Polar Research (E-Journal)
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Early Holocene cooling events in Malangenfjord and the adjoining shelf, north-east Norwegian Sea
No full textA high resolution study of early Holocene climate and palaeoceanography has been performed on two combined sediment cores from Malangenfjord, northern Norway. The fjord provides a regional oceanographic climatic signal reflecting changes in the North Atlantic heat flux at this latitude because of its deep sill and the relatively narrow adjoining continental shelf. Fauna and stable oxygen and carbon isotopes indicate cool, meltwater-depleted water masses in the fjord from 12000 to 11400 cal. yr BP followed by a warming between 11400-10300 cal. yr BP. The climatic variability can be explained partly by freshwater forcing hampering the North Atlantic heat conveyor, and partly by changing solar irradiance. A major cooling event at 11500-11400 cal. yr BP, followed by a rapid warming, is correlated to the Preboreal Oscillation, a widespread signal in the North Atlantic region which is probably linked to the increased meltwater flux to the northern North Atlantic at this time. Brief and small-scale cooling events between 10 300 and 10100 cal. yr BP, correlated to the onset of increased 10Be flux in the Greenland ice cores, suggest a response to solar forcing
The marine ecosystem of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
No full textKongsfjorden is a glacial fjord in the Arctic (Svalbard) that is influenced by both Atlantic and Arctic water masses and harbours a mixture of boreal and Arctic flora and fauna. Inputs from large tidal glaciers create steep environmental gradients in sedimentation and salinity along the length of this fjord. The glacial inputs cause reduced biomass and diversity in the benthic community in the inner fjord. Zooplankton suffers direct mortality from the glacial outflow and primary production is reduced because of limited light levels in the turbid, mixed inner waters. The magnitude of the glacial effects diminishes towards the outer fjord. Kongsfjorden is an important feeding ground for marine mammals and seabirds. Even though the fjord contains some boreal fauna, the prey consumed by upper trophic levels is mainly Arctic organisms. Marine mammals constitute the largest top-predator biomass, but seabirds have the largest energy intake and also export nutrients and energy out of the marine environment. Kongsfjorden has received a lot of research attention in the recent past. The current interest in the fjord is primarily based on the fact that Kongsfjorden is particularly suitable as a site for exploring the impacts of possible climate changes, with Atlantic water influx and melting of tidal glaciers both being linked to climate variability. The pelagic ecosystem is likely to be most sensitive to the Atlantic versus Arctic influence, whereas the benthic ecosystem is more affected by long-term changes in hydrography as well as changes in glacial runoff and sedimentation. Kongsfjorden will be an important Arctic monitoring site over the coming decades and a review of the current knowledge, and a gap analysis, are therefore warranted. Important knowledge gaps include a lack of quantitative data on production, abundance of key prey species, and the role of advection on the biological communities in the fjord
Correlation of late Holocene terrestrial and marine tephra markers, north Iceland: implications for reservoir age changes
No full textThe tephrochronology of the last 3000 years has been investigated in soil sections in north Iceland and in a marine sediment core from the north Icelandic shelf, 50 km offshore. Tephra markers, identified with major element geochemical analysis of volcanic glass shards, serve to correlate the marine and terrestrial records. Hekla 3, the largest Holocene tephra marker from the volcano Hekla, in south Iceland, dated to 2980 years BP, is used as the basal unit in the tephra stratigraphy. AMS 14C dating of molluscs in the sediment core shows variable deviation from the tephrochronological age model, indicating that the reservoir age of the seawater mass at the coring site has varied with time. A standard marine reservoir correction of 400 14C years appears to be reasonable at the present day in the coastal and shelf waters around Iceland, which are dominated by the Irminger Current. However, values over 500 years are observed during the last 3000 years. We suggest that the intervals with increased and variable marine reservoir correction reflect incursions of Arctic water masses derived from the East Greenland Current to the area north of Iceland
The physical environment of Kongsfjorden–Krossfjorden, an Arctic fjord system in Svalbard
