147-11 Iron Cycling Across Pleistocene Climate Transitions in the Fram Strait

Session: Climate, Ocean and Environmental Changes Through Earth History: From Marine and Terrestrial Proxies to Model Assessments (Posters)

Poster Booth No.: 178

Presenting Author:

Ripley Cantrell

Authors:

Cantrell, Ripley Catherine¹, Haygood, Lauren Ashley², Halihan, Todd³, St. John, Kristen E. K.⁴, Lucchi, Renata G.⁵, Ronge, Thomas A.⁶, Science Party and Crew, Expedition 403⁷

(1) Boone Pickens School of Geology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA, (2) Boone Pickens School of Geology (OSU), Stillwater, OK, USA, (3) Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA, (4) James Madison UniversityDept of Geology and Env Science, Harrisonburg, VA, USA, (5) National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, Trieste, Italy, (6) Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, (7) International Ocean Discovery Program, College Station, USA,

Abstract:

The Fram Strait serves as the only deep-water passage between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, making it a crucial study area for evaluating deep-water mass exchange and the impacts of global climate trends. This study aims to examine the iron (Fe) contents and the changes through transitional climate periods in the Pleistocene. Iron plays a key role in reconstructing changes in redox conditions and sediment sources, all of which were dynamic in the Pleistocene due to glacial-interglacial cycles. Sediment cores were recovered during the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 403 to the Eastern Fram Strait. Sequential Fe extractions will be performed on select samples from sites U1624 (Isfjorden Drift) and U1618 (Vestnesa Ridge), extracting different Fe phases along with associated trace metals. Results from Fe speciation may reflect episodic meltwater input and associated changes in sediment source and redox conditions. Furthermore, samples will be studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) to characterize their mineral components, including morphology and chemical composition. This analytical approach will contribute to our understanding of Fe cycling and associated trace metals within the Fram Strait, ultimately enhancing our understanding of paleoclimate and palaeoceanographic changes in a high-latitude environment. 

 

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-10490

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