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Bremerhaven: Researchers debunk myth about Arctic ice!
Researchers from Bremerhaven refute myths about the Arctic and reveal new insights into sea ice and climate change.
Bremerhaven: Researchers debunk myth about Arctic ice!
In a surprising twist, researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Bremerhaven have questioned an assumption about the Arctic that was long thought to be true. How t online reported, new data showed that the Arctic did not have a continuous, massive ice shelf during the coldest ice ages. This is a remarkable finding that could revolutionize the understanding of climatic conditions in the Arctic.
The study, which was also supported during the recent expedition of the research icebreaker Polarstern, found that the Arctic was covered by seasonal sea ice even during extremely cold periods over the past 750,000 years. Apparently there were always sections of open water, which refutes the previous idea of an almost uninterrupted ice cover. Jochen Knies, lead author of the study, notes that while occasional short-lived ice shelves may have existed locally, a giant ice sheet was not present.
New insights through sediment analysis
To reach these results, the scientists took sediment cores from the seafloor of the central Arctic Ocean and the Yermak Plateau north of Svalbard. These cores contained chemical traces of algae that lived in the ocean throughout the seasons. In particular, the molecule IP25, which is produced by algae under seasonal sea ice, was regularly detectable. This suggests that sea ice expanded and retreated dynamically with the seasons, providing a key clue to the situation in the Arctic.
Additionally, the team used a high-resolution Earth system model to simulate climatic conditions during two extreme cold periods. These simulations confirm the results of the sediment analyses: warm Atlantic water also flowed into the Arctic during the ice ages, leaving parts of the ocean ice-free. These shifts also led to the formation of cracks and open spaces in the ice, allowing light into the water and creating habitats.
Impact on future climate models
The results of this research are not only important for understanding past climate cycles, but also have implications for future climate predictions. The fact that the Arctic is currently warming at more than twice the global average rate is alarming as this will significantly impact sea ice cover and ocean dynamics. A better understanding of these processes can help develop more precise models for future changes, such as AWI represents.
Another team of 50 scientists is starting a two-month expedition in the Arctic this week to collect data on the effects of climate change. How daily news reported, the route of the icebreaker “Polarstern” leads west past Spitsbergen towards the North Pole. The aim of this expedition is to study the thickness of sea ice during summer melt in order to draw further conclusions about the effects of global warming.
This research is therefore crucial to advance our understanding of the complex interactions in one of our planet's vulnerable ecosystems and to provide a solid basis for future climate models.