Subarctic Front migration at the Reykjanes Ridge during the mid- to late Holocene:Evidence from planktic foraminifera

Expansion of fresh and sea-ice loaded surface waters from the Arctic Ocean into the sub-polar North Atlantic is suggested to modulate the northward heat transport within the North Atlantic Current (NAC). The Reykjanes Ridge south of Iceland is a suitable area to reconstruct changes in the mid- to late Holocene fresh and sea-ice loaded surface water expansion, which is marked by the Subarctic Front (SAF). Here, shifts in the location of the SAF result from the interaction of freshwater expansion and inflow of warmer and saline (NAC) waters to the Ridge. Using planktic foraminiferal assemblage and concentration data from a marine sediment core on the eastern Reykjanes Ridge elucidates SAF location changes and thus, changes in the water-mass composition (upper ˜200 m) during the last c. 5.8 ka BP. Our foraminifer data highlight a late Holocene shift (at c. 3.0 ka BP) in water-mass composition at the Reykjanes Ridge, which reflects the occurrence of cooler and fresher surface waters when compared to the mid-Holocene. We document two phases of SAF presence at the study site: from (i) c. 5.5 to 5.0 ka BP and (ii) c. 2.7 to 1.5 ka BP. Both phases are characterized by marked increases in the planktic foraminiferal concentration, which coincides with freshwater expansions and warm subsurface water conditions within the sub-polar North Atlantic. We link the SAF changes, from c. 2.7 to 1.5 ka BP, to a strengthening of the East Greenland Current and a warming in the NAC, as identified by various studies underlying these two currents. From c. 1.5 ka BP onwards, we record a prominent subsurface cooling and continued occurrence of fresh and sea-ice loaded surface waters at the study site. This implies that the SAF migrated to the southeast of our core site during the last millennium

A multi-decadal record of oceanographic changes of the past ~165 years (1850-2015 AD) from Northwest of Iceland.

Extending oceanographic data beyond the instrumental period is highly needed to better characterize and understand multi-decadal to centennial natural ocean variability. Here, a stable isotope record at unprecedented temporal resolution (1 to 2 years) from a new marine core retrieved off western North Iceland is presented. We aim to better constrain the variability of subsurface, Atlantic-derived Subpolar Mode Water (SPMW), using near surface-dwelling planktic foraminifera and Arctic Intermediate Water (AIW) mass changes using benthic foraminifera over the last ~165 years. The reconstruction overlaps in time with instrumental observations and a direct comparison reveals that the δ18O record of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma is reliably representing temperature fluctuations in the SPMWs. Trends in the N. pachyderma δ13C record match the measured phosphate concentration in the upper 200 m on the North Icelandic Shelf well. Near surface-dwelling foraminifera trace anthropogenic CO2 in the Iceland Sea by ~ 1950 ± 8, however, a reduced amplitude shift in the Marine Suess effect is identified. We argue that this is caused by a contemporary ongoing increase in marine primary productivity in the upper ocean due to enhanced Greenland's freshwater discharge that has contributed to a nutrient-driven fertilization since the 1940s/50s (Perner et al., 2019). Multi-decadal variability is detected. We find that the 16-year periodicity evident in SPMW and AIWs based on the δ18O of N. pachyderma and M. barleeanum is a signal of SST anomalies propagated into the Nordic Seas via the Atlantic inflow branches around Iceland. Spectral analyses of the planktic foraminiferal δ13C signal indicate intermittent 30-year cycles that are likely reflecting the ocean response to atmospheric variability, presumably the East Atlantic Pattern. A long-term trend in benthic δ18O suggests that Atlantic-derived waters are expanding their core within the water column from the subsurface into deeper intermediate depths towards the present day. This is a result of increased transport by the North Icelandic Irminger Current to the North Iceland Shelf over the historical era

Single-Cell Genetic Analysis Reveals Insights into Clonal Development of Prostate Cancers and Indicates Loss of PTEN as a Marker of Poor Prognosis

