Case Studies of the Role of Arctic Gateways in Plio-Pleistocene Arctic Changes

• Main Author: Spielhagen, Robert
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Polarforschung; Alfred-Wegener-Institu für Polar- und Meeresforschung 2017
• Subjects: Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Bering Strait; Fram Strait; Polarforschung
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/40613/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/40613/1/Spielhagen.pdf; http://epic.awi.de/45969/; https://doi.org/10.2312/polarforschung.87.1.23

The configuration of the Arctic Ocean as a mediterranean sea, surrounded by continents, gives a particular importance to the few connections that exist to the world ocean. In this manuscript critical cases are examined when the Arctic Ocean played an important role in climatic changes occurring over long and short geological timescales. By presenting three examples of published research results it is shown that in particular the water mass exchange through Bering Strait and the Fram Strait has varied in direction and volume. These variations have caused significant changes in the environments in the Arctic Ocean itself, on the surrounding continents, and – in cases – even hemisphere-wide. Owing to the prominent role of the Arctic Ocean in the global ocean circulation system, studies of the role of Arctic gateways are key to a better understanding of past, present, and future changes.