were destabilized by calving. Once landward of the sea, many glaciers stabilized until ~6.5 ka BP. Considerable interfiord variability in glacier dynamics is apparent. A paleoclimatic model is proposed linking past glacier activity in the Canadian High Arctic with the available ice core record. Greenland ice cores show that colder intervals, with depleted δ18O, were associated with reduced precipitation and storminess, which may have constrained ice buildup prior to ~15 ka BP. In contrast, the abrupt rise in δ18O after ~15 ka signals the onset of regional warming associated with increased storminess and precipitation (up to 200%). This may have occasioned a late buildup of High Arctic glaciers, which remained close to the last ice limit well into the Holocene.

The implications of selected processing methods on satellite altimetry derived sea ice thickness state and trends in the seasonal ice zone

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isolde Glissenaar ◽  
Jack Landy ◽  
Alek Petty ◽  
Nathan Kurtz ◽  
Julienne Stroeve
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Snow Depth ◽  
Satellite Altimetry ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
The Impact

&lt;p&gt;The ice cover of the Arctic Ocean is increasingly becoming dominated by seasonal sea ice. It is important to focus on the processing of altimetry ice thickness data in thinner seasonal ice regions to understand seasonal sea ice behaviour better. This study focusses on Baffin Bay as a region of interest to study seasonal ice behaviour.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We aim to reconcile the spring sea ice thickness derived from multiple satellite altimetry sensors and sea ice charts in Baffin Bay and produce a robust long-term record (2003-2020) for analysing trends in sea ice thickness. We investigate the impact of choosing different snow depth products (the Warren climatology, a passive microwave snow depth product and modelled snow depth from reanalysis data) and snow redistribution methods (a sigmoidal function and an empirical piecewise function) to retrieve sea ice thickness from satellite altimetry sea ice freeboard data.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The choice of snow depth product and redistribution method results in an uncertainty envelope around the March mean sea ice thickness in Baffin Bay of 10%. Moreover, the sea ice thickness trend ranges from -15 cm/dec to 20 cm/dec depending on the applied snow depth product and redistribution method. Previous studies have shown a possible long-term asymmetrical trend in sea ice thinning in Baffin Bay. The present study shows that whether a significant long-term asymmetrical trend was found depends on the choice of snow depth product and redistribution method. The satellite altimetry sea ice thickness results with different snow depth products and snow redistribution methods show that different processing techniques can lead to different results and can influence conclusions on total and spatial sea ice thickness trends. Further processing work on the historic radar altimetry record is needed to create reliable sea ice thickness products in the marginal ice zone.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Regional variability of acidification in the Arctic: a sea of contrasts

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. Popova ◽  
A. Yool ◽  
Y. Aksenov ◽  
A. C. Coward ◽  
T. R. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Canadian Arctic Archipelago ◽  
Regional Variability ◽  
The Arctic Ocean ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The Arctic Ocean is a region that is particularly vulnerable to the impact of ocean acidification driven by rising atmospheric CO2, with potentially negative consequences for calcifying organisms such as coccolithophorids and foraminiferans. In this study, we use an ocean-only general circulation model, with embedded biogeochemistry and a comprehensive description of the ocean carbon cycle, to study the response of pH and saturation states of calcite and aragonite to rising atmospheric pCO2 and changing climate in the Arctic Ocean. Particular attention is paid to the strong regional variability within the Arctic, and, for comparison, simulation results are contrasted with those for the global ocean. Simulations were run to year 2099 using the RCP8.5 (an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) scenario with the highest concentrations of atmospheric CO2). The separate impacts of the direct increase in atmospheric CO2 and indirect effects via impact of climate change (changing temperature, stratification, primary production and freshwater fluxes) were examined by undertaking two simulations, one with the full system and the other in which atmospheric CO2 was prevented from increasing beyond its preindustrial level (year 1860). Results indicate that the impact of climate change, and spatial heterogeneity thereof, plays a strong role in the declines in pH and carbonate saturation (Ω) seen in the Arctic. The central Arctic, Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Baffin Bay show greatest rates of acidification and Ω decline as a result of melting sea ice. In contrast, areas affected by Atlantic inflow including the Greenland Sea and outer shelves of the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas, had minimal decreases in pH and Ω because diminishing ice cover led to greater vertical mixing and primary production. As a consequence, the projected onset of undersaturation in respect to aragonite is highly variable regionally within the Arctic, occurring during the decade of 2000–2010 in the Siberian shelves and Canadian Arctic Archipelago, but as late as the 2080s in the Barents and Norwegian seas. We conclude that, for future projections of acidification and carbonate saturation state in the Arctic, regional variability is significant and needs to be adequately resolved, with particular emphasis on reliable projections of the rates of retreat of the sea ice, which are a major source of uncertainty.

scholarly journals Impact of precipitation intermittency on NAO-temperature signals in proxy records

