Dynamic ice–ocean pathways along the Transpolar Drift amplify the dispersal of Siberian matter

The Transpolar Drift (TPD) plays a crucial role in regulating Arctic climate and ecosystems by transporting fresh water and key substances, such as terrestrial nutrients and pollutants, from the Siberian Shelf across the Arctic Ocean to the North Atlantic. However, year-round observations of the TPD remain scarce, creating significant knowledge gaps regarding the influence of sea ice drift and ocean surface circulation on the transport pathways of Siberian fresh water and associated matter. Using geochemical provenance tracer data collected over a complete seasonal cycle, our study reveals substantial spatiotemporal variability in the dispersal pathways of Siberian matter along the TPD. This variability reflects dynamic shifts in contributions of individual Siberian rivers as they integrate into a large-scale current system, followed by their rapid and extensive redistribution through a combination of seasonal ice–ocean exchanges and divergent ice drift. These findings emphasize the complexity of Arctic ice–ocean transport pathways and highlight the challenges of forecasting their dynamics in light of anticipated changes in sea ice extent, river discharge, and surface circulation patterns.