The Taconite Inlet Lakes Project: a systems approach to paleoclimatic reconstruction

A comprehensive study of meteorological, hydrological, limnological and sedimentological conditions in the watersheds of density-stratified (meromictic) lakes around Taconite Inlet, Northern Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada was carried out from 1990–1992. Lakes C1 and C2 contain seawater trapped by isostatic uplift as the former embayments became isolated from the sea. These lakes, and Lake C3, contain varved sediments which provide an annually resolvable paleoclimatic record. By studing the major systems influencing sedimentation in one of these lakes (Lake C2) a better understanding of the climatic controls on varve formation, and hence on the paleoclimatic signal in the varved sediment record, was obtained. The varves of Lake C2 provide a proxy record of summer temperature for the region.This is the first in a series of papers published in this issue on the Taconite Inlet Lakes Project. These papers were collected by Dr R. S. Bradley.     

Arctic sea-ice motion and its relation to pressure field

Daily Arctic sea-ice motion maps during the winter seasons (December–March) from December 1988 to March 2003 derived from NSCAT, QuikSCAT, SSM/I, and AMSRE data by a wavelet analysis method have been merged with those derived from buoy data. These merged sea-ice motion data have been used to study the circulation regimes and winter-to-winter variability of Arctic sea-ice motion. The relation between sea-ice motion and the pressure field in the Arctic Ocean was also studied by applying Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to the monthly merged sea-ice motion data and the monthly pressure field data from IABP. The mean Arctic sea-ice motion map of the 15 winter seasons has two distinct features: the Beaufort Gyre and a cyclonic circulation system in the Eurasian Basin, which moves ice from the Laptev Sea to Fram Strait. The strengths and sizes of the two features change from one winter season to another. Seasons with a strong or normal Beaufort Gyre alternate with seasons with a weak or no Beaufort Gyre every one to three seasons. The principal components of the first two modes of PCA of the monthly sea-ice motion are closely correlated with their counterparts of the monthly pressure field in the Arctic Ocean. The mode-one components of these two anomalies alternate between anticyclonic and cyclonic circulation systems. The correlation between Arctic Oscillation indexes and the principal components of the first mode of PCA of the monthly Arctic sea-ice motion is low but statistically significant.     

冬季北极涛动与行星波活动的关系

为了进一步认识北极涛动与行星波之间的关系,利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料并借助谐波分析、相关分析等方法讨论了北极涛动异常下行星波的活动情况。结果表明:在北极涛动指数强(弱)值年,纬向平均风场在中纬度明显减小(增大),在中高纬度明显增大(减小);行星波1波振幅在低纬度对流层中层和中纬度平流层明显增大(减小),在高纬度平流层明显减小(增大);2波振幅在中纬度对流层明显减小(增大),在高纬度平流层有所增大(减小)。E-P通量反映出在北极涛动强(弱)值年,行星波1波在中高纬度从地面向上传播显著增强(减弱),低纬度波导显著增强(减弱),极地波导显著减弱(增强);2波在中高纬度从地面向上传播显著减弱(增强),低纬度波导和极地波导变化不明显。     

Recent sedimentation in a high arctic lake, northern Ellesmere Island, Canada

A multiple core study was conducted on laminated minerogenic sediments from Lake C2, Northern Ellesmere Island, Canadian High Arctic. Lateral persistence, distal thinning, variation in grain size of these laminations as well as present-day processes of highly seasonal sediment transfer into the lake basin suggest that clastic varves have been formed. Sedimentation rates based on ²¹⁰Pb dating agree well with sedimentation rates based on lamination counts giving further evidence that laminations are annual. Errors in varve counting were reduced from 12% to < 2% using the multi-core approach of cross-correlating all records. Varved sediments are occasionally interrupted by thick coarse-grained layers, which are interpreted as deposits of turbidity currents and may be related to extremely high discharge events and slope failures of the delta front. Micro-laminated sediments spanning the last two centuries were studied in detail. Suspension settling is the dominant process of deposition depending upon stream discharge which is controlled by nival melt and summer temperatures. Application of varve chronology thus allows to use lamination thickness measurements as source of high resolution proxy data for palaeoclimatic reconstruction.This is the fifth in a series of papers published in this issue on the Taconite Inlet Lakes Project. These papers were collected by Dr R. S. Bradley.     

