Abstract
AbstractThe paleoglaciological concept that during the Pleistocene glacial hemi-cycles a super-large, structurally complex ice sheet developed in the Arctic and behaved as a single dynamic system. as the Antarctic ice sheet does today, has not yet been subjected to concerted studies designed to test the predictions of this concept. Yet, it may hold the keys to solutions of major problems of paleoglaciology, to understanding climate and sea-level changes. The Russian Arctic is the least-known region exposed to paleoglaciation by a hypothetical Arctic ice sheet but now it is more open to testing the concept. Implementation of these tests is a challenging task, as the region is extensive and the available data are controversial. Well-planned and coordinated field projects are needed today, as well as broad discussion of the known evidence, existing interpretations and new field results. Here we present the known evidence for paleoglaciation of the Russian Arctic continental shelf and reconstruct possible marine ice sheets that could have produced that evidence.
Highlights
ABSTRACT, Th e pa lcog lac io logical co n ce pt that durin g th e Pki sLOCC Il C g lac ia l h elll i-cycl es a s upn-I a rgc, structura ll y co mple ~ ice .., h eet d cn· lo p e d in th e,\rc ti c a nd b e ha \'Cd as a s in g le ch 'na mi c sys te m, as th e Antarcti c icc shec t d oes tod ay, has n o t ) c t b ee n subj ccted to co ncc rt ed studi es d es ig ned to tes t th e predicti o ll s o f"thi s co nce pt
In p a rti cul a r, we sugges t sea ice mi ght no t fo rm in th e l\ orwegia n a nd Gree nl a nd Seas during v\'arm er Arcti c winters, th ereby all owing g rea ter precipita ti on O\'e r th e perm a n e nt sea ice tha t d oes not melt durin g cooler Arcti c summe rs
Thi s co uld impound th e g r eat ri ve rs th a t drain into th e Arcti c fr o m Eurasia a nd :\Torth Am eri ca . creating a \'as t " \Nhite Hole" within whi ch prec ipita ti o n co uld acc umul a te but not escap e
Summary
Th e first clu es th a t a number o f m a rin e ice shee ts ex isted o n th e Arc ti c co ntin el1la l sh e h'es o f Eurasia a nd ~ o rth Am eri ca cam e fi"o m such e\'id e n ce a s ice-m o ti o n prox ies a nd d a ted ra ised beac hes on th e isla nd s o f th e no rthwes tern Ba rents S ea a nd Arc ti c C a nad a, As a res u lt , a m a rin e Ba rents ice shee t in th e Ba re nts Sea a nd a m a rin e Innuiti a n ice sh ee t o n Can a d a's Qu ee n Eli za be th I sla nd s were pos tul a ted (S c hytl and o th e rs, 1968 ; Bl a ke , 197 0 ), Th e usua l g lac io logical processes th a t produ ce prim a fac ie g lacia l la nd (a rm s a nd g lac ia l cl e pos it s see m no t to ha l'e b ee n ac ti ve in manya reas o f th e Hi g h Arc ti c, pro ba bl y beca use th e ice was {i'ozen to its bed o\'e r th e island s and pa rts of th e sea fl oo r th ere, As a co nsequ ence, g lac ia l la nd fo rm s a nd d e p os its in such a reas as th e wes te rn Qu ee n Eli za beth Isla nd s o r Sel'Crn aya Z e ml ya, a n isla nd g ro up n o rth o f th e T a im yr Peninsul a (sce Fig, 3), \I'o uld be co nfin ed to th e int er-i sla nd c h a nnel s occ upi ed b y ice strea ms slidin g o n th a wed d e fo rmin g ma rin e sedim e nts, [n th ese co nditi o ns, pa rti cul a r at te nti o n should b e p a id to th e clu es pro \'id ed by geo ph ys ica l studi es a nd co mput er mocl clin g, suc h as th a t by Cl a rk ( 1980), wh o prov id ed co nsid era bl e s u ppo rt fa r th e Inn u iti a ni ce sh eCl b y sho wing th a t a n ice d ome o \'c r th e Qu een Eli za beth I sla nd s was a n ecessa ry pre requi sit e fo r ena blin g a n in ve rse compute r mod el oC g lac io isos ta ti c re bound to a cco unt fo r th e ra ised beac hes m a pped a nd dated by Bl a ke ( 1970 ), lJurin g th e 1980s, Sca ndimll'ia n geo log isls co nfirm ed th e ex istcnce 0 [" a Ba rellts ice sh ee t a t th e L as t G lac ia l r.l ax imul1l a nd p resented stro ng el'id ence th a t it ,,'as g ro und ed 011 th e fl oo r 0[" th e wes tern Ba rcn ts Sea a nd coa lesced lI'ith th e Sca ndin a l·ia n ice shee t. M odern o bse rv a ti o ns by Gross w a ld (unpubli sh ed ) m a ke cl ear th a t Wrangells la nd , whic h lies betwee n the Eas t Sibe rian and Chukchi Seas, is ch a rac te ri zed b y strikin gly g lac ia l geo m o rphology whi ch ca n be d esc ribed as La ppl a nds tyle; th a t is, glac ia l geo logy produ ced b e n ea th o r nea r ice d o m es, as diagnosed b y Kl em a n ( 1994) and Kl cm a n a nd Bo r gs tro m ( 1994) fo r n o rth ern Swed e n, th e northe rn lo wl a nd of \Vra n ge l l sla nd is blank e ted by m a rine sedim e nts th a t co uld h a \'e bee n d e p osited pri o r to isos ta ti c re bound a ft er th e ice d o m e coll a psed a nd possibl y pri o r to th e L as t Glac ia l ~l a xilllum,. Is it not na tura l fix the seq u e n ces to be a co n seq uence o f g lac io logica l ac ti\' it y assoc ia tee! with fo rm e r m a rin c ice d o m es s urro undin g th e d ee p A rc ti c Bas in, n a m e ly by ice sco urin g th e co ntin c ll ta l sh e h-es a nd dumpin g th e res ultin gdebr is in to the b as in?
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