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Deglacial history of the Kattegat-Baltic Sea using x-ray micro-computed tomography of benthic foraminifera

Donnenfield, Jonas LU ; Filipsson, Helena L. LU orcid ; Choquel, Constance LU ; Müter, Dirk ; Ni, Sha LU ; Quintana Krupinski, Nadine B LU ; Knudsen, Karen Luise ; Seidenkrantz, Marit-Solveig and Pirzamanbein, Behnaz LU orcid (2023) INQUA 2023
Abstract
The Baltic Sea is strongly affected by the combined stressors of deoxygenation, acidification, and eutrophication. These are primarily derived from 1) anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which increase atmospheric temperatures, enhance surface water stratification, reduce oxygen solubility, and alter carbonate chemistry, and 2) nutrient pollution from the Baltic Sea’s heavily populated coastline. Together, these rapid environmental changes are significantly impacting fragile coastal ecosystems and dependent economies, yet the combined effects of multiple stressors are still not well understood. Paleoceanographic reconstructions of the Baltic Sea from past periods of rapid warming can provide benchmarks for and help predict future synergistic... (More)
The Baltic Sea is strongly affected by the combined stressors of deoxygenation, acidification, and eutrophication. These are primarily derived from 1) anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which increase atmospheric temperatures, enhance surface water stratification, reduce oxygen solubility, and alter carbonate chemistry, and 2) nutrient pollution from the Baltic Sea’s heavily populated coastline. Together, these rapid environmental changes are significantly impacting fragile coastal ecosystems and dependent economies, yet the combined effects of multiple stressors are still not well understood. Paleoceanographic reconstructions of the Baltic Sea from past periods of rapid warming can provide benchmarks for and help predict future synergistic effects of multiple stressors as well as regional oceanographic responses to changes in global climate.


Our research uses a continuous, high-resolution sediment record of the last deglaciation (~18-15 ka) from the Kattegat seaway between Sweden and Denmark (IODP Expedition 347 Site M0060). Existing results for M0060 from benthic foraminiferal stable oxygen and carbon isotopes, trace elements, species assemblages, and a recalibrated age model support evidence of an early deglacial, poorly ventilated setting that undergoes freshening until ~15.5 ka, concomitant with the retreat of the proximal Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (FIS), followed by a transition to better ventilated, more saline conditions. We use synchrotron-based x-ray micro-computed tomography of benthic foraminiferal species Elphidium clavatum at decadal- to centennial-scale resolution to generate three-dimensional shell morphology (e.g., shell thickness, density, porosity, surface area/volume ratio). These morphometrics are expected to reflect bottom water environmental changes, likely controlled by the combined influence of adjacent FIS dynamics, European continent glacial meltwater, and North Atlantic circulation. Quantifying morphometric variability across the deglaciation will further constrain end-Pleistocene changes in temperature, oxygen, salinity, carbonate chemistry, and productivity, as well as disentangling the relative controls of regional ice-sheet and climate dynamics on the Baltic Sea from larger North Atlantic climate. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
published
subject
conference name
INQUA 2023
conference location
Rome, Italy
conference dates
2022-07-14 - 2023-09-21
project
Environmental changes in foraminiferal shell morphology revealed by synchrotron μCT
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3a83be7a-58c8-4374-863e-10f8a60994e7
date added to LUP
2025-02-16 04:41:35
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:51:29
@misc{3a83be7a-58c8-4374-863e-10f8a60994e7,
  abstract     = {{The Baltic Sea is strongly affected by the combined stressors of deoxygenation, acidification, and eutrophication. These are primarily derived from 1) anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which increase atmospheric temperatures, enhance surface water stratification, reduce oxygen solubility, and alter carbonate chemistry, and 2) nutrient pollution from the Baltic Sea’s heavily populated coastline. Together, these rapid environmental changes are significantly impacting fragile coastal ecosystems and dependent economies, yet the combined effects of multiple stressors are still not well understood. Paleoceanographic reconstructions of the Baltic Sea from past periods of rapid warming can provide benchmarks for and help predict future synergistic effects of multiple stressors as well as regional oceanographic responses to changes in global climate.<br/><br/><br/>Our research uses a continuous, high-resolution sediment record of the last deglaciation (~18-15 ka) from the Kattegat seaway between Sweden and Denmark (IODP Expedition 347 Site M0060). Existing results for M0060 from benthic foraminiferal stable oxygen and carbon isotopes, trace elements, species assemblages, and a recalibrated age model support evidence of an early deglacial, poorly ventilated setting that undergoes freshening until ~15.5 ka, concomitant with the retreat of the proximal Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (FIS), followed by a transition to better ventilated, more saline conditions. We use synchrotron-based x-ray micro-computed tomography of benthic foraminiferal species Elphidium clavatum at decadal- to centennial-scale resolution to generate three-dimensional shell morphology (e.g., shell thickness, density, porosity, surface area/volume ratio). These morphometrics are expected to reflect bottom water environmental changes, likely controlled by the combined influence of adjacent FIS dynamics, European continent glacial meltwater, and North Atlantic circulation. Quantifying morphometric variability across the deglaciation will further constrain end-Pleistocene changes in temperature, oxygen, salinity, carbonate chemistry, and productivity, as well as disentangling the relative controls of regional ice-sheet and climate dynamics on the Baltic Sea from larger North Atlantic climate.}},
  author       = {{Donnenfield, Jonas and Filipsson, Helena L. and Choquel, Constance and Müter, Dirk and Ni, Sha and Quintana Krupinski, Nadine B and Knudsen, Karen Luise and Seidenkrantz, Marit-Solveig and Pirzamanbein, Behnaz}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  title        = {{Deglacial history of the Kattegat-Baltic Sea using x-ray micro-computed tomography of benthic foraminifera}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}