Abstract
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.
Highlights
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
While model simulations offer some insight into potential future sea-ice states in the Arctic, geological archives provide critical information on how sea ice responded to substantial climatic warming in the past, especially during periods characterized by warmer-than-present conditions
The early Holocene Barents Sea provides a unique opportunity to study Arctic sea ice during the most recent past warm period in an oceanographically dynamic area that serves as a focus for Arctic–Atlantic Ocean interaction[7] and that has been identified as a hotspot for current Arctic warming[10]
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. Our reconstructions unequivocally demonstrate that, despite warm climatic conditions and Atlantic Water influence, seasonal sea ice persisted throughout the early Holocene (up to ~9.1 cal ka BP) in the northern Barents Sea at the border to the Arctic Ocean.
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