No full textKongsfjorden-Krossfjorden and the adjacent West Spitsbergen Shelf meet at the common mouth of the two fjord arms. This paper presents our most up-to-date information about the physical environment of this fjord system and identifies important gaps in knowledge. Particular attention is given to the steep physical gradients along the main fjord axis, as well as to seasonal environmental changes. Physical processes on different scales control the large-scale circulation and small-scale (irreversible) mixing of water and its constituents. It is shown that, in addition to the tide, run-off (glacier ablation, snowmelt, summer rainfall and ice calving) and local winds are the main driving forces acting on the upper water masses in the fjord system. The tide is dominated by the semi-diurnal component and the freshwater supply shows a marked seasonal variation pattern and also varies interannually. The wind conditions are characterized by prevailing katabatic winds, which at times are strengthened by the geostrophic wind field over Svalbard. Rotational dynamics have a considerable influence on the circulation patterns within the fjord system and give rise to a strong interaction between the fjord arms. Such dynamics are also the main reason why variations in the shelf water density field, caused by remote forces (tide and coastal winds), propagate as a Kelvin wave into the fjord system. This exchange affects mainly the intermediate and deep water, which is also affected by vertical convection processes driven by cooling of the surface and brine release during ice formation in the inner reaches of the fjord arms. Further aspects covered by this paper include the geological and geomorphological characteristics of the Kongsfjorden area, climate and meteorology, the influence of glaciers, freshwater supply, sea ice conditions, sedimentation processes as well as underwater radiation conditions. The fjord system is assumed to be vulnerable to possible climate changes, and thus is very suitable as a site for the demonstration and investigation of phenomena related to climate change
The last British Ice Sheet: growth, maximum extent and deglaciation
No full textThe growth, maximum lateral extent and deglaciation of the last British Ice Sheet (BIS) has been reconstructed using sediment, faunal and stable isotope methods from a sedimentary record recovered from the Barra Fan, north-west Scotland. During a phase of ice sheet expansion postdating the early “warmth” of Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3), ice rafting events, operating with a cyclicity of approximately 1500 years, are interspersed between warm, carbonate-rich interstadials operating with a strong Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) cyclicity. The data suggest that the BIS expanded westwards to the outer continental shelf break shortly after 30 Ky BP (before present) and remained there until about 15 Ky BP. Within MIS 2, as the ice sheet grew to its maximum extent, the pronounced periodicities which characterize MIS 3 are lost from the record. The exact timing of the Last Glacial Maximum is difficult to define in this record; but maxima in Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral) Ø18O are observed between 21-17 Ky BP. A massive discharge of ice-rafted detritus, coincident with Heinrich event 1, is observed at about 16 Ky BP. Deglaciation of the margin is complete by about 15 Ky BP and surface waters warm rapidly after this date
Deglaciation history and post-glacial mass movements in Balsfjord, northern Norway
No full textThe deglaciation history of Balsfjord, northern Norway, and post-glacial mass movement events were investigated. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the Balsfjord glacier retreated from the Tromsø–Lyngen moraines about 10.4 14C Ky BP. Between ca. 10.3 14C Ky BP and 9.9 14C Ky BP, deposition of a distinct end moraine–the Skjevelnes moraine–in the central part of Balsfjord occurred. The transition from glacimarine to open marine sedimentary environment took place before 9.6 14C Ky BP. Between ca. 9.5 14C Ky BP and 8.4 14C Ky BP, at least one local and three regional mass movement events occurred. After this period, no gravity flow activity is preserved in the cores. The high frequency of mass movements in the early post-glacial period is presumed to be due to fast sea level changes and/or tectonic activity induced by rapid isostatic uplift
Carbon dioxide and methane dynamics in a sub-Arctic peatland in northern Finland
No full textWe studied carbon dynamics on various surface parts of a highly patterned fen, typical in northern Finland, to examine the importance of different microsites to the areal carbon fluxes. The studies were carried out in June-September 1995 on a mesotrophic flark fen (an aapa mire) in Kaamanen (69°08?N, 27° 17?E). Wet flarks, moist lawns and dry strings accounted for 60%, 10% and 30% of the surface area, respectively. A static chamber technique was applied to measure the CH4 exchange, the instantaneous net ecosystem exchange (NEE, transparent chamber) and the ecosystem respiration (Rtot? opaque chamber) in several microsites. The static chamber results were compared with those obtained by the eddy covariance technique. The mean daytime areal net ecosystem CO2 exchange rate measurement in conditions where photosynthesis was light saturated (PAR>400 ?mol m-2 s-1) varied during the measurement period from ?59 mg CO2-C m?2h?1 (release) to 250 (uptake). The mean CH4 emission during the measuring period was 78 mg CH4-Cm?2 d?1 on the flarks, 68 mg on the lawn and 6.0 mg on the strings. The strings without shrubs (mainly Betula nana) were in general net sources of CO2, even during the middle of the growing season, whereas the lawns, flarks and also strings growing B. nana showed a daytime net uptake of CO2. Areally integrated chamber results showed lower CO2 and higher CH4 fluxes than predicted from the eddy covariance measurements
