Rüdiger Stein

Late Quaternary glacial history and short-term ice-rafted debris fluctuations along the East Greenland continental margin

Abstract High-resolution stable oxygen and carbon isotope and sedimentological investigations were carried out on four west-east profiles at the East Greenland continental margin between 68° and 75°N. The sediment cores represent distinct glacial/interglacial palaeoclimatic episodes over the past 190 ka. Based on oxygen isotope stratigraphy and AMS 14C dating, our data can be well correlated with the global climate record. However, there are some excursions from the global climate curve suggesting a local/regional overprint by meltwater events of the Greenland Ice Sheet, especially at the beginning of isotope stage 3 and during Termination 1. Distinct high-amplitude variations in supply of ice-rafted debris (IRD) indicate repeated advances and retreats of the Greenland Ice Sheet, causing fluctuations in the massive production and transport of icebergs into the Greenland Sea. During the last 190 ka, a number of IRD peaks appear to be correlated with cooling cycles observed in the GRIP Greenland Ice Core. Drastic events in iceberg discharge along the East Greenland continental margin recurred at very short intervals of 1000–3000 years (i.e. much more frequently than the about 10 000 years associated with Heinrich events), suggesting short-term collapses of the Greenland Ice Sheet on these time-scales. These late Weichselian Greenland Ice Sheet oscillations appear to be in phase with those in the Barents Sea area. Maximum flux rates of terrigenous (ice-rafted) material were recorded at the continental slope between about 21 and 16 ka, which may correspond to the maximum (stage 2) extension of glaciers on Greenland. The beginning of Termination I is documented by a distinct shift in the oxygen isotopes and a most prominent decrease in flux of IRD at the continental slope caused by the retreat of continental ice masses.

Late Quaternary paleoceanography of the Eurasian Basin, Arctic Ocean

We reconstructed late Quaternary deep (3000–4100 m) and intermediate depth (1000–2500 m) paleoceanographic history of the Eurasian Basin, Arctic Ocean from ostracode assemblages in cores from the Lomonosov Ridge, Gakkel Ridge, Yermak Plateau, Morris Jesup Rise, and Amundsen and Makarov Basins obtained during the 1991 Polarstern cruise. Modern assemblages on ridges and plateaus between 1000 and 1500 m are characterized by abundant, relatively species-rich benthic ostracode assemblages, in part, reflecting the influence of high organic productivity and inflowing Atlantic water. In contrast, deep Arctic Eurasian basin assemblages have low abundance and low diversity and are dominated by Krithe and Cytheropteron reflecting faunal exchange with the Greenland Sea via the Fram Strait. Major faunal changes occurred in the Arctic during the last glacial/interglacial transition and the Holocene. Low-abundance, low-diversity assemblages from the Lomonosov and Gakkel Ridges in the Eurasian Basin from the last glacial period have modern analogs in cold, low-salinity, low-nutrient Greenland Sea deep water; glacial assemblages from the deep Nansen and Amundsen Basins have modern analogs in the deep Canada Basin. During Termination 1 at intermediate depths, diversity and abundance increased coincident with increased biogenic sediment, reflecting increased organic productivity, reduced sea-ice, and enhanced inflowing North Atlantic water. During deglaciation deep Nansen Basin assemblages were similar to those living today in the deep Greenland Sea, perhaps reflecting deepwater exchange via the Fram Strait. In the central Arctic, early Holocene faunas indicate weaker North Atlantic water inflow at middepths immediately following Termination 1, about 8500–7000 year B.P., followed by a period of strong Canada Basin water overflow across the Lomonosov Ridge into the Morris Jesup Rise area and central Arctic Ocean. Modern perennial sea-ice cover evolved over the last 4000–5000 years. Late Quaternary faunal changes reflect benthic habitat changes most likely caused by changes in the import of cold, deepwater of Greenland Sea origin and warmer and middepth Atlantic water to the Eurasian Basin through the Fram Strait, and export of Arctic Ocean deepwater.

