Amplified Arctic iceberg traffic reshapes benthic biodiversity
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6234-8756, Meyer-Kaiser, KS, Wekerle, C
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9985-0950, Ackermann, L
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6643-0714, Castle, D, Bergmann, M
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5212-9808, Hoppmann, M
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1294-9531, Khan, SA, Purser, A
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5427-0151 and Schmithüsen, H
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5776-6777
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The Arctic is undergoing rapid warming, resulting in retreating sea ice and glaciers<sup>1</sup>, yet how cryospheric changes propagate into the deep ocean remains poorly understood<sup>2</sup>. Here we identify a climate-driven mechanism linking accelerating glacier disintegration to an increase in deep-sea hard-bottom habitats far beyond calving fronts. Seafloor observations in Fram Strait show a localized increase in the density and patchiness of dropstones delivered by debris-laden icebergs. At the same time, four decades of shipboard records show that the occurrence of icebergs increased abruptly in the early 2000s. Backtracking links these icebergs to the main outlet glaciers in northeast Greenland and the Russian High Arctic. In northeast Greenland, the timing of glacier destabilization coincides with this rise, whereas sparse satellite coverage in the Russian sector limits temporal attribution despite indications of enhanced glacier activity. A model sensitivity study shows that, apart from intensified calving, a more dynamic sea ice cover enhances downstream transport of glacial ice. Along these pathways, increased iceberg activity could reshape deep-sea habitats through enhanced melt and associated lithogenic input, and elevate navigational hazards as maritime traffic expands in the Arctic. Although modest compared with the iceberg discharges of Pleistocene Heinrich events, this mechanism provides a modern analogue of long-range cryospheric influence on the seafloor in a warming climate.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6234-8756, Meyer-Kaiser, KS, Wekerle, C
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9985-0950, Ackermann, L
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6643-0714, Castle, D, Bergmann, M
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5212-9808, Hoppmann, M
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1294-9531, Khan, SA, Purser, A
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5427-0151 and Schmithüsen, H
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5776-6777
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AWI Organizations > Climate Sciences > Physical Oceanography of the Polar Seas
AWI Organizations > Climate Sciences > Paleo-climate Dynamics
AWI Organizations > Biosciences > Deep Sea Ecology and Technology
Helmholtz Research Programs > CHANGING EARTH (2021-2027) > PT2:Ocean and Cryosphere in Climate > ST2.2: Variability and Extremes
Helmholtz Research Programs > CHANGING EARTH (2021-2027) > PT6:Marine and Polar Life: Sustaining Biodiversity, Biotic Interactions, Biogeochemical Functions > ST6.2: Adaptation of marine life: from genes to ecosystems
Helmholtz Research Programs > CHANGING EARTH (2021-2027) > PT2:Ocean and Cryosphere in Climate > ST2.4: Advanced Research Technologies for Tomorrow
PS > 138
PS > 149
PS > 144
