The De Long Trough: defining the mineralogical signature of the East Siberian Ice Sheet

The Arctic's glacial history has classically been interpreted from marine records in terms of the fluctuations of the Eurasian and North American ice sheets. However, the existence, size, and timing of the East Siberian Ice Sheet (ESIS) remains highly uncertain. A recently discovered glacially scoured cross-shelf trough extending to the edge of the continental shelf north of the De Long Islands has provided additional evidence that glacial ice existed on parts of the East Siberian Sea (ESS) during previous glacial periods (MIS 6 and 4). This study concentrates on defining the mineralogical signature and dynamics of the ESIS. Sediment materials from the East Siberian shelf and slope were collected during the 2014 SWERUS-C3 expedition. The cores studied are 20-GC1 from the East Siberian shelf, 23-GC1 and 24-GC1 from the De Long Trough (DLT), and 29-GC1 from the southern Lomonosov Ridge (LR). Heavy mineral assemblages were used to identify prominent parent rocks in hinterland and other sediment source areas. The parent rocks areas include major eastern Siberian geological provinces such as the Omolon massif, the Chukotka Fold Belt, the Verkhoyansk Fold Belt, and possibly the Okhotsk–Chukotka Volcanic Belt. The primary riverine sources for the ESS sediments are the Indigirka and Kolyma rivers, which material then was glacially eroded and re-deposited in the DLT. The higher abundances of hornblendes in the heavy mineral assemblages may indicate ESS paleovalley of the Indigirka river as a major pathway of sediments, while the Kolyma river paleovalley pathway relates to a higher share of pyroxenes and epidote. Mineralogical signature in the DLT diamicts, consisting predominantly of amphiboles and pyroxenes with minor content of garnet and epidote, show clear delivery from the eastern sector of the ESIS. Although the physical properties of the DLT basal diamict closely resemble a pervasive diamict unit recovered across the southern LR, their source material is slightly different according to their heavy mineral content. Assemblages with elevated amphibole and garnet content, along with higher titanite and ilmenite content from core 29-GC1 from the southern LR emphasise the Verkhoyansk Fold Belt as a possible source. This suggests that glacial ice not only grew out from the East Siberian shelf, but also from the New Siberian Islands and westerly sources due to the dynamics in the ice flow and deposition. An increase in the iron oxides in the sediments overlying the diamicts relates to the deglaciation cycle of the ESIS when the central plateau, or at least the shoreline and river discharge region, were possibly free from ice, and the reworking as well as enrichment of iron oxides was possible. This indicates sea-ice rather than iceberg transport for the present distal shelf sediments.

Permafrost and Gas Hydrate Stability Zone of the Glacial Part of the East-Siberian Shelf

By using thermal mathematical modeling for the time range of 200,000 years ago, the authors have been studying the role the glaciation, covered the De Long Islands and partly the Anjou Islands at the end of Middle Neopleistocene, played in the formation of permafrost and gas hydrates stability zone. For the modeling purpose, we used actual geological borehole cross-sections from the New Siberia Island. The modeling was conducted at geothermal flux densities of 50, 60, and 75 mW/m2 for glacial and extraglacial conditions. Based on the modeling results, the glaciated area is characterized by permafrost thickness of 150–200 m lower than under extraglacial conditions. The lower boundary of the gas hydrate stability zone in the glacial area at 50–60 mW/m2 is located 300 m higher than the same under extraglacial conditions. At 75 mW/m2 in the area of 20–40 m isobaths, open taliks are formed, and the gas hydrate stability zone was destroyed in the middle of the Holocene. The specified conditions and events were being formed in the course of the historical development of the glacial area with a predominance of the marine conditions peculiar to it from the middle of the Middle Neopleistocene.

Gas-geochemical studies of gas fields and increased metal concentrations in the East Siberian Sea

Paper presents the results of complex gas-geochemical studies of bottom sediments of the East Siberian Sea along the meridional profile from Cape Billings to the Mendeleev Ridge. Abnormal concentrations of methane (up to 2.4% vol.) and hydrogen (up to 600 ppm) are controlled by neotectonic faults and are typical for the areas of gas hydrate formation. The carbon isotope composition indicates the predominance of the thermogenic component. When studying the chemical composition of sediments, the data helped to identify the permeability zones of neotectonic faults that have favorable conditions for the concentration of a number of elements: Mn, Cu, Ag. Such zones are characterized by the gas anomalies in sediments (methane, hydrogen, etc.). The accumulation of anomalous metal contents is facilitated by specific geological conditions that occur in zones of gas anomalies within tectonically active structures, where fine-grained sediments enriched with organic matter are present. The gas-geochemical fields formed in this pattern can be applied as indicators in forecasting of hydrocarbon accumulations, for mapping permeable fault zones, and for the environmental impact assessing of hydrocarbon anomalies. This approach could be especially effective in the basins with low seismic activity such as seas of East Siberian shelf and some of the marginal seas of Pacific Ocean, for instance, South China Sea (Bien Dong).

Permafrost organic carbon transport and degradation on a transect from the Kolyma River to the East Siberian Shelf

<p>Arctic rivers will be increasingly affected by the hydrological and biogeochemical effects of thawing permafrost. During transport, permafrost thaw-derived organic carbon (OC) can be degraded into greenhouse gases and potentially add to further climate warming, or transported to the shelf seas and buried in marine sediments, attenuating this ‘permafrost carbon feedback’. To assess the transport pathways and fate of permafrost-OC, we focus on the river-shelf continuum of the Kolyma River, the largest river on Earth completely underlain by continuous permafrost. Three pools of riverine OC were investigated: dissolved OC (DOC), suspended particulate OC (POC), and river sediment OC (SOC). Preliminary results of bulk carbon isotopes (δ<sup>13</sup>C, Δ<sup>14</sup>C) and molecular biomarkers (lignin phenols, leaf wax lipids) show contrasts in composition and degradation state for these carbon pools. Old permafrost-OC seems to be mostly associated with SOC, and less dominant in POC. However, while SOC shows the oldest Δ<sup>14</sup>C signal, lignin phenol results (e.g., acid to aldehyde ratios) suggest this material is the least degraded. In contrast, DOC shows more degraded signal, even at the outflow of an active permafrost thaw site. Our study serves as a terrestrial extension to earlier investigated marine sediments from the Kolyma paleoriver transect in the East Siberian Sea. It also highlights the value of connecting terrestrial and marine observations to gain insight into the complete pathway of permafrost-OC, from the moment of thaw, via aquatic transport and degradation, towards storage in marine sediments.</p>

To the question of the existence of a strike-slip fault in the Arctic Ocean between the underwater Lomonosov ridge and the adjacent shelf

The research object is the junction zone between the underwater Lomonosov ridge and East Siberian shelf. We intend to prove the absence of the strike-slip fault within this junction zone. The existence of the fault zone within this junction zone is still debatable. Formerly used geological and geophysical datawere unsufficient. To remove this ambiguity, seismological data obtained in neighboring areas was applied. Analysis of the earthquakes epicenters in the region showed that in cases of existence of such a fault zone, modern intraplate seismic activity should be certainly registered within its limits. The aseismicity of the junction zone between the underwater Lomonosov ridge and adjacent shelf areas clearly indicates the genetic unity exhisting between these tectonic structures.