Gauging the risk of developing progressive disease is a major challenge in prostate cancer patient management. We used genetic markers to understand genomic alteration dynamics during disease progression. By using a novel, advanced, multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization approach, we enumerated copy numbers of six genes previously identified by array comparative genomic hybridization to be involved in aggressive prostate cancer [TBL1XR1, CTTNBP2, MYC (alias c-myc), PTEN, MEN1, and PDGFB] in six nonrecurrent and seven recurrent radical prostatectomy cases. An ERG break-apart probe to detect TMPRSS2-ERG fusions was included. Subsequent hybridization of probe panels and cell relocation resulted in signal counts for all probes in each individual cell analyzed. Differences in the degree of chromosomal and genomic instability (ie, tumor heterogeneity) or the percentage of cells with TMPRSS2-ERG fusion between samples with or without progression were not observed. Tumors from patients that progressed had more chromosomal gains and losses, and showed a higher degree of selection for a predominant clonal pattern. PTEN loss was the most frequent aberration in progressers (57%), followed by TBL1XR1 gain (29%). MYC gain was observed in one progresser, which was the only lesion with an ERG gain, but no TMPRSS2-ERG fusion. According to our results, a probe set consisting of PTEN, MYC, and TBL1XR1 would detect progressers with 86% sensitivity and 100% specificity. This will be evaluated further in larger studies

Giant saltwater inflow in AD 1951 triggered Baltic Sea hypoxia

A marked sedimentological change in subsurface sediments from the entire Baltic Proper, the Baltic Sea, has been previously noted. Our detailed work on a variety of multi-cores from basin-wide transects indicates that this sedimentological change was caused by a large shift in environmental conditions during the 1950s. Until the 1950s, the water column was rather weakly stratified and winter-time convection – although weakened during the post Little Ice Age warming – was still able to ventilate the bottom waters of the Baltic Proper. Therefore, complete sediment sequences only accumulated in calm waters deeper than 150–160 m. High-resolution benthic foraminiferal records of subsurface sediments obtained along the saline water inflow pathway in combination with historical data indicate that the depositional environment changed drastically owing to the giant saline water inflow in AD 1951. The accompanied sharpening of the halo(pycno)cline triggered a collapse in the ventilation of the basin, resulting in oxygen-deficient bottom waters. This deficiency, in turn, caused the onset of phosphate release from the sediments, which accelerated primary production. The ventilation collapse also enabled the onset of deposition of organic carbon-rich sediments also in shallower water areas as calm conditions prevailed up to the modern winter mixing depth (60–70 m). A slight return to Little Ice Age-type conditions was observed during the late 1980s when temperatures decreased and stratification weakened. These conditions gave rise to a reduction in hypoxic areas and to a bottom-water ventilation, most pronounced in the north of the so-called Baltic Sea Klint, a hydrographic and topographic barrier. However, the general environmental conditions essentially have not changed since the 1950s. Remarkably, external (temperature and stratification) in combination with internal factors (e.g. ventilation collapse and phosphate release) were able to change the redox conditions of the Baltic Proper from oxic to hypoxic within less than 10 years

