Greenland Ice Sheet behavior over past warm climate periods: A provenance study

Tjördis Störling; Nynke Thera Keulen; Sebastian Næsby Malkki; B.D. Heredia; Tonny Bernt Thomsen; L.F. Pérez; Heike Hildegard Zimmermann; Paul Cornils Knutz

Abstract

Understanding how the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has responded to past climate variability is critical for improving predictions of its future behavior and contributions to sea-level rise. As a part of the ChronIce project (Chronicling Greenland Ice Sheet evolution through past warm climates) this study aims to investigate the response of the northern GrIS to past climate forcing by documenting its history of physical weathering and ice–ocean dynamics. Temporal changes in glacial outlets sources (provenances), weathering and erosion in northwest Greenland will be investigated using a unique paleoclimatic archive recovered during Expedition 400 of the International Ocean Drilling Programme (Knutz et al. 2025). By using the X400 record we will advance the understanding of Arctic ice–ocean–climate feedback mechanisms and improve the accuracy of future projections of glacial mass loss and sea-level rise. Our analytical approach includes examining detrital heavy mineral composition using AQM-SEM (Automated Quantitative Mineralogy – Scanning Electron Microscopy; Keulen et al. 2020) and LA-ICP-MS (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry). The latter also provides single-grain geochronometry as U-Pb dating, enabling precise fingerprinting of ice-rafted debris (IRD) to infer source areas of glacial erosion. Zircon, rutile, apatite, monazite and titanite were detected in the samples and will provide new insights for this provenance study. IRD analyses including grain size and grain texture will be used to reconstruct marine ice margin variability and assess the ice sheet’s response to interglacial climate warming under varying pCO₂ forcing scenarios during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Combined with other detrital and biological proxies, mineral geochronometry on zircon, rutile, apatite, and other datable minerals provides a tool for tracing long-term evolutionary trends in GrIS weathering and ice sheet configuration. Here, we present our initial results.

Original language	English
Publication status	In preparation - 2026
Event	37th Nordic Geological Winter Meeting - Tirku, Finland Duration: 13 Jan 2026 → 15 Jan 2026 Conference number: 37 https://ngwm2026.fi/

Conference

Conference	37th Nordic Geological Winter Meeting
Abbreviated title	NGWM
Country/Territory	Finland
City	Tirku
Period	13/01/26 → 15/01/26
Internet address	https://ngwm2026.fi/

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 14 Life Below Water

Programme Area

Programme Area 5: Nature and Climate

Cite this

@conference{905183e7cc514f06b3b47cf98f617a63,

title = "Greenland Ice Sheet behavior over past warm climate periods: A provenance study",

abstract = "Understanding how the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has responded to past climate variability is critical for improving predictions of its future behavior and contributions to sea-level rise. As a part of the ChronIce project (Chronicling Greenland Ice Sheet evolution through past warm climates) this study aims to investigate the response of the northern GrIS to past climate forcing by documenting its history of physical weathering and ice{\textendash}ocean dynamics. Temporal changes in glacial outlets sources (provenances), weathering and erosion in northwest Greenland will be investigated using a unique paleoclimatic archive recovered during Expedition 400 of the International Ocean Drilling Programme (Knutz et al. 2025). By using the X400 record we will advance the understanding of Arctic ice{\textendash}ocean{\textendash}climate feedback mechanisms and improve the accuracy of future projections of glacial mass loss and sea-level rise. Our analytical approach includes examining detrital heavy mineral composition using AQM-SEM (Automated Quantitative Mineralogy {\textendash} Scanning Electron Microscopy; Keulen et al. 2020) and LA-ICP-MS (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry). The latter also provides single-grain geochronometry as U-Pb dating, enabling precise fingerprinting of ice-rafted debris (IRD) to infer source areas of glacial erosion. Zircon, rutile, apatite, monazite and titanite were detected in the samples and will provide new insights for this provenance study. IRD analyses including grain size and grain texture will be used to reconstruct marine ice margin variability and assess the ice sheet{\textquoteright}s response to interglacial climate warming under varying pCO₂ forcing scenarios during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Combined with other detrital and biological proxies, mineral geochronometry on zircon, rutile, apatite, and other datable minerals provides a tool for tracing long-term evolutionary trends in GrIS weathering and ice sheet configuration. Here, we present our initial results.",

author = "Tj{\"o}rdis St{\"o}rling and Keulen, \{Nynke Thera\} and Malkki, \{Sebastian N{\ae}sby\} and B.D. Heredia and Thomsen, \{Tonny Bernt\} and L.F. P{\'e}rez and Zimmermann, \{Heike Hildegard\} and Knutz, \{Paul Cornils\}",

year = "2026",

language = "English",

note = "37th Nordic Geological Winter Meeting, NGWM ; Conference date: 13-01-2026 Through 15-01-2026",

url = "https://ngwm2026.fi/",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - Greenland Ice Sheet behavior over past warm climate periods: A provenance study

