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ABSTRACT Glacial marine sediment deposition varies both spatially and temporally, but nearly all studies evaluate down-core (∼ time) variations in sediment variables with little consideration for across core variability, or even the consistency of a data set over distance scales of 1 to 1000 m. Grain size and quantitative X-ray diffraction (qXRD) methods require only ≤ 1 g of sediment and thus analyses assume that the identification of coarse sand (i.e., ice-rafted debris) and sediment mineral composition are representative of the depth intervals. This assumption was tested for grain size and mineral weight % on core MD99-2317, off East Greenland. Samples were taken from two sections of the core that had contrasting coarse-sand content. A total of fourteen samples were taken consisting of seven (vertical) and two (horizontal) samples, with five replicates per sample for qXRD analyses and ∼ 10 to 20 replicates for grain size. They had an average dry weight of 10.5 ± 0.5 g and are compared with two previous sets of sediment samples that averaged 54.1 ± 18.9 g and 20.77 ± 5.8 g dry weight. The results indicated some significant differences between the pairs of samples for grain-size parameters (mean sortable silt, and median grain size) but little difference in the estimates of mineral weight percentages. Out of 84 paired mineral and grain-size comparisons only 17 were significantly different at p = < 0.05 in the post-hoc Scheffe test, all of which were linked to grain-size attributes. 

Abstract. The North Water Polynya (NOW, Inuktitut: Sarvarjuaq; Kalaallisut:Pikialasorsuaq), Baffin Bay, is the largest polynya and one of the most productive regionsin the Arctic. This area of thin to absent sea ice is a critical moisturesource for local ice sheet sustenance and, coupled with the inflow ofnutrient-rich Arctic Surface Water, supports a diverse community of Arcticfauna and indigenous people. Although paleoceanographic records provideimportant insight into the NOW's past behavior, it is critical that webetter understand the modern functionality of paleoceanographic proxies. Inthis study, we analyzed lipid biomarkers, including algal highly branchedisoprenoids and sterols for sea ice extent and pelagic productivity andarchaeal glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) for ocean temperature, in a set of modern surface sedimentsamples from within and around the NOW. In conjunction with previouslypublished datasets, our results show that all highly branched isoprenoidsexhibit strong correlations with each other and not with sterols, whichsuggests a spring or autumn sea ice diatom source for all highly branched isoprenoids (HBIs) rather than acombination of sea ice and open-water diatoms as seen elsewhere in theArctic. Sterols are also highly concentrated in the NOW and exhibitstatistically higher concentrations here compared to sites south of the NOW,consistent with the order of magnitude higher primary productivity observedwithin the NOW relative to surrounding waters in spring and summer months.Finally, our local temperature calibrations for GDGTs and OH-GDGTs reducethe uncertainty present in global temperature calibrations but alsoidentify some additional variables that may be important in controllingtheir local distribution, such as nitrate availability and dissolved oxygen.Collectively, our analyses provide new insight into the utility of theselipid biomarker proxies in high-latitude settings and will help provide arefined perspective on the past development of the NOW with theirapplication in downcore reconstructions. 

Abstract. Marine fronts delineate the boundary between distinct water masses and,through the advection of nutrients, are important facilitators of regionalproductivity and biodiversity. As the modern climate continues to change, themigration of frontal zones is evident, but a lack of information about theirstatus prior to instrumental records hinders future projections. Here, wecombine data from lipid biomarkers (archaeal isoprenoid glycerol dibiphytanylglycerol tetraethers and algal highly branched isoprenoids) with planktic andbenthic foraminifera assemblages to detail the biological response of themarine Arctic and polar front migrations on the North Iceland Shelf (NIS) overthe last 8 kyr. This multi-proxy approach enables us to quantify thethermal structure relating to Arctic and polar front migration and test howthis influences the corresponding changes in local pelagic productivity. Ourdata show that following an interval of Atlantic water influence, the Arcticfront and its associated high pelagic productivity migrated southeastward tothe NIS by ∼6.1 ka. Following a subsequent trend in regionalcooling, Polar Water from the East Greenland Current and the associated polarfront spread onto the NIS by ∼3.8 ka, greatly diminishinglocal algal productivity through the Little Ice Age. Within the last century,the Arctic and polar fronts have moved northward back to their currentpositions relative to the NIS and helped stimulate the productivity thatpartially supports Iceland's economy. Our Holocene records from the NISprovide analogues for how the current frontal configuration and theproductivity that it supports may change as global temperatures continue torise. 

ABSTRACT A new calcareous Arctic foraminiferal species, Glomulina oculus n. sp., belonging to the suborder Miliolina has been observed in surface samples from northern Nares Strait and Petermann Fjord, NW Greenland, and off Zachariae Isbrae, NE Greenland, as well as in early Holocene sediments from the northern Baffin Bay region and on the NE Greenland shelf. In some samples, this new porcelaneous species makes up a significant fraction of the foraminiferal assemblage, particularly in samples with a relatively large sand content, and we suggest that this species is indicative of an Arctic environment with marine-terminating glaciers. Yet, further studies are needed to ascertain its full habitat range.