Holocene interaction between ocean circulation and the West Greenland ice sheet

Ein besseres Verständnis der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Klimaänderungen und Eisschilddynamik ist notwendig, da in Anbetracht der prognostizierten Klimaerwärmung, ein Abschmelzen des grönländischen Eisschildes zu einem globalen Meeresspiegelanstieg und zu Änderungen in der thermohaline Zirkulation führt. Diese Promotionsarbeit, untersucht die Rolle des ozeanischen Einflusses (Westgrönlandstrom, WGC) auf das Verhalten des westgrönländischen Eisschildes (Jakobshavn Isbræ) in der Disko Bucht Region. Hochauflösende Sedimentkerne, entnommen mit dem FS ‘Maria S. Merian’ in 2007, ermöglichen eine Betrachtung holozäner Klimavariabilität Westgrönlands auf tausendjährigen bis multidekadischen Zeitskalen. Untersucht werden die letzten 8000 Jahre, mit zunehmend zeitlicher Auflösung, in den Zeitabschnitten der historischen und instrumentellen Datenreihen. Basierend auf der Untersuchung von kalkschaligen sowie agglutinierten benthischen Foraminiferenvergesellschaftungen werden Schwankungen i n den Eigenschaften des WGC (u.a. Temperatur und Salzgehalt) rekonstruiert. Zwischen 8 bis 6 cal. ka BP unterstützt ein relativ warmer WGC Eisschildrückzug in der Disko Bucht. Stabile, warme ozeanische Bedingungen markieren das holozäne ‚Thermale Optimum‘ zwischen 5,5 bis 3,5 cal. ka BP, einhergehend mit der geringsten Eisschildausdehnung in der östlichen Disko Bucht. Von 3,5 cal. ka BP bis heute, ist ein Abkühlungstrend in den ozeanischen Bedingungen vor Westgrönland festzustellen. Auf diesem finden sich Schwankungen in den WGC Eigenschaften im Bereich von Jahrhunderten: i) die 2,7 cal. ka BP ‘Kaltphase’; ii) die Römische Warmzeit; iii) die Mittelalterliche Klimaanomalie; und iv) die ‘Kleine Eiszeit’. Während der letzten 100 Jahre verbleiben die ozeanischen Bedingungen relative kalt. Multidekadische Schwankungen der Ozeantemperaturen (WGC) erfolgen zeitgleich mit Änderungen der Eisrandposition des Jakobshavn Isbræ und der Atlantisch Multidekadische Oszillation (AMO). Kalte (warme) Ozeantemperaturen korrelieren eng mit einer Stabilisierung/Vorstoß (Rückzug) der Eisrandposition des Jakobshavn Isbræ sowie mit einem negativen (hohen) AMO Index. Anhand dieser Ergebnisse zeigt sich, dass Ozeantemperaturänderungen einen wichtigen Faktor darstellen, welcher das Verhalten von Eisschilden auf unterschiedlichen Zeitskalen beeinflusst und das darüber hinaus eine enge Kopplung der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Ozean und Kryosphäre während des Holozäns besteht. Warme Ozeantemperaturen steuern die Stabilität von marinen Eisschilden und Auslassgletschern, durch verstärktes basales Schmelzen und der daraus resultierenden Zunahme der Fließgeschwindigkeit. Hingegen, unterstützen kalte Ozeantemperaturen die Stabilisierung sowie das Vorstoßen von Eisschilden.Understanding the interaction between climate variability and ice sheet behavior is critical due to scenarios of future climate warming and the consequent contribution of Greenland ice sheet melting to sea-level rise and its potential to influence thermohaline circulation. This thesis investigates the role of ocean forcing by the West Greenland Current (WGC) on the dynamics of West Greenland ice sheet behavior, with focus on Jakobshavn Isbræ, in the Disko Bugt area of central West Greenland. High-resolution sediment cores, obtained during a cruise of the RV ‘Maria S. Merian’ in 2007, provide a long-term Holocene perspective on climate variability off West Greenland. These records cover the last 8000 years with increasing resolution through to periods of historical and instrumental data series. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions, based on the calcareous and agglutinated benthic foraminiferal assemblage, reveal significant variations in the water mass properties (e.g. temperature and salinity) of the WGC. From 8 to 6 cal. ka BP, a relatively warm WGC enhances meltwater production (ice retreat) in Disko Bugt. Holocene ‘thermal optimum-like’ conditions prevailed from 5.5 to 3.5 cal. ka BP, associated with minimum ice sheet extent in eastern Disko Bugt. Long-term cooling of oceanographic conditions is recognized from c. 3.5 cal. ka BP towards the present day. Superimposed on this millennial scale cooling trend, centennial scale variability within the WGC is reconstructed: i) the 2.7 cal. ka BP ‘cooling event’; ii) the Roman Warm Period; iii) the Medieval Climate Anomaly; and iv) the Little Ice Age. Over the past 100 years, oceanographic conditions remain relatively cool and multidecadal variability in the WGC’s ocean temperatures show close correlation with the ice marg in position of Jakobshavn Isbræ and phases of the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO). Cold (warm) phases correlate with stabilization/re-advance (retreat) of Jakobshavn Isbræ and a negative (high) index of the AMO. It has been demonstrated that variations in ocean temperature are an important factor that influence ice sheet behavior on a range of times scales, underlining the close coupling of ice-ocean interactions during the Holocene. Warmer ocean temperatures influence the stability of marine terminating ice sheets and glaciers, causing basal melting and glacier acceleration, whereas ocean cooling supports stabilization and advance of ice margin

An oceanic perspective on Greenland’s recent freshwater discharge since 1850

Instrumental data evidence an accelerating freshwater release from Arctic sea ice export and the Greenland Ice Sheet over the past three decades causing cooling and freshening in the subpolar North Atlantic region. However, evaluating the observed acceleration on a historical oceanic and climatic perspective remains challenging given the short available instrumental time series. Here we provide a marine perspective on the freshwater releases to the ocean since 1850 as reflected in the northern limb of the Subpolar Gyre. Our reconstructions suggest that the recent acceleration tracks back to the 1940s/50s and is unprecedented since 1850. The melting, initiated by the 1920s natural rise in solar irradiance, accelerated in response to a combined effect of natural and anthropogenic forcing factors. We find that Greenland’s freshwater discharge has contributed to a nutrient-driven fertilization of the upper ocean and consequently increased the marine primary productivity since the 1940s/50s.publishedVersio