Dynamics of the Icelandic ice sheet altered North Atlantic seawater chemistry, environmental physicists reveal
Over the past 230,000 years, the growth and retreat of the Icelandic ice sheet have led to major changes in the seawater chemistry of the North Atlantic, caused by the interaction between volcanism and ice in Iceland. Scientists at the Institute of Environmental Physics at Heidelberg University have demonstrated this using sediment cores from the northeastern Atlantic—the Rockall Plateau.
Over the past 230,000 years, the growth and retreat of Iceland's ice sheet have significantly altered the seawater chemistry of the North Atlantic, according to environmental physicists at Heidelberg University. By analyzing sediment cores from the Rockall Plateau in the northeastern Atlantic, researchers discovered that changes in the isotopic composition of neodymium in seawater closely followed the rhythm of the ice ages.
This fluctuation occurred due to the interaction between volcanism and ice in Iceland, specifically the release of fine, highly reactive rock dust into the North Atlantic Ocean during glacial periods. The study, published in Science Advances, emphasizes the crucial role of high-latitude ice sheet systems in regulating ocean chemistry and highlights the need to reconsider the use of fixed isotopic fingerprints for reconstructing past ocean circulation patterns.
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