Not gone with the wind: 9,500-year sediment record of Arctic storminess favors internal climate control

Abstract

Abstract The Arctic is rapidly losing its sea ice cover while the region warms faster than anywhere else on Earth. As larger areas become ice-free for longer, winds strengthen and interact more with open waters. Higher waves can increase coastal erosion and flooding, threatening communities and releasing permafrost carbon. However, the future trajectory of these changes remains poorly understood as instrumental observations and geological archives remain rare and short. Here, we address this critical knowledge by presenting the first continuous Holocene-length reconstruction of Arctic wind and wave strength using coastal lake sediments from Svalbard. Exposed to both polar Easterlies and Westerly storm tracks, sheltered by a bedrock barrier, and subjected to little post-glacial uplift, our study site provides a uniquely stable baseline to assess long-term changes in the region's dominant wind systems. To do so with high precision, we rely on multiple independent lines of proxy evidence for wind- and wave-blown sediment input. Our reconstructions reveal quasi-cyclic wind maxima during regional cold periods, and therefore challenge the prevalent view that a warmer less icy future Arctic will be stormier.