Dynamic ice–ocean pathways along the Transpolar Drift amplify the dispersal of Siberian matter

Georgi Laukert (), Dorothea Bauch, Benjamin Rabe, Thomas Krumpen, Ellen Damm, Markus Kienast, Ed Hathorne, Myriel Vredenborg, Sandra Tippenhauer, Nils Andersen, Hanno Meyer, Moein Mellat, Alessandra D’Angelo, Patric Simões Pereira, Daiki Nomura, Tristan J. Horner, Katharine Hendry and Stephanie S. Kienast
Additional contact information
Georgi Laukert: University of Bristol
Dorothea Bauch: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research
Benjamin Rabe: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Thomas Krumpen: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Ellen Damm: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Markus Kienast: Dalhousie University
Ed Hathorne: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research
Myriel Vredenborg: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Sandra Tippenhauer: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Nils Andersen: Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel
Hanno Meyer: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Moein Mellat: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Alessandra D’Angelo: Graduate School of Oceanography
Patric Simões Pereira: University of Gothenburg
Daiki Nomura: Hokkaido University
Tristan J. Horner: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Katharine Hendry: University of Bristol
Stephanie S. Kienast: Dalhousie University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract The Transpolar Drift (TPD) plays a crucial role in regulating Arctic climate and ecosystems by transporting fresh water and key substances, such as terrestrial nutrients and pollutants, from the Siberian Shelf across the Arctic Ocean to the North Atlantic. However, year-round observations of the TPD remain scarce, creating significant knowledge gaps regarding the influence of sea ice drift and ocean surface circulation on the transport pathways of Siberian fresh water and associated matter. Using geochemical provenance tracer data collected over a complete seasonal cycle, our study reveals substantial spatiotemporal variability in the dispersal pathways of Siberian matter along the TPD. This variability reflects dynamic shifts in contributions of individual Siberian rivers as they integrate into a large-scale current system, followed by their rapid and extensive redistribution through a combination of seasonal ice–ocean exchanges and divergent ice drift. These findings emphasize the complexity of Arctic ice–ocean transport pathways and highlight the challenges of forecasting their dynamics in light of anticipated changes in sea ice extent, river discharge, and surface circulation patterns.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57881-9

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