Reconstructing spring sea ice concentration in the Chukchi Sea over recent centuries: insights into the application of the PIP25 index
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>In this study, we aimed to reconstruct spring (April–June) sea ice changes in the western Arctic Ocean over recent centuries (ca. the last 250 years) by measuring biomarker distributions in a multicore (ARA01B-03MUC) retrieved from the Chuk...
Published in: | Environmental Research Letters |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
IOP Publishing
2019
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/15303 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab4b6e |
Summary: | <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>In this study, we aimed to reconstruct spring (April–June) sea ice changes in the western Arctic Ocean over recent centuries (ca. the last 250 years) by measuring biomarker distributions in a multicore (ARA01B-03MUC) retrieved from the Chukchi Shelf region and to evaluate outcomes against known or modelled estimates of sea ice conditions. Specifically, we analyzed for the Arctic sea ice proxy IP<jats:sub>25</jats:sub> and assessed the suitability of a further highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) lipid (HBI III), epi-brassicasterol, and dinosterol as complementary biomarkers for use with the so-called phytoplankton marker-IP<jats:sub>25</jats:sub> index (PIP<jats:sub>25</jats:sub>; P<jats:sub>III</jats:sub>IP<jats:sub>25</jats:sub>, P<jats:sub>B</jats:sub>IP<jats:sub>25</jats:sub>, and P<jats:sub>D</jats:sub>IP<jats:sub>25</jats:sub>, respectively). The presence of IP<jats:sub>25</jats:sub> throughout core ARA01B-03MUC confirms the occurrence of seasonal sea ice at the study site over recent centuries. From a semi-quantitative perspective, all three PIP<jats:sub>25</jats:sub> indices gave different trends, with some dependence on the balance factor <jats:italic>c</jats:italic>, a term used in the calculation of the PIP<jats:sub>25</jats:sub> index. P<jats:sub>III</jats:sub>IP<jats:sub>25</jats:sub>-derived spring sea ice concentration (SpSIC) estimates using a <jats:italic>c</jats:italic> value of 0.63, determined previously from analysis of Barents Sea surface sediments, were likely most reliable, since SpSIC values were high throughout the record (SpSIC > 78%), consistent with the modern context for the Chukchi Sea and the mean SpSIC record of the 41 CMIP5 climate models over recent centuries. ... |
---|