Late Quaternary glacial-interglacial changes in sediment composition at the East Greenland continental margin and their paleoceanographic implications

Stable isotope records, and sedimentological and organic-geochemical investigations of marine sediments from the east Greenland Sea at 70°N provide important information about glacial-interglacial variations of paleoenvironments through the last 225 kyr.The oxygen isotope records established on the planktonic foraminifer N. pachyderma sin. show some excursions from the global climate pattern, probably due to local/regional overprint by meltwater supply. The cold, low-saline East Greenland Current and fluctuations in sea-ice covering were a crucial element controlling the carbonate production in the subsurface/surface water column in the east Greenland Sea over the last 225 kyr. The beginning of Termination Ia is AMS 14C dated at about 15.8 kyr B.P. and interpreted as a Greenland Ice Sheet meltwater signal. The stage 2/3 boundary is dated at about 25 kyr B.P. The timing of the onset of the last deglacial meltwater event is about 800 years earlier than that of the Barents Shelf Ice Sheet meltwater signal recorded in the Fram Strait.Several major pulses of increased supply of coarse-grained terrigenous material by glacio-marine processes occurred during the last 225 kyr. The supply of coarse-grained ice-rafted debris at the East Greenland continental slope reached maximum values during the last glacial maximum (stage 2/Weichselian, 15-19 kyr B.P.).The drastic climatic change and the gradual retreat of continental ice masses/glaciers during the last deglaciation (Termination I) are clearly documented in the marine sedimentary sequences from shelf and upper slope environments. This process resulted in distinctly decreased supply and deposition of ice-rafted debris in the open shelf-upper slope environments. During Termination I, the sea-ice cover also decreased, causing an increase in surface-water productivity, indicated by increased organic carbon and biogenic opal deposition.

The Greenland-Norwegian Seaway: a key area for understanding Late Jurassic to early Cretaceous paleoenvironments

The paleoclimatology and paleoceanology of the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous are of special interest because this was a time when large amounts of marine organic matter were deposited in sediments that have subsequently become petroleum source rocks. However, because of the lack of outcrops, most studies have concentrated on low latitudes, in particular the Tethys and the “Boreal Realm,” where information has been based largely on material from northwest Germany, the North Sea, and England. These areas were all south of 40°N latitude during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. We have studied sediment samples of Kimmeridgian (∼154 Ma) to Barremian (∼121 Ma) age from cores taken at sites offshore mid-Norway and in the Barents Sea that lay in a narrow seaway connecting the Tethys with the northern polar ocean. During the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous these sites had paleolatitudes of 42–67°N. The Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous sequences at these sites reflect the global sea-level rise during the Volgian-Hauterivian and a climatic shift from warm humid conditions in Volgian times to arid cold climates in the early Hauterivian. The sediments indicate orbital control of climate, reflected in fluctuations in the clastic influx and variations in carbonate and organic matter production. Trace element concentrations in the Volgian-Berriasian sediments suggest that the central part of the Greenland-Norwegian Seaway might have had suboxic bottom water beneath an oxic water column. Both marine and terrigenous organic matter are present in the seaway sediments. The Volgian-Berriasian strata have unusually high contents of organic carbon and are the source rocks for petroleum and gas fields in the region. The accumulation of organic carbon is attributed to restricted conditions in the seaway during this time of low sea level. It might be that the Greenland-Norwegian segment was the deepest part of the transcontinental seaway, bounded at both ends by relatively shallow swells. The decline in organic matter content of the sediments in the Valanginian-Hauterivian indicates greater ventilation and more active flow through the seaway as the sea level rose. The same benthic foraminifera assemblages are encountered throughout the seaway. Endemic assemblages of arenaceous foraminifera in the Volgian-Berriasian give way to more diverse and cosmopolitan Valanginian-Hauterivian benthic communities that include calcareous species. The foraminiferal assemblages also suggest low oxygen content bottom waters during the earlier Cretaceous, changing to more fully oxygenated conditions later. The calcareous nannoplankton, particularly Crucibiscutum salebrosum, which is rare at low latitudes and abundant in high latitudes, reflect the meridional thermal gradient. They indicate that the Greenland-Norwegian segment of the seaway was north of a subtropical frontal zone that acted as a barrier between the Tethyan and Boreal Realms. This implies the existence of stable climatic belts during the early Valanginian and Hauterivian, significant meridional temperature gradients, and moderate “ice house” conditions.

