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Evidence for an ice shelf covering the central Arctic Ocean during the penultimate glaciation

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Jakobsson

    (Stockholm University
    Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University
    UNIS - The University Centre in Svalbard)

  • Johan Nilsson

    (Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University
    Stockholm University)

  • Leif Anderson

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Jan Backman

    (Stockholm University
    Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University)

  • Göran Björk

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Thomas M. Cronin

    (US Geological Survey Reston)

  • Nina Kirchner

    (Stockholm University)

  • Andrey Koshurnikov

    (National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
    Moscow State University)

  • Larry Mayer

    (Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire)

  • Riko Noormets

    (UNIS - The University Centre in Svalbard)

  • Matthew O’Regan

    (Stockholm University
    Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University)

  • Christian Stranne

    (Stockholm University
    Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University
    Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire)

  • Roman Ananiev

    (National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
    Moscow State University)

  • Natalia Barrientos Macho

    (Stockholm University
    Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University)

  • Denis Cherniykh

    (National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
    Russian Academy of Sciences, Pacific Oceanological Institute)

  • Helen Coxall

    (Stockholm University
    Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University)

  • Björn Eriksson

    (Stockholm University
    Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University)

  • Tom Flodén

    (Stockholm University)

  • Laura Gemery

    (US Geological Survey Reston)

  • Örjan Gustafsson

    (Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University
    Stockholm University)

  • Kevin Jerram

    (Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire)

  • Carina Johansson

    (Stockholm University
    Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University)

  • Alexey Khortov

    (National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University)

  • Rezwan Mohammad

    (Stockholm University
    Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University)

  • Igor Semiletov

    (National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
    Russian Academy of Sciences, Pacific Oceanological Institute)

Abstract

The hypothesis of a km-thick ice shelf covering the entire Arctic Ocean during peak glacial conditions was proposed nearly half a century ago. Floating ice shelves preserve few direct traces after their disappearance, making reconstructions difficult. Seafloor imprints of ice shelves should, however, exist where ice grounded along their flow paths. Here we present new evidence of ice-shelf groundings on bathymetric highs in the central Arctic Ocean, resurrecting the concept of an ice shelf extending over the entire central Arctic Ocean during at least one previous ice age. New and previously mapped glacial landforms together reveal flow of a spatially coherent, in some regions >1-km thick, central Arctic Ocean ice shelf dated to marine isotope stage 6 (∼140 ka). Bathymetric highs were likely critical in the ice-shelf development by acting as pinning points where stabilizing ice rises formed, thereby providing sufficient back stress to allow ice shelf thickening.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Jakobsson & Johan Nilsson & Leif Anderson & Jan Backman & Göran Björk & Thomas M. Cronin & Nina Kirchner & Andrey Koshurnikov & Larry Mayer & Riko Noormets & Matthew O’Regan & Christian Stranne, 2016. "Evidence for an ice shelf covering the central Arctic Ocean during the penultimate glaciation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms10365
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10365
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    Cited by:

    1. James D. Kirkham & Kelly A. Hogan & Robert D. Larter & Neil S. Arnold & Ed Self & Ken Games & Jeremy C. Ely & Chris D. Clark & James D. Scourse & Calvin Shackleton & Jan Erik Arndt & Claus-Dieter Hill, 2025. "Change in iceberg calving behavior preceded North Sea ice shelf disintegration during the last deglaciation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Han Feng & Zhengquan Yao & Xuefa Shi & Zhongshi Zhang & Huayu Lu & Hanzhi Zhang & Yanguang Liu & Xin Shan & Jiang Dong & Linsen Dong & Gongxu Yang & Limin Hu & Yuri Vasilenko & Anatolii Astakhov & Ale, 2025. "Arctic zircon U-Pb ages reveal multiphase glaciations in East Siberia during the late Quaternary," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Yi Zhong & Zhengyao Lu & Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr & Jimin Yu & Keiji Horikawa & Mark J. Dekkers & Juan C. Larrasoaña & Peter D. Clift & Michael E. Weber & Flor Vermassen & Sev Kender & Chijun Sun & Hu Yan, 2025. "Precession modulates the poleward expansion of atmospheric circulation to the Arctic Ocean," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Heather M. Stoll & Isabel Cacho & Edward Gasson & Jakub Sliwinski & Oliver Kost & Ana Moreno & Miguel Iglesias & Judit Torner & Carlos Perez-Mejias & Negar Haghipour & Hai Cheng & R. Lawrence Edwards, 2022. "Rapid northern hemisphere ice sheet melting during the penultimate deglaciation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    5. Ruediger Stein & Thomas Frederichs & Kirsten Fahl & Walter Geibert & Jens Matthiessen & Frank Niessen & Christoph Vogt & Cynthia Sassenroth & Evgenia Bazhenova, 2025. "A 430 kyr record of ice-sheet dynamics and organic-carbon burial in the central Eurasian Arctic Ocean," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, December.

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