Seasonal sea ice persists through the Holocene Thermal Maximum at 80°N

Pieńkowski, A.J.; Husum, K.; Belt, S.T.; Ninneman, U.; Köseoğlu, D.; Divine, D.V.; Smik, L.; Knies, J.; Hogan, K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1256-8010; Noormets, R.. 2021 Seasonal sea ice persists through the Holocene Thermal Maximum at 80°N. Nature Communications Earth and the Environment, 2 (124). 10, pp. 10.1038/s43247-021-00191-x

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Abstract/Summary

The cryospheric response to climatic warming responsible for recent Arctic sea ice decline can be elucidated using marine geological archives which offer an important long-term perspective. The Holocene Thermal Maximum, between 10 and 6 thousand years ago, provides an opportunity to investigate sea ice during a warmer-than-present interval. Here we use organic biomarkers and benthic foraminiferal stable isotope data from two sediment cores in the northernmost Barents Sea (>80 °N) to reconstruct seasonal sea ice between 11.7 and 9.1 thousand years ago. We identify the continued persistence of sea-ice biomarkers which suggest spring sea ice concentrations as high as 55%. During the same period, high foraminiferal oxygen stable isotopes and elevated phytoplankton biomarker concentrations indicate the influence of warm Atlantic-derived bottom water and peak biological productivity, respectively. We conclude that seasonal sea ice persisted in the northern Barents Sea during the Holocene Thermal Maximum, despite warmer-than-present conditions and Atlantic Water inflow.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1038/s43247-021-00191-x
ISSN:	2662-4435
Date made live:	21 Jun 2021 08:29 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/529410

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