Suspended sediment transport and deposition in a high arctic meromictic lake

A study of sedimentary processes and sediment yields in a high arctic meromictic lake (Lake C2, Taconite Inlet, Northern Ellesemere Island, Canada) was undertaken from May 1990 through August 1992 to understand the links between climatic controls, hydrology, and the laminated sediment record preserved in the lake. Understanding the relationships between processes and the sediment record is critical for interpreting the climatic significance of the laminated sediments in a region where high resolution climate proxy records are quite limited.Sediment transport to Lake C2 is dominated by fluvial processes. During the early part of the melt season slushflows transport sediment to the lake surface. Subsequently, suspended sediment is delivered to the lake by the main inlet stream and distributed lakeward by a plume emanating the main inlet channel. Due to the strong density stratification of the water column the plume distributes sediment downlake by overflows and interflows in the epilimnion. In general, overflows are generated by lower discharge events whereas interflows penetrate to the halocline during high discharge with increased suspended sediment concentration.Sediment trap analysis demonstrates that suspended sediment transport and deposition responds to diurnal through annual changes in stream discharge. Seasonal and annual sediment trap yields agree with average accumulation rates determined from varve thickness measurements and cumulative suspended sediment discharge from the main inlet stream indicating a close link between climatological, hydrological, and sedimentological controls and varve deposition.This is the fourth in a series of papers published in this issue on the Taconite Inlet Lakes Project. These papers were collected by Dr R. S. Bradley.     

An assessment of arctic sea ice concentration retrieval based on “HY-2” scanning radiometer data using field observations during CHINARE-2012 and other satellite instruments

A retrieval algorithm of arctic sea ice concentration (SIC) based on the brightness temperature data of “HY-2” scanning microwave radiometer has been constructed. The tie points of the brightness tempe...     

Protracted Active Surge Phase in the High Arctic (Svalbard): Dynamic Development and Morphological Impact

Glacial surges in Svalbard are protracted and characterized by individual dynamic evolution, in contrast to many other areas, which calls for a subdivision of the classic two‐phased surge cycle. A dominating part of the ice masses seem to have a surge potential and this represents a considerable challenge for palaeoclimatic studies. Glaciological and geological models therefore need to be coupled. The issue is discussed with Fridtjovbreen glacier as an example. This ice mass is one of few glaciers studied throughout a surge cycle. It was active for 12 years (1991–2002) and represents the most protracted surge documented. The maximum advance rate was 4.2 m day^?1, its maximum extent was reached after seven years, its run‐out distance was 4 km, and the relocated ice filled 5 km² of the fjord. Intense subglacial thrusting occurred during various stages, including part of the ice‐front retreat, as shown by sub‐bottom profiling data from 2002. A six‐stage model is presented and processes are discussed with emphasis on the ice‐front retreat with transition to the quiescent phase. Although the surge mechanism itself is unrelated to climate, climatic conditions obviously play a major role in the course of a surge. During the surge, the ice mass made a dramatic impression in the landscape, but 10 years after the maximum extent, there is little onshore evidence of the event.     

Arctic oscillation and the antarcic oscillation modes in the atmospheric stratosphere

1IntroductionThompson and Wallace(1998)first found the AOin1998and according to their definition,the spatialpattern of AO from the first EOF mode for the sea lev-el air-pressure(SLP)was that around the North Poleregion there was an oscillation out-of-phase with thatat the mid-latitudes zone.This oscillation had verywide frequency range from interannual to interdecadaltime scales.The AO is similar to the North Atlantic oscilla-tion(NAO)over the Atlantic.As Wallace said,theNAO could be…     

地缘政治理论演变与北极航线地缘政治理论假设

北极航线问题因为北冰洋的融化预期加快,而变得愈来愈重要。中国在这一问题上不能失去话语权,要争得北极航线问题国际机制上的主动权,需要对北极航线的地缘政治理论进行深入研究,为成功争取北极航线权益提供理论依据。对地缘政治理论,特别是国外的地缘政治理论进行了阶段划分和系统评价;分析了北极航线问题的特殊性,认为沿用已有的地缘政治理论,不能够清晰描述北极航线的政治地理格局,并且也对我国的北极航线权益争取不利;提出了北极航线地缘政治理论的假设前提,为建立我国的北极航线地缘政治理论体系奠定基础;最后提出了我国关于北极航线问题的四项地缘政治策略,为我国争取北极航线地缘政治地位提供思路和具体措施。     

中国第三次北极科学考察走航路线上空黑碳气溶胶的观测研究

2008年7月至9月,中国第3次北极科学考察期间,在走航路线上利用黑碳仪对黄海-日本海-鄂霍次克海-西北太平洋-白令海-楚科奇海-加拿大海盆等海区上的黑碳气溶胶浓度进行连续观测,最北观测位置达85°21.3′N.观测结果显示,北冰洋是全航线黑碳浓度最低的海区,平均浓度为(5.3±3.7)ng/m3;在70°N以北的海区...