the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Cryosphere and ocean variability in Kane Basin since the 18th century: insights from two marine multi-proxy records
Abstract. Nares Strait, a marine gateway connecting the Arctic Ocean with northern Baffin Bay, is characterised by the formation of a seasonal ice bridge between Canada and Greenland, that prevents the southward export of multiyear sea ice. Recent observations indicate increasing instability in sea-ice formation, particularly evident in Kane Basin, which either freezes over or remains open during winter and spring depending on ice-bridge dynamics. The Kane Basin is influenced by contrasting ocean currents in its eastern and western sides, as well as by the Humboldt Glacier, Greenland’s widest marine-terminating glacier. Kane Basin is a critical region due to its pronounced sensitivity to cryospheric and oceanic changes. However, its long-term environmental history, particularly in the eastern sector, remains poorly constrained prior to the satellite era. Here, we present two multi-proxy sediment core records from opposite sides of Kane Basin, spanning from the 18th century to the present, that we compare with Humboldt Glacier frontal positions since 1965 CE. Clear spatial differences are evident across the basin in terms of sediment delivery, primary productivity, and the source of organic matter. Both records also reveal temporal changes, transitioning from cold sea-surface conditions with extensive sea ice during the Little Ice Age (peaking around 1900 CE), towards more open and stratified waters, accompanied by increased primary production from approximately 1950 CE to the present.
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- RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-2641', Anonymous Referee #1, 29 Jul 2025 reply
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In this study, the authors generated two paleoenvironmental records from the western and eastern edges of Kane Basin to understand the sedimentological, environmental, and oceanographic changes in the Nares Strait, a region where multiyear sea ice can export from the Arctic to the North Atlantic, over the recent past (~1750 - present). The authors found that the depositional environment is different between the western and eastern side of Kane Basin, and further found a decrease in sea ice since the 1950s based on biomarker evidence, as well as a change in glacial runoff and increased stratification, both evident from observations of the IRD, increased primary productivity and a change in assemblage composition in the sedimentary records. Based on these results, the authors concluded that the sea ice cover, ocean stratification and increased freshwater input in this region are already undergoing changes.
I think it is useful to have these new records to better understand how high-latitude regions with significant ocean-ice sheet-sea ice interactions is changing over time, especially since these regions are undergoing rapid changes due to anthropogenic climate change. Below are my comments/suggestions that I hope would improve this manuscript.
Major comments:
Minor comments: