Articles | Volume 19, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3107-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3107-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Trace metal distributions in the transition zone from the Greenland Ice Sheet to the surface water in Kangerlussuaq fjord (67° N)
Clara R. Vives
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Centre for Glacial Rock Flour Research, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, Denmark
Jørgen Bendtsen
Centre for Glacial Rock Flour Research, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, Denmark
Rasmus D. Dahms
Centre for Glacial Rock Flour Research, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, Denmark
Niels Daugbjerg
Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
Kristina V. Larsen
Centre for Glacial Rock Flour Research, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, Denmark
Minik T. Rosing
Centre for Glacial Rock Flour Research, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, Denmark
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
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Photosynthesis is driven by light. However, too much light may reduce the light-receiving capacity in phytoplankton cells and, thereby, influence photosynthesis. We analyze the extent of photoinhibition from subpolar to subtropical waters and find a significant impact in all areas. This fundamental reaction to light may explain some of the large observed variation in photosynthetic light-response in phytoplankton, and lead to a better understanding of photosynthesis in the ocean.
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We carried out foraminiferal, stable isotope, and sedimentological analyses of a marine sediment core retrieved from the Northeast Greenland shelf. This region is highly sensitive to climate variability because it is swept by the East Greenland Current, which is the main pathway for sea ice and cold waters that exit the Arctic Ocean. The palaeoceanographic reconstruction reveals significant variations in the water masses and in the strength of the East Greenland Current over the last 9400 years.
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Short summary
Glacial rock flour (GRF) from Greenlandic glaciers transports silicate and trace metals into fjords, influencing marine biogeochemistry. Trace metal concentrations are high in riverine and low-salinity waters but decrease sharply as salinity increases, challenging estimates based on freshwater input alone. Silicate rises due to GRF weathering but declines in fjords due to mixing. Uranium and molybdenum originate from the ocean, highlighting complex trace metal and nutrient dynamics.
Glacial rock flour (GRF) from Greenlandic glaciers transports silicate and trace metals into...