Alexey K. Pavlov

Characteristics of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Arctic outflow in the Fram Strait: Assessing the changes and fate of terrigenous CDOM in the Arctic Ocean

Absorption coefficients of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were measured together with salinity, delta O-18, and inorganic nutrients across the Fram Strait. A pronounced CDOM absorption maximum between 30 and 120 m depth was associated with river and sea ice brine enriched water, characteristic of the Arctic mixed layer and upper halocline waters in the East Greenland Current (EGC). The lowest CDOM concentrations were found in the Atlantic inflow. We show that the salinity-CDOM relationship is not suitable for evaluating conservative mixing of CDOM. The strong correlation between meteoric water and CDOM is indicative of the riverine/terrigenous origin of CDOM in the EGC. Based on CDOM absorption in Polar Water and comparison with an Arctic river discharge weighted mean, we estimate that a 49-59% integrated loss of CDOM absorption across 250-600 nm has occurred. A preferential removal of absorption at longer wavelengths reflects the loss of high molecular weight material. In contrast, CDOM fluxes through the Fram Strait using September velocity fields from a high-resolution ocean-sea ice model indicate that the net southward transport of terrigenous CDOM through the Fram Strait equals up to 50% of the total riverine CDOM input; this suggests that the Fram Strait export is a major sink of CDOM. These contrasting results indicate that we have to constrain the (C)DOM budgets for the Arctic Ocean much better and examine uncertainties related to using tracers to assess conservative mixing in polar waters. Citation: Granskog, M. A., C. A. Stedmon, P. A. Dodd, R. M. W. Amon, A. K. Pavlov, L. de Steur, and E. Hansen (2012), Characteristics of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Arctic outflow in the Fram Strait: Assessing the changes and fate of terrigenous CDOM in the Arctic Ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 117, C12021, doi:10.1029/2012JC008075.

Leads in Arctic pack ice enable early phytoplankton blooms below snow-covered sea ice

The Arctic icescape is rapidly transforming from a thicker multiyear ice cover to a thinner and largely seasonal first-year ice cover with significant consequences for Arctic primary production. One critical challenge is to understand how productivity will change within the next decades. Recent studies have reported extensive phytoplankton blooms beneath ponded sea ice during summer, indicating that satellite-based Arctic annual primary production estimates may be significantly underestimated. Here we present a unique time-series of a phytoplankton spring bloom observed beneath snow-covered Arctic pack ice. The bloom, dominated by the haptophyte algae Phaeocystis pouchetii, caused near depletion of the surface nitrate inventory and a decline in dissolved inorganic carbon by 16 ± 6 g C m−2. Ocean circulation characteristics in the area indicated that the bloom developed in situ despite the snow-covered sea ice. Leads in the dynamic ice cover provided added sunlight necessary to initiate and sustain the bloom. Phytoplankton blooms beneath snow-covered ice might become more common and widespread in the future Arctic Ocean with frequent lead formation due to thinner and more dynamic sea ice despite projected increases in high-Arctic snowfall. This could alter productivity, marine food webs and carbon sequestration in the Arctic Ocean.

Warming of Atlantic Water in two west Spitsbergen fjords over the last century (1912-2009)

The recently observed warming of west Spitsbergen fjords has led to anomalous sea-ice conditions and has implications for the marine ecosystem. We investigated long-term trends of maximum temperature of Atlantic Water (AW) in two west Spitsbergen fjords. The data set is composed of more than 400 oceanographic stations for Isfjorden and Grønfjorden (78.1°N), spanning from 1876 to 2009. Trends throughout the last century (1912–2009) indicate an increase of 1.9°C and 2.1°C in the maximum temperature during autumn for Isfjorden and Grønfjorden, respectively. A recent warming event in the beginning of the 21st century is found to be more than 1°C higher than the second warmest period in the time series. Mean sea-level pressure (MSLP) data from ERA-40 and ERA-Interim data sets produced by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and mean temperature in the core of the West Spitsbergen Current (WSC) at the Sørkapp Section along 76.3°N were used to explain the variability of the maximum temperature. A correlation analysis confirmed previous findings, showing that variability in the oceanography of the fjords can be explained mainly by two external factors: AW temperature variability in the WSC and regional patterns of the wind stress field. To take both processes into consideration, a multiple regression model accounting for temperature in the WSC core and MSLP over the area was developed. The predicted time series shows a reasonable agreement with observed maxima temperature in Isfjorden for the period 1977–2009 (N=24), with a statistically significant multiple correlation coefficient of 0.60 (R 2=0.36) at P<0.05.

