A diatom-based quantitative sea-ice proxy for the Bering and Chukchi seas

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
By:  and 

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Abstract

Sea ice affects Earth's climate system on both regional and global scales. Its incorporation into climate can be used to achieve more accurate predictions of future climate. However, instrumental records of sea-ice concentration do not extend earlier than 1978. In an effort to extend this record, we constructed a proxy using the generalized additive model based on relative abundances of five easy-to-identify diatom species found in sediment samples across the Bering and Chukchi seas. Here we present the first quantitative diatom-based sea-ice proxy developed for Beringia. The developed proxy has been applied to two sediment cores in the Bering Sea ranging from 0 to 25.7 ka (HLY0204 51JPC) and 369 to 430 ka (IODP Exp 323 Site U1345) and one in the Chukchi Sea ranging from 2.7 to 10 ka (HLY0204 24JPC). The obtained reconstructions of sea-ice concentrations are similar, but not identical to previously published qualitative and nearby records based on other proxies. Because our results are quantitative, they can be incorporated into regional climate models. The proxy is publicly available as an R Shiny application (app) and can be applied to any diatom count from marine sediments in the region.

Suggested Citation

Nesterovich, A., and Caissie, B.E., 2026, A diatom-based quantitative sea-ice proxy for the Bering and Chukchi seas: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 690, 113686, 19 p., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2026.113686.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title A diatom-based quantitative sea-ice proxy for the Bering and Chukchi seas
Series title Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
DOI 10.1016/j.palaeo.2026.113686
Volume 690
Publication Date March 13, 2026
Year Published 2026
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Description 113686, 19 p.
Country Russia, United States
Other Geospatial Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea
Additional publication details