Publication Date:
2022-06-22
Description:
Radiogenic neodymium (Nd) isotopes (εNd) have the potential to serve as a geochemical
tracer of the marine origin of Arctic sea ice. This capability results from pronounced
εNd differences between the distinct marine and riverine sources, which feed the surface
waters from which the ice forms. The first dissolved Nd isotope and rare earth
element (REE) concentration data obtained from Arctic sea ice collected across the
Fram Strait during RV Polarstern cruise PS85 in 2014 confirm the incorporation and
preservation of the parental surface seawater εNd signatures despite efficient REE rejection.
The large εNd variability between ice floes and within sea ice cores (−32 to −10)
reflects changes in water mass distribution during ice growth and drift from the central
Arctic Ocean to Fram Strait. In addition to the parental seawater composition, our new approach facilitates the reconstruction of
the transfer of matter between the atmosphere, the sea ice and the ocean. In conjunction with satellite-derived drift trajectories,
we enable a more accurate assessment of sea ice origin and spatiotemporal evolution, benefiting studies of sea ice biology, biodiversity,
and biogeochemistry.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Article
,
isiRev
Format:
application/pdf
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