Effect of sea‐ice melt on inherent optical properties and vertical distribution of solar radiant heating in Arctic surface waters

The inherent optical properties (IOPs) of Polar Waters (PW) exiting the Arctic Ocean in the East Greenland Current (EGC) and of the inflowing Atlantic waters (AW) in the West Spitsbergen Current (WSC) were studied in late summer when surface freshening due to sea-ice melt was widespread. The absorption and attenuation coefficients in PW were significantly higher than previous observations from the western Arctic. High concentrations of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) resulted in 50–60% more heat deposition in the upper meters relative to clearest natural waters. This demonstrates the influence of terrigenous organic material inputs on the optical properties of waters in the Eurasian basin. Sea-ice melt in CDOM-rich PW decreased CDOM absorption, but an increase in scattering nearly compensated for lower absorption, and total attenuation was nearly identical in the sea-ice meltwater layer. This suggests a source of scattering material associated with sea-ice melt, relative to the PW. In the AW, melting sea-ice forms a stratified surface layer with lower absorption and attenuation, than well-mixed AW waters in late summer. It is likely that phytoplankton in the surface layer influenced by sea-ice melt are nutrient limited. The presence of a more transparent surface layer changes the vertical radiant heat absorption profile to greater depths in late summer both in EGC and WSC waters, shifting accumulation of solar heat to greater depths and thus this heat is not directly available for ice melt during periods of stratification.

Windows in Arctic sea ice: Light transmission and ice algae in a refrozen lead

The Arctic Ocean is rapidly changing from thicker multiyear to thinner first-year ice cover, with significant consequences for radiative transfer through the ice pack and light availability for algal growth. A thinner, more dynamic ice cover will possibly result in more frequent leads, covered by newly formed ice with little snow cover. We studied a refrozen lead (≤0.27 m ice) in drifting pack ice north of Svalbard (80.5–82.4 °N) in May-June 2015 during the Norwegian young sea ICE expedition (N-ICE2015). We measured downwelling incident and ice transmitted spectral irradiance, and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), particle absorption, ultraviolet (UV)-protecting mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and chlorophyll a (Chl a) in melted sea ice samples. We found occasionally very high MAA concentrations (up to 39 mg m-3, mean 4.5 ± 7.8 mg m-3) and MAA to Chl a ratios (up to 6.3, mean 1.2 ± 1.3). Disagreement in modelled and observed transmittance in the UV range let us conclude that MAA signatures in CDOM absorption spectra may be artefacts due to osmotic shock during ice melting. Although observed PAR transmittance through the thin ice was 5–40 times that of the adjacent thicker ice with deep snow cover, ice algal standing stocks were low (≤2.31 mg Chl a m-2) and similar to the adjacent ice. Ice algal accumulation in the lead was possibly delayed by the low inoculum and the time needed for photoacclimation to the high-light environment. However, leads are important for phytoplankton growth by acting like windows into the water column.

Effects of an Arctic under‐ice bloom on solar radiant heating of the water column

The deposition of solar energy in the upper Arctic Ocean depends, among other things, on the composition of the water column. During the N-ICE2015 expedition, a drift in the Arctic pack ice north of Svalbard, an under-ice phytoplankton bloom was encountered in May 2015. This bloom led to significant changes in the inherent optical properties (IOPs) of the upper ocean. Mean values of total water absorption in the upper 20 m of the water column were up to 4 times higher during the bloom than prior to it. The total water attenuation coefficient increased by a factor of up to around 7. Radiative transfer modeling, with measured IOPs as input, has been performed with a coupled atmosphere-ice-ocean model. Simulations are used to investigate the change in depth dependent solar heating of the ocean after the onset of the bloom, for wavelengths in the region 350–700 nm. Effects of clouds, sea ice cover, solar zenith angle, as well as the average cosine for scattering of the ocean inclusions are evaluated. An increase in energy absorption in the upper 10 m of about 36% is found under 25 cm ice with 2 cm snow, for bloom conditions relative to pre-bloom conditions, which may have implications for ice melt and growth in spring. Thicker clouds and lower sun reduce the irradiance available, but lead to an increase in relative absorption. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Marine CDOM accumulation during a coastal Arctic mesocosm experiment: No response to elevated pCO2 levels

A large-scale multidisciplinary mesocosm experiment in an Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard; 78°56.2′N) was used to study Arctic marine food webs and biogeochemical elements cycling at natural and elevated future carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. At the start of the experiment, marine-derived chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dominated the CDOM pool. Thus, this experiment constituted a convenient case to study production of autochthonous CDOM, which is typically masked by high levels of CDOM of terrestrial origin in the Arctic Ocean proper. CDOM accumulated during the experiment in line with an increase in bacterial abundance; however, no response was observed to increased pCO2 levels. Changes in CDOM absorption spectral slopes indicate that bacteria were most likely responsible for the observed CDOM dynamics. Distinct absorption peaks (at ~ 330 and ~ 360 nm) were likely associated with mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). Due to the experimental setup, MAAs were produced in absence of ultraviolet exposure providing evidence for MAAs to be considered as multipurpose metabolites rather than simple photoprotective compounds. We showed that a small increase in CDOM during the experiment made it a major contributor to total absorption in a range of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm) and, therefore, is important for spectral light availability and may be important for photosynthesis and phytoplankton groups composition in a rapidly changing Arctic marine ecosystem.

