Holocene palaeoceanographic evolution off West Greenland ...

• Main Authors: Perner, Kerstin, Moros, Matthias, Jennings, Anne E, Lloyd, Jeremy M, Knudsen, Karen Luise
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2019
• Subjects: Benthic foraminifera; EGC; GREENClim; Holocene; IC; ocean forcing; WGC; Disko bugt; Greenland; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.898319; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.898319

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages from a core southwest of Disko Bugt provide a Holocene perspective (last ~7 ka BP) on ice-sheet/ocean interactions between the West Greenland Current (WGC) and the West Greenland ice sheet. Changes in the fauna reveal significant variations in the water mass properties (temperature and salinity) of the WGC through time. From 7.3 to 6.2 ka BP, a relatively warm/strong WGC influences ice-sheet melt in Disko Bugt and causes enhanced meltwater production, resulting in low surface-water productivity. The most favourable oceanographic conditions occur from 5.5 to 3.5 ka BP, associated with 'thermal optimum-like' conditions, encompassing minimum ice sheet extent in the Disko Bugt area. These conditions are attributed to: (1) reduced meltwater influence as the ice sheet is land based and (2) enhanced contribution of warm/saline water masses from the Irminger Current to the WGC. The transition into the late Holocene (last ~3.5 ka BP) is characterized by a cooling of oceanographic ... : Supplement to: Perner, Kerstin; Moros, Matthias; Jennings, Anne E; Lloyd, Jeremy M; Knudsen, Karen Luise (2013): Holocene palaeoceanographic evolution off West Greenland. The Holocene, 23(3), 374-387 ...