Analysis of Nd isotope, REE and oxygen isotope ratios on water samples across Fram Strait

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Autores principales: Laukert, Georgi, Frank, Martin, Bauch, Dorothea, Hathorne, Ed C, Rabe, Benjamin, von Appen, Wilken-Jon, Wegner, Carolyn, Zieringer, Moritz, Kassens, Heidemarie
Formato: Dataset Open Access
Lenguaje:en
Publicado: PANGAEA 2017
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author Laukert, Georgi
Frank, Martin
Bauch, Dorothea
Hathorne, Ed C
Rabe, Benjamin
von Appen, Wilken-Jon
Wegner, Carolyn
Zieringer, Moritz
Kassens, Heidemarie
author_facet Laukert, Georgi
Frank, Martin
Bauch, Dorothea
Hathorne, Ed C
Rabe, Benjamin
von Appen, Wilken-Jon
Wegner, Carolyn
Zieringer, Moritz
Kassens, Heidemarie
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents The water masses passing the Fram Strait are mainly responsible for the exchange of heat and freshwater between the Nordic Seas and the Arctic Ocean (the Arctic Mediterranean, AM). Disentangling their exact sources, distribution and mixing, however, is complex. This work provides new insights based on a detailed geochemical tracer inventory including dissolved Nd isotope (e-Nd), rare earth element (REE) and stable oxygen isotope (d18O) data along a full water depth section across Fram Strait. We find that Nd isotope and REE distributions in the open AM primarily reflect lateral advection of water masses and their mixing. Seawater-particle interactions exert important control only above the shelf regions, as observed above the NE Greenland Shelf. Advection of northward flowing warm Atlantic Water (AW) is clearly reflected by an e-Nd signature of -11.7 and a Nd concentration ([Nd]) of 16 pmol/kg in the upper ~500 m of the eastern and central Fram Strait. Freshening and cooling of the AW on its way trough the AM are accompanied by a continuous change towards more radiogenic e-Nd signatures (e.g. -10.4 of dense Arctic Atlantic Water). This mainly reflects mixing with intermediate waters but also admixture of dense Kara Sea waters and Pacific-derived waters. The more radiogenic e-Nd signatures of the intermediate and deep waters (reaching -9.5) are mainly acquired in the SW Nordic Seas through exchange with basaltic formations of Iceland and CE Greenland. Inputs of Nd from Svalbard are not observed and surface waters and Nd on the Svalbard shelf originate from the Barents Sea. Shallow southward flowing Arctic-derived waters (<200 m) form the core of the East Greenland Current above the Greenland slope and can be traced by their relatively radiogenic e-Nd (reaching -8.8) and elevated [Nd] (21-29 pmol/kg). These properties are used together with d18O and standard hydrographic tracers to define the proportions of Pacific-derived (<~30% based on Nd isotopes) and Atlantic-derived waters, as well as of river waters (<~8%). Shallow waters (<150 m) on the NE Greenland Shelf share some characteristics of Arctic-derived waters, but exhibit less radiogenic epsilon-Nd values (reaching -12.4) and higher [Nd] (up to 38 pmol/kg) in the upper ~100 m. This suggests local addition of Greenland freshwater of up to ~6%. In addition to these observations, this study shows that the pronounced gradients in epsilon-Nd signatures and REE characteristics in the upper water column provide a reliable basis for assessments of shallow hydrological changes within the AM.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_871520
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2017
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Analysis of Nd isotope, REE and oxygen isotope ratios on water samples across Fram Strait
Laukert, Georgi
Frank, Martin
Bauch, Dorothea
Hathorne, Ed C
Rabe, Benjamin
von Appen, Wilken-Jon
Wegner, Carolyn
Zieringer, Moritz
Kassens, Heidemarie
GEOTRACES; Global marine biogeochemical cycles of trace elements and their isotopes
The water masses passing the Fram Strait are mainly responsible for the exchange of heat and freshwater between the Nordic Seas and the Arctic Ocean (the Arctic Mediterranean, AM). Disentangling their exact sources, distribution and mixing, however, is complex. This work provides new insights based on a detailed geochemical tracer inventory including dissolved Nd isotope (e-Nd), rare earth element (REE) and stable oxygen isotope (d18O) data along a full water depth section across Fram Strait. We find that Nd isotope and REE distributions in the open AM primarily reflect lateral advection of water masses and their mixing. Seawater-particle interactions exert important control only above the shelf regions, as observed above the NE Greenland Shelf. Advection of northward flowing warm Atlantic Water (AW) is clearly reflected by an e-Nd signature of -11.7 and a Nd concentration ([Nd]) of 16 pmol/kg in the upper ~500 m of the eastern and central Fram Strait. Freshening and cooling of the AW on its way trough the AM are accompanied by a continuous change towards more radiogenic e-Nd signatures (e.g. -10.4 of dense Arctic Atlantic Water). This mainly reflects mixing with intermediate waters but also admixture of dense Kara Sea waters and Pacific-derived waters. The more radiogenic e-Nd signatures of the intermediate and deep waters (reaching -9.5) are mainly acquired in the SW Nordic Seas through exchange with basaltic formations of Iceland and CE Greenland. Inputs of Nd from Svalbard are not observed and surface waters and Nd on the Svalbard shelf originate from the Barents Sea. Shallow southward flowing Arctic-derived waters (<200 m) form the core of the East Greenland Current above the Greenland slope and can be traced by their relatively radiogenic e-Nd (reaching -8.8) and elevated [Nd] (21-29 pmol/kg). These properties are used together with d18O and standard hydrographic tracers to define the proportions of Pacific-derived (<~30% based on Nd isotopes) and Atlantic-derived waters, as well as of river waters (<~8%). Shallow waters (<150 m) on the NE Greenland Shelf share some characteristics of Arctic-derived waters, but exhibit less radiogenic epsilon-Nd values (reaching -12.4) and higher [Nd] (up to 38 pmol/kg) in the upper ~100 m. This suggests local addition of Greenland freshwater of up to ~6%. In addition to these observations, this study shows that the pronounced gradients in epsilon-Nd signatures and REE characteristics in the upper water column provide a reliable basis for assessments of shallow hydrological changes within the AM.
title Analysis of Nd isotope, REE and oxygen isotope ratios on water samples across Fram Strait
topic GEOTRACES; Global marine biogeochemical cycles of trace elements and their isotopes
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.871520