The silicon cycle impacted by past ice sheets
The silicon cycle impacted by past ice sheets
Globally averaged riverine silicon (Si) concentrations and isotope composition (δ30Si) may be affected by the expansion and retreat of large ice sheets during glacial−interglacial cycles. Here we provide evidence of this based on the δ30Si composition of meltwater runoff from a Greenland Ice Sheet catchment. Glacier runoff has the lightest δ30Si measured in running waters (−0.25 ± 0.12‰), significantly lower than nonglacial rivers (1.25 ± 0.68‰), such that the overall decline in glacial runoff since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) may explain 0.06–0.17‰ of the observed ocean δ30Si rise (0.5–1.0‰). A marine sediment core proximal to Iceland provides further evidence for transient, low-δ30Si meltwater pulses during glacial termination. Diatom Si uptake during the LGM was likely similar to present day due to an expanded Si inventory, which raises the possibility of a feedback between ice sheet expansion, enhanced Si export to the ocean and reduced CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, because of the importance of diatoms in the biological carbon pump.
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Hawkings, Jon R.
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Hatton, Jade E.
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Hendry, Katharine R.
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de Souza, Gregory F.
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Wadham, Jemma L.
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Ivanovic, Ruza
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Kohler, Tyler J.
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Stibal, Marek
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Beaton, Alexander
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Lamarche-Gagnon, Guillaume
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Tedstone, Andrew
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Hain, Mathis P.
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Bagshaw, Elizabeth
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Pike, Jennifer
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Tranter, Martyn
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1 December 2018
Hawkings, Jon R.
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Hatton, Jade E.
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Hendry, Katharine R.
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de Souza, Gregory F.
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Wadham, Jemma L.
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Ivanovic, Ruza
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Kohler, Tyler J.
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Stibal, Marek
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Beaton, Alexander
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Lamarche-Gagnon, Guillaume
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Tedstone, Andrew
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Hain, Mathis P.
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Bagshaw, Elizabeth
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Pike, Jennifer
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Tranter, Martyn
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Hawkings, Jon R., Hatton, Jade E., Hendry, Katharine R., de Souza, Gregory F., Wadham, Jemma L., Ivanovic, Ruza, Kohler, Tyler J., Stibal, Marek, Beaton, Alexander, Lamarche-Gagnon, Guillaume, Tedstone, Andrew, Hain, Mathis P., Bagshaw, Elizabeth, Pike, Jennifer and Tranter, Martyn
(2018)
The silicon cycle impacted by past ice sheets.
Nature Communications, 9 (1), , [3210].
(doi:10.1038/s41467-018-05689-1).
Abstract
Globally averaged riverine silicon (Si) concentrations and isotope composition (δ30Si) may be affected by the expansion and retreat of large ice sheets during glacial−interglacial cycles. Here we provide evidence of this based on the δ30Si composition of meltwater runoff from a Greenland Ice Sheet catchment. Glacier runoff has the lightest δ30Si measured in running waters (−0.25 ± 0.12‰), significantly lower than nonglacial rivers (1.25 ± 0.68‰), such that the overall decline in glacial runoff since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) may explain 0.06–0.17‰ of the observed ocean δ30Si rise (0.5–1.0‰). A marine sediment core proximal to Iceland provides further evidence for transient, low-δ30Si meltwater pulses during glacial termination. Diatom Si uptake during the LGM was likely similar to present day due to an expanded Si inventory, which raises the possibility of a feedback between ice sheet expansion, enhanced Si export to the ocean and reduced CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, because of the importance of diatoms in the biological carbon pump.
Text
s41467-018-05689-1
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Accepted/In Press date: 11 June 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 10 August 2018
Published date: 1 December 2018
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 424550
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/424550
PURE UUID: e4e21dea-12e5-4a1c-8b4c-1213ac642b2e
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Date deposited: 05 Oct 2018 11:38
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 21:23
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Contributors
Author:
Jon R. Hawkings
Author:
Jade E. Hatton
Author:
Katharine R. Hendry
Author:
Gregory F. de Souza
Author:
Jemma L. Wadham
Author:
Ruza Ivanovic
Author:
Tyler J. Kohler
Author:
Marek Stibal
Author:
Alexander Beaton
Author:
Guillaume Lamarche-Gagnon
Author:
Andrew Tedstone
Author:
Elizabeth Bagshaw
Author:
Jennifer Pike
Author:
Martyn Tranter
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