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 871-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Casado ◽  
P. Ortega ◽  
V. Masson-Delmotte ◽  
C. Risi ◽  
D. Swingedouw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Stable Isotope Ratio ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Temporal Correlations ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic Oscillation ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In mid and high latitudes, the stable isotope ratio in precipitation is driven by changes in temperature, which control atmospheric distillation. This relationship forms the basis for many continental paleoclimatic reconstructions using direct (e.g. ice cores) or indirect (e.g. tree ring cellulose, speleothem calcite) archives of past precipitation. However, the archiving process is inherently biased by intermittency of precipitation. Here, we use two sets of atmospheric reanalyses (NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) and ERA-interim) to quantify this precipitation intermittency bias, by comparing seasonal (winter and summer) temperatures estimated with and without precipitation weighting. We show that this bias reaches up to 10 °C and has large interannual variability. We then assess the impact of precipitation intermittency on the strength and stability of temporal correlations between seasonal temperatures and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Precipitation weighting reduces the correlation between winter NAO and temperature in some areas (e.g. Québec, South-East USA, East Greenland, East Siberia, Mediterranean sector) but does not alter the main patterns of correlation. The correlations between NAO, δ18O in precipitation, temperature and precipitation weighted temperature are investigated using outputs of an atmospheric general circulation model enabled with stable isotopes and nudged using reanalyses (LMDZiso (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique Zoom)). In winter, LMDZiso shows similar correlation values between the NAO and both the precipitation weighted temperature and δ18O in precipitation, thus suggesting limited impacts of moisture origin. Correlations of comparable magnitude are obtained for the available observational evidence (GNIP (Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation) and Greenland ice core data). Our findings support the use of archives of past δ18O for NAO reconstructions.

scholarly journals Climate changes modulated the history of Arctic iodine during the Last Glacial Cycle

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Corella ◽  
Niccolo Maffezzoli ◽  
Andrea Spolaor ◽  
Paul Vallelonga ◽  
Carlos A. Cuevas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Glacial Cycle ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Sea Ice Dynamics ◽  
Ultrafine Aerosol

AbstractIodine has a significant impact on promoting the formation of new ultrafine aerosol particles and accelerating tropospheric ozone loss, thereby affecting radiative forcing and climate. Therefore, understanding the long-term natural evolution of iodine, and its coupling with climate variability, is key to adequately assess its effect on climate on centennial to millennial timescales. Here, using two Greenland ice cores (NEEM and RECAP), we report the Arctic iodine variability during the last 127,000 years. We find the highest and lowest iodine levels recorded during interglacial and glacial periods, respectively, modulated by ocean bioproductivity and sea ice dynamics. Our sub-decadal resolution measurements reveal that high frequency iodine emission variability occurred in pace with Dansgaard/Oeschger events, highlighting the rapid Arctic ocean-ice-atmosphere iodine exchange response to abrupt climate changes. Finally, we discuss if iodine levels during past warmer-than-present climate phases can serve as analogues of future scenarios under an expected ice-free Arctic Ocean. We argue that the combination of natural biogenic ocean iodine release (boosted by ongoing Arctic warming and sea ice retreat) and anthropogenic ozone-induced iodine emissions may lead to a near future scenario with the highest iodine levels of the last 127,000 years.

The impact of sea-ice dynamics on the Arctic climate system

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 741-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Vavrus ◽  
S. P. Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Climate System ◽  
Arctic Climate ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Sea Ice Dynamics ◽  
The Impact

Tephra in the Greenland Ice cores: Insights into Icelandic volcano-climate impacts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imogen Gabriel ◽  
Gill Plunkett ◽  
Peter Abbott ◽  
Bergrún Óladóttir ◽  
Joseph McConnell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Geochemical Analysis ◽  
Volcanic Events ◽  
Societal Impacts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ice Core Records

