PalaeoArc: Processes and Palaeo-environmental Changes in the Arctic - from Past to Present
Past climate variations in Arctic areas, especially those of the Quaternary period, have caused major environmental changes resulting in significant impacts on the cryosphere, marine and terrestrial environments. Stratigraphic records and imprints in the land- and seascape bear witness to the processes and changes that have taken place during this period. As Arctic areas currently are undergoing noteworthy climate warming which is expected to be amplified in the future, the knowledge of past environmental processes and changes are key to projecting how the Arctic will respond to continued climatic change. This Collection is inspired by the international research program network PalaeoArc which aims to understand and explain the climatically induced environmental changes in the Arctic that have taken place throughout the Quaternary and continue to the present-day. The collected papers represent new results within the four major themes of the programme: 1) the dynamics of the Arctic ice sheets, ice shelves and glaciers; 2) the dynamics of high latitude oceans and sea ice; 3) the dynamics of the terrestrial environment and landscape evolution; and 4) the climatic response to, and interaction between, these different parts of the Arctic system.