Abstract
As a shelf dominated basin, the Arctic Ocean and its biogeochemistry are heavily influenced by continental and riverine sources. Radium isotopes (226Ra, 228Ra, 224Ra, 223Ra), are transferred from the sediments to seawater, making them ideal tracers of sediment-water exchange processes and ocean mixing. 226Ra and 228Ra are the two longer-lived isotopes of the Radium Quartet (226Ra, t1/2 = 1600 y and 228Ra, t1/2 = 5.8 y). Because of their long half-lives they can provide insight into the water mass compositions, distribution patterns, as well as mixing processes and the associated timescales throughout the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA). The wide range of 226Ra, 228Ra, and of the 228Ra / 226Ra ratio, measured in water samples collected during the 2015 GEOTRACES cruise, complemented by additional chemical tracers (dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity (AT), barium (Ba), and the stable oxygen isotope composition of water (δ18O)) highlight the dominant biogeochemical, hydrographic and bathymetric features of the CAA. Bathymetric features, such as the continental shelf and shallow coastal sills, are critical in modulating circulation patterns within the CAA, including the bulk flow of Pacific waters and the inhibited eastward flow of denser Atlantic waters through the CAA. Using a Principal Component Analysis, we unravel the dominant mechanisms and the apparent water mass end-members that shape the tracer distributions. We identify two distinct water masses located above and below the upper halocline layer throughout the CAA, as well as distinctly differentiate surface waters in the eastern and western CAA. Furthermore, we identify water exchange across 80° W, inferring a draw of Atlantic water, originating from Baffin Bay, into the CAA. In other words, this implies the presence of an Atlantic water U-turn located at Barrow Strait, where the same water mass is seen along the northernmost edge at 80° W as well as along south-easternmost confines of Lancaster Sound. Overall, this study provides a stepping stone for future research initiatives within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, revealing how quantifying disparities in radioactive isotopes can provide valuable information on the potential effects of climate change within vulnerable areas such as the CAA.
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