&lt;p&gt;Volcanic eruptions are considered as one of the primary natural drivers for changes in the global climate system and understanding the impact of past eruptions on the climate is integral to adopt appropriate responses towards future volcanic eruptions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Greenland ice core records are dominated by Icelandic eruptions, with several volcanic systems (Katla, Hekla, B&amp;#225;r&amp;#240;arbunga-Vei&amp;#240;iv&amp;#246;tn and Grimsv&amp;#246;tn) being highly active throughout the Holocene. A notable period of increased Icelandic volcanic activity occurred between 500-1250 AD and coincided with climatic changes in the North Atlantic region which may have facilitated the Viking settlement of Greenland and Iceland. However, a number of these volcanic events are poorly constrained (duration and magnitude). Consequently, the Greenland ice cores offer the opportunity to reliably reconstruct past Icelandic volcanism (duration, magnitude and frequency) due to their high-resolution, the proximity of Iceland to Greenland and subsequent increased likelihood of volcanic fallout deposits (tephra particles and sulphur aerosols) being preserved. However, both the high frequency of eruptions between 500-1250 AD and the geochemical similarity of Iceland&amp;#8217;s volcanic centres present challenges in making the required robust geochemical correlations between the source volcano and the ice core records and ultimately reliably assessing the climatic-societal impacts of these eruptions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To address this, we use two Greenland ice core records (TUNU2013 and B19) and undertake geochemical analysis on tephra from the volcanic events in the selected time window which have been detected and sampled using novel techniques (insoluble particle peaks and sulphur acidity peaks). Further geochemical analysis of proximal material enables robust correlations to be made between the events in the ice core records and their volcanic centres. The high-resolution of these polar archives provides a precise age for the event and when utilised alongside other proxies (i.e. sulphur aerosols), both the duration and magnitude of these eruptions can be constrained, and the climatic-societal impacts of these eruptions reliably assessed.&lt;/p&gt;

Radiogenic Isotope Signatures of Holocene Sediments from Kane Basin: Linkage with the Re-opening and Evolution of Nares Strait

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Madaj ◽  
Friedrich Lucassen ◽  
Claude Hillaire-Marcel ◽  
Simone A. Kasemann
Keyword(s):  
Ellesmere Island ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Past ◽  
Nares Strait ◽  
The North ◽  
Sediment Input ◽  
Detrital Sediment

&lt;p&gt;The re-opening of the Arctic Ocean-Baffin Bay gateway through Nares Strait, following the Last Glacial Maximum, has been partly documented, discussed and revised in the past decades. The Nares Strait opening has led to the inception of the modern fast circulation pattern carrying low-salinity Arctic water towards Baffin Bay and further towards the Labrador Sea. This low-salinity water impacts thermohaline conditions in the North Atlantic, thus the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Available land-based and marine records set the complete opening between 9 and 7.5&amp;#160;ka&amp;#160;BP [1-2], although the precise timing and intensification of the southward flowing currents is still open to debate. A recent study of a marine deglacial sedimentary record from Kane Basin, central Nares Strait, adds information about subsequent paleoceanographic conditions in this widened sector of the strait and proposed the complete opening at ~8.3&amp;#160;ka&amp;#160;BP [3].&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We present complementary radiogenic strontium, neodymium and lead isotope data of the siliciclastic detrital sediment fraction of this very record [3] further documenting the timing and pattern of Nares Strait opening from a sediment provenance approach. The data permit to distinguish detrital material from northern Greenland and Ellesmere Island, transported to the core location from both sides of Nares Strait. Throughout the Holocene, the evolution of contributions of these two sources hint to the timing of the ice break-up in Kennedy Channel, north of Kane Basin, which led to the complete opening of Nares Strait [3]. The newly established gateway of material transported to the core location from the north via Kennedy Channel is recorded by increased contribution of northern Ellesmere Island detrital sediment input. This shift from a Greenland (Inglefield Land) dominated sediment input to a northern Ellesmere Island dominated sediment input supports the hypothesis of the newly proposed timing of the complete opening of Nares Strait at 8.3&amp;#160;ka&amp;#160;BP [3] and highlights a progressive trend towards modern-like conditions, reached at about 4&amp;#160;ka&amp;#160;BP.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;References:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1] England (1999) Quaternary Science Reviews, 18(3), 421&amp;#8211;456. [2] Jennings et al. (2011) Oceanography, 24(3), 26-41. [3] Georgiadis et al. (2018) Climate of the Past, 14 (12), 1991-2010.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Ice Core Studies of Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, 1960

1964 ◽  
Vol 5 (37) ◽  
pp. 39-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. Ragle ◽  
R. G. Blair ◽  
L. E. Persson
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Laboratory Analysis ◽  
Dartmouth College ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
Glacier Ice ◽  
Initial Work ◽  
Physical And Chemical

AbstractA four-man party representing the Arctic Institute of North America and the Department of Geology, Dartmouth College, went to the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf in 1960 to obtain ice cores for subsequent laboratory analysis. The overall objective of the project was to study the structural and stratigraphic history of the shelf and its relationship to the environment through laboratory analysis of the cores, using stratigraphic. petrologic, chemical, and physical methods.The four cores obtained were logged, packed, and shipped to Dartmouth College for detailed study. The stratigraphy and structure of the ice were studied under natural and plane polarized light conditions. The results of this initial work showed that the cores were composed of four ice types: glacier ice, lake ice, sea ice, and transition ice. Chlorinity, sulfate, and density profiles complemented megascopic studies and were most useful criteria for plotting stratigraphie changes in ice type.Results of the investigations thus far have yielded new information about the gross structure and stratigraphy of the ice shelf and re-entrant. They have also shown that the physical and chemical techniques employed will be useful in future ice-core analysis.

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