Extensive glacitectonism and rapid deglacial fluid expulsion in the northeastern Barents Sea
Abstract High-latitude regions store large amounts of carbon trapped by ice sheets, permafrost and gas hydrates, yet joint evolution of these climate components is poorly understood. Covered by a cold-based ice-sheet during the last glaciation, the seafloor of the northeastern Barents Sea reveals on...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01512-6 https://doaj.org/article/89a182432e704a4885723893ee0ef0ec |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:89a182432e704a4885723893ee0ef0ec 2024-09-15T17:57:50+00:00 Extensive glacitectonism and rapid deglacial fluid expulsion in the northeastern Barents Sea Aleksandr Montelli Marina Solovyeva Grigorii Akhmanov 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01512-6 https://doaj.org/article/89a182432e704a4885723893ee0ef0ec EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01512-6 https://doaj.org/toc/2662-4435 doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01512-6 2662-4435 https://doaj.org/article/89a182432e704a4885723893ee0ef0ec Communications Earth & Environment, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2024) Geology QE1-996.5 Environmental sciences GE1-350 article 2024 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01512-6 2024-08-05T17:49:04Z Abstract High-latitude regions store large amounts of carbon trapped by ice sheets, permafrost and gas hydrates, yet joint evolution of these climate components is poorly understood. Covered by a cold-based ice-sheet during the last glaciation, the seafloor of the northeastern Barents Sea reveals one of the largest known glacitectonic provinces in the Arctic. Up to 200-m high glacitectonic landforms are cratered and overlie faults associated with ‘bright spots’ indicative of subsurface gas accumulations. However, sediment samples show low pore gas concentrations and no present-day gas seepage. We combine new observations and ice-sheet - hydrate modelling to propose that during the Late Weichselian, glacitectonism was caused by patchy substrate stiffening due to gradual growth of subglacial gas hydrates and permafrost. Ice decay led to rapid destabilisation and full drainage of shallow hydrate reservoirs and permafrost thaw, causing craterisation which was likely accompanied by large fluxes of carbon released into the water column. This study shows that these processes were more widespread across glaciated margins, also highlighting sensitivity and potential for abrupt changes of high-latitude carbon pools in response to complex interactions between the cryosphere, ocean, and solid earth. Article in Journal/Newspaper Barents Sea Ice Ice Sheet permafrost Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Communications Earth & Environment 5 1 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Geology QE1-996.5 Environmental sciences GE1-350 |
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Geology QE1-996.5 Environmental sciences GE1-350 Aleksandr Montelli Marina Solovyeva Grigorii Akhmanov Extensive glacitectonism and rapid deglacial fluid expulsion in the northeastern Barents Sea |
topic_facet |
Geology QE1-996.5 Environmental sciences GE1-350 |
description |
Abstract High-latitude regions store large amounts of carbon trapped by ice sheets, permafrost and gas hydrates, yet joint evolution of these climate components is poorly understood. Covered by a cold-based ice-sheet during the last glaciation, the seafloor of the northeastern Barents Sea reveals one of the largest known glacitectonic provinces in the Arctic. Up to 200-m high glacitectonic landforms are cratered and overlie faults associated with ‘bright spots’ indicative of subsurface gas accumulations. However, sediment samples show low pore gas concentrations and no present-day gas seepage. We combine new observations and ice-sheet - hydrate modelling to propose that during the Late Weichselian, glacitectonism was caused by patchy substrate stiffening due to gradual growth of subglacial gas hydrates and permafrost. Ice decay led to rapid destabilisation and full drainage of shallow hydrate reservoirs and permafrost thaw, causing craterisation which was likely accompanied by large fluxes of carbon released into the water column. This study shows that these processes were more widespread across glaciated margins, also highlighting sensitivity and potential for abrupt changes of high-latitude carbon pools in response to complex interactions between the cryosphere, ocean, and solid earth. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Aleksandr Montelli Marina Solovyeva Grigorii Akhmanov |
author_facet |
Aleksandr Montelli Marina Solovyeva Grigorii Akhmanov |
author_sort |
Aleksandr Montelli |
title |
Extensive glacitectonism and rapid deglacial fluid expulsion in the northeastern Barents Sea |
title_short |
Extensive glacitectonism and rapid deglacial fluid expulsion in the northeastern Barents Sea |
title_full |
Extensive glacitectonism and rapid deglacial fluid expulsion in the northeastern Barents Sea |
title_fullStr |
Extensive glacitectonism and rapid deglacial fluid expulsion in the northeastern Barents Sea |
title_full_unstemmed |
Extensive glacitectonism and rapid deglacial fluid expulsion in the northeastern Barents Sea |
title_sort |
extensive glacitectonism and rapid deglacial fluid expulsion in the northeastern barents sea |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01512-6 https://doaj.org/article/89a182432e704a4885723893ee0ef0ec |
genre |
Barents Sea Ice Ice Sheet permafrost |
genre_facet |
Barents Sea Ice Ice Sheet permafrost |
op_source |
Communications Earth & Environment, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2024) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01512-6 https://doaj.org/toc/2662-4435 doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01512-6 2662-4435 https://doaj.org/article/89a182432e704a4885723893ee0ef0ec |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01512-6 |
container_title |
Communications Earth & Environment |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1810434033576837120 |