AU - Störling, Tjördis

AU - Keulen, Nynke Thera

AU - Malkki, Sebastian Næsby

AU - Heredia, B.D.

AU - Thomsen, Tonny Bernt

AU - Pérez, L.F.

AU - Zimmermann, Heike Hildegard

AU - Knutz, Paul Cornils

N1 - Conference code: 37

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - Understanding how the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has responded to past climate variability is critical for improving predictions of its future behavior and contributions to sea-level rise. As a part of the ChronIce project (Chronicling Greenland Ice Sheet evolution through past warm climates) this study aims to investigate the response of the northern GrIS to past climate forcing by documenting its history of physical weathering and ice–ocean dynamics. Temporal changes in glacial outlets sources (provenances), weathering and erosion in northwest Greenland will be investigated using a unique paleoclimatic archive recovered during Expedition 400 of the International Ocean Drilling Programme (Knutz et al. 2025). By using the X400 record we will advance the understanding of Arctic ice–ocean–climate feedback mechanisms and improve the accuracy of future projections of glacial mass loss and sea-level rise. Our analytical approach includes examining detrital heavy mineral composition using AQM-SEM (Automated Quantitative Mineralogy – Scanning Electron Microscopy; Keulen et al. 2020) and LA-ICP-MS (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry). The latter also provides single-grain geochronometry as U-Pb dating, enabling precise fingerprinting of ice-rafted debris (IRD) to infer source areas of glacial erosion. Zircon, rutile, apatite, monazite and titanite were detected in the samples and will provide new insights for this provenance study. IRD analyses including grain size and grain texture will be used to reconstruct marine ice margin variability and assess the ice sheet’s response to interglacial climate warming under varying pCO₂ forcing scenarios during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Combined with other detrital and biological proxies, mineral geochronometry on zircon, rutile, apatite, and other datable minerals provides a tool for tracing long-term evolutionary trends in GrIS weathering and ice sheet configuration. Here, we present our initial results.

AB - Understanding how the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has responded to past climate variability is critical for improving predictions of its future behavior and contributions to sea-level rise. As a part of the ChronIce project (Chronicling Greenland Ice Sheet evolution through past warm climates) this study aims to investigate the response of the northern GrIS to past climate forcing by documenting its history of physical weathering and ice–ocean dynamics. Temporal changes in glacial outlets sources (provenances), weathering and erosion in northwest Greenland will be investigated using a unique paleoclimatic archive recovered during Expedition 400 of the International Ocean Drilling Programme (Knutz et al. 2025). By using the X400 record we will advance the understanding of Arctic ice–ocean–climate feedback mechanisms and improve the accuracy of future projections of glacial mass loss and sea-level rise. Our analytical approach includes examining detrital heavy mineral composition using AQM-SEM (Automated Quantitative Mineralogy – Scanning Electron Microscopy; Keulen et al. 2020) and LA-ICP-MS (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry). The latter also provides single-grain geochronometry as U-Pb dating, enabling precise fingerprinting of ice-rafted debris (IRD) to infer source areas of glacial erosion. Zircon, rutile, apatite, monazite and titanite were detected in the samples and will provide new insights for this provenance study. IRD analyses including grain size and grain texture will be used to reconstruct marine ice margin variability and assess the ice sheet’s response to interglacial climate warming under varying pCO₂ forcing scenarios during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Combined with other detrital and biological proxies, mineral geochronometry on zircon, rutile, apatite, and other datable minerals provides a tool for tracing long-term evolutionary trends in GrIS weathering and ice sheet configuration. Here, we present our initial results.

M3 - Abstract at conference

T2 - 37th Nordic Geological Winter Meeting

Y2 - 13 January 2026 through 15 January 2026