Heavy metals in aerosols over the seas of the Russian Arctic

A review of the data on heavy metals in aerosols over the seas of the Russian Arctic is presented. Results of heavy metal studies in aerosols obtained during 11 research expeditions in summer/autumn period from 1991 to 2000, and at Severnaya Zemlya and Wrangel Island in spring, in 1985-1989 are discussed. Concentrations of most heavy metals in the atmosphere in the marine boundary layer in the Russian Arctic are nearly of the same order as literature data from other Arctic areas. The content of heavy metals in the aerosols over the seas of the Russian Arctic shows an annual variation with maximal concentrations during the winter/spring season. In the summer/autumn period increased concentrations of heavy metals could be explained, in most cases, by natural processes (generation of sea salt aerosols, etc.). In some cases, aerosols from Norilsk and Kola Peninsula were detected. Particular attention was paid to estimation of horizontal and vertical fluxes of atmospheric heavy metals. We estimated annual variations in long-range transport of heavy metals into the Russian Arctic in 1986-1995. In winter and spring, up to 50% of the average air pollutant concentrations in the Russian Arctic are due to the Arctic atmospheric pollution itself. Moreover, the monthly and annual averaged fluxes of six anthropogenic chemical elements (arsenic, nickel, lead, vanadium, zinc and cadmium) onto the surface in the Arctic were estimated, and the values obtained were in reasonable agreement with the literature data available.

Accumulation of particulate organic carbon at the Eurasian continental margin during late Quaternary times: Controlling mechanisms and paleoenvironmental significance.

Abstract Data on the amount and composition of organic carbon were determined in sediment cores from the Kara and Laptev Sea continental margin, representing oxygen isotope stages 1–6. The characterization of organic matter is based on hydrogen index (HI) values, n-alkanes and maceral composition, indicating the predominance of terrigenous organic matter through space and time. The variations in the amount and composition of organic carbon are mainly influenced by changes in fluvial sediment supply, Atlantic water inflow, and continental ice sheets. During oxygen isotope stage (OIS) 6, high organic carbon contents in sediments from the Laptev Sea and western East Siberian Sea continental margin were probably caused by the increased glacial erosion and further transport in the eastward-flowing boundary current along the continental margin. During OIS 5 and early OIS 3, some increased amounts of marine organic matter were preserved in sediments east of the Lomonosov Ridge, suggesting an influence of nutrient-rich Pacific waters. During OIS 2, terrigenous organic carbon supply was increased along the Barents and western Kara Sea continental margin caused by extended continental ice sheets in the Barents Sea (Svalbard to Franz Josef Land) area and increased glacial erosion. Along the Laptev Sea continental margin, on the other hand, the supply of terrigenous (organic) matter was significantly reduced due to the lack of major ice sheets and reduced river discharge. Towards the Holocene, the amount of total organic carbon (TOC) increased along the Kara and Laptev Sea continental margin, reaching average values of up to 0.5 g C cm−2 ky−1. Between about 8 and 10 ka (9 and 11 Cal ka), i.e., during times when the inner shallow Kara and Laptev seas became largely flooded for the first time after the Last Glacial Maximum, maximum supply of terrigenous organic carbon occurred, which is related to an increase in coastal erosion and Siberian river discharge. During the last 8000 years, the increased amount of marine organic carbon preserved in the sediments from the Kara and Laptev Sea continental margin is interpreted as a result of the intensification of Atlantic water inflow along the Eurasian continental margin.