Effect of isolation temperature on the characteristics of extracellular proteases produced by Antarctic bacteria
No full textProtease-producing psychrotolerant bacteria were isolated from Antarctic biotopes on casein agar plates using different incubation temperatures. Most of the isolates were non-spore-forming Gram-negative motile rods with catalase activity, 30% were pigmented and none of them were glucose fermenters. All the strains were grown in liquid cultures at 20°C and protease secretion was tested using the azocasein method. Despite their capacity for production of a clear zone of hydrolysis in agar plates, some strains did not produce detectable levels of proteolytic activity in liquid cultures. The lowest apparent optimum temperature for protease activity found in culture supernatants was 40°C. Almost all the strains showed activation energy values about 10-20 kJ-mol?1 lower than that observed for a mesophilic Subtilisin. Most of the proteases showed optimal activity at neutral or alkaline pH values and developed a multiple-band profile on gelatine-SDS-PAGE. It was observed that the lower the strain isolation temperature was, the more stongly cold-adapted–in terms of optimal temperature and activation energy–were the proteases produced by them. This dependence of the characteristics of the proteases on the isolation temperature is an important factor to take into account in the design of screening programmes directed towards the isolation of psychrotolerant bacteria able to produce proteases strongly or weakly adapted to work in the cold. The Antarctic area explored proved to be a promising source of proteolytic bacteria with potential use in industrial processes to be carried out at low or moderate temperatures
Single-zircon Pb-evaporation and 40Ar/39Ar dating of the metamorphic and granitic rocks in north-west Spitsbergen
No full textNorth-west Spitsbergen consists of a complex of Caledonian and Grenvillian crystalline rocks, situated at the north-west corner of the Barents Shelf. The aim of this study is to understand the extent of pre-Caledonian basement rocks and their protoliths. Micas and zircon grains from six rocks from north-west Spitsbergen have been dated by the 40Ar/39Ar and single-zircon Pb-evaporation methods. Two grey granites yielded Late Caledonian mica 40Ar/39Ar and zircon ages of ca. 420-430 My, with inherited zircon grains as old as 1725 My. Zircon grains from a gneissose granite xenolith in a grey granites gave crystallization ages of ca. 960 My; some grains from a migmatite neosome show similar ages. Zircon grains yielding Archean and late Palaeoproterozoic ages (1600-1800 My) are interpreted as xenocrysts of detrital origin. The youngest ages obtained from detrital zircon grains from a greenschist facies quartzite of the Signehamna unit are ca. 1800 My. Similar schists are included as xenoliths in the 960 My old gneissose granite; therefore, the sedimentary protoliths of the unit are Mesoproterozoic. The dating results suggest a significant tectonothermal event during Grenvillian time; subsequent Caledonian events had less extensive thermal effects. However, it is still a matter of debate whether Grenvillian or Caledonian metamorphism produced the majority of the migmatites. A large population of zircon grains with Late Palaeoproterozoic ages suggests a wide surface exposure of rocks of this age in the source area, with some Archean zircons
Jurassic and Cretaceous palaeogeography and stratigraphic comparisons in the North Greenland-Svalbard region
No full textWe present sedimentological comparisons and stratigraphical correlations of the Jurassic and Cretaceous epicontinental shelf deposits of Svalbard and updated descriptions of the shallow-marine North Greenland sediments of East Peary Land and Kronprins Christians Land (Kilen). The Callovian to Volgian Agardhfjellet Formation of Svalbard is correlated to the lower part of the Ladegårdsåen Formation on East Peary Land, and to the Birkelund Fjeld, Splitbæk, and Kuglelejet formations of Kronprins Christian Land (Kilen). The Berriasian to Hauterivian Rurikfjellet Formation (Svalbard) correlates with the Dromledome and Lichen Ryg formations from Kilen and the middle part of the Ladegårdsåen Formation from East Peary Land. The Galadriel Fjeld Formation from Kilen and the upper part of the Ladegårdsåen Formation (East Peary Land) are comparable to the Helvetiafjellet and Carolinefjellet formations of Svalbard. These comparisons between Svalbard and North Greenland are combined with stratigraphical information from neighbouring regions in palaeogeographical reconstructions. Five selected time slices are presented within a setting of the most recent plate tectonic reconstructions for the area