Responses in Arctic marine carbon cycle processes: conceptual scenarios and implications for ecosystem function

The Arctic Ocean is one of the fastest changing oceans, plays an important role in global carbon cycling and yet is a particularly challenging ocean to study. Hence, observations tend to be relatively sparse in both space and time. How the Arctic functions, geophysically, but also ecologically, can have significant consequences for the internal cycling of carbon, and subsequently influence carbon export, atmospheric CO2 uptake and food chain productivity. Here we assess the major carbon pools and associated processes, specifically summarizing the current knowledge of each of these processes in terms of data availability and ranges of rates and values for four geophysical Arctic Ocean domains originally described by Carmack & Wassmann (2006): inflow shelves, which are Pacific-influenced and Atlantic-influenced; interior, river-influenced shelves; and central basins. We attempt to bring together knowledge of the carbon cycle with the ecosystem within each of these different geophysical settings, in order to provide specialist information in a holistic context. We assess the current state of models and how they can be improved and/or used to provide assessments of the current and future functioning when observational data are limited or sparse. In doing so, we highlight potential links in the physical oceanographic regime, primary production and the flow of carbon within the ecosystem that will change in the future. Finally, we are able to highlight priority areas for research, taking a holistic pan-Arctic approach.

The seeding of ice algal blooms in Arctic pack ice : the multiyear ice seed repository hypothesis

During the Norwegian young sea ICE expedition (N-ICE2015) from January to June 2015 the pack ice in the Arctic Ocean north of Svalbard was studied during four drifts between 83° and 80° N. This pack ice consisted of a mix of second-year, first-year and young ice. The physical properties and ice algal community composition was investigated in the three different ice types during the winter-spring-summer transition. Our results indicate that algae remaining in sea ice that survived the summer melt season are subsequently trapped in the upper layers of the ice column during winter and may function as an algal seed repository. Once the connectivity in the entire ice column is established, as a result of temperature-driven increase in ice porosity during spring, algae in the upper parts of the ice are able to migrate towards the bottom and initiate the ice-algal spring bloom. Furthermore, this algal repository might seed the bloom in younger ice formed in adjacent leads. This mechanism was studied in detail for the often dominating ice diatom Nitzschia frigida.The proposed seeding mechanism may be compromised due to the disappearance of older ice in the anticipated regime shift towards a seasonally ice-free Arctic Ocean.

Altered inherent optical properties and estimates of the underwater light field during an Arctic under ice bloom of Phaeocystis pouchetii

In spring 2015, we observed an extensive phytoplankton bloom of Phaeocystis pouchetii, with chlorophyll a concentrations up to 7.5 mg m−3, under compact snow-covered Arctic sea ice at 80-81˚N during the Norwegian young sea ICE (N-ICE2015) expedition. We investigated the influence of the under-ice bloom on inherent optical properties (IOPs) of the upper ocean. Absorption and scattering in the upper 20 m of the water column at visible wavebands increased threefold and tenfold, respectively, relative to pre-bloom conditions. The scattering-to-absorption ratio during the Phaeocystis under-ice bloom was higher than in previous Arctic studies investigating diatom blooms. During the bloom, absorption by colored dissolved organic matter (at 375 nm), seemingly of autochthonous origin, doubled. Total absorption by particles (at 440 nm), dominated by phytoplankton (> 90%), increased tenfold. Measured absorption and scattering in the water were used as inputs for a 1D coupled atmosphere-ice-ocean radiative transfer model (AccuRT) to investigate effects of altered IOPs on the under-ice light field. Multiple scattering between sea ice and phytoplankton in the ocean led to an increase in scalar irradiance in the photosynthetically active radiation range (Eo(PAR)) at the ice-ocean interface by 6–7% compared to pre-bloom situation. This increase could have a positive feedback on ice-algal and under-ice phytoplankton productivity. The ratio between Eo(PAR) and downwelling planar irradiance (Ed(PAR)) below sea ice reached 1.85. Therefore, the use of Ed(PAR) might significantly underestimate the amount of PAR available for photosynthesis underneath sea ice. Our findings could help to improve light parameterizations in primary production models.