Sedimentation rates in the Makarov Basin, central Arctic Ocean: A paleomagnetic and rock magnetic approach

Three long sediment cores from the Makarov Basin have been subjected to detailed paleomagnetic and rock magnetic analyses. Investigated sediments are dominated by normal polarity including short reversal excursions, indicating that most of the sediments are of Brunhes age. In general, the recovered sediments show only low to moderate variability in concentration and grain size of the remanence-carrying minerals. Estimations of relative paleointensity variations yielded a well-documented succession of pronounced lows and highs that could be correlated to published reference curves. However, together with five accelerator mass spectrometry C-14 ages and an incomplete Be-10 record, still two different interpretations of the paleomagnetic data are possible, with long-term sedimentation rates of either 1.3 or 4 cm kyr(-1) However, both models implicate highly variable sedimentation rates of up to 10 cm kyr(-1), and abrupt changes in rock magnetic parameters might even indicate several hiatuses.

Sea ice and millennial-scale climate variability in the Nordic seas 90 kyr ago to present

In the light of rapidly diminishing sea ice cover in the Arctic during the present atmospheric warming, it is imperative to study the distribution of sea ice in the past in relation to rapid climate change. Here we focus on glacial millennial-scale climatic events (Dansgaard/Oeschger events) using the sea ice proxy IP25 in combination with phytoplankton proxy data and quantification of diatom species in a record from the southeast Norwegian Sea. We demonstrate that expansion and retreat of sea ice varies consistently in pace with the rapid climate changes 90 kyr ago to present. Sea ice retreats abruptly at the start of warm interstadials, but spreads rapidly during cooling phases of the interstadials and becomes near perennial and perennial during cold stadials and Heinrich events, respectively. Low-salinity surface water and the sea ice edge spreads to the Greenland–Scotland Ridge, and during the largest Heinrich events, probably far into the Atlantic Ocean.

Latest Pleistocene to Holocene changes in glaciomarine sedimentation in Scoresby Sund and along the adjacent East Greenland Continental Margin: preliminary results

Based on preliminary results of sedimentological and organic geochemical investigations, distinct changes in the composition of siliciclastic and biogenic components occured in sediments from the East Greenland Continental Slope and Shelf and Scoresby Sund during the latest Pleistocene to Holocene times. These changes probably reflect the (? early/) late Weichselian glacial to Holocene interglacial transition, i.e., the decay of continental ice masses and sea-ice cover, causing major changes in supply of terrigenous matter and surface-water productivity. Flux rates of coarse-grained ice-rafted debris (IRD) distinctly decreased on the continental slope/shelf during the deglaciation interval. During the last 10,000 years, major amounts of IRD were trapped in the Scoresby Sund system. In comparison to modern interglacial conditions, surface-water productivity was significantly lower during the last glacial.

Age and extent of the Yermak Slide north of Spitsbergen, Arctic Ocean

The extent of the Yermak Slide has been revised on the basis of new acoustic and detailed bathymetric data. The true geometry, with an affected area of at least 10,000 km2 and more than 2400 km3 of involved sedimentary material, puts the Yermak Slide among the largest exposed submarine slides worldwide, comparable to the Storegga Slide off central Norway. Details from the sides internal structure give evidence for one main slide event during MIS 3 followed by repeated minor events. The timing coincides with the transition of the Kapp Ekholm Interstadial into Glaciation G of Svalbard (Mangerud et al., 1998) and the buildup phase of the Svalbard-Barents Sea Ice Sheet. Thus the slide occurred during a period of falling sea level, increasing ice volume, and, presumably, increasing glaciotectonic activity. The sides geometry and internal physical appearance point to a tectonically induced partial shelf collapse.