Арктикийн мөсөн уулс хайлах явцдаа далайн ёроолд чулуу, тунадас хуримтлуулах замаар далайн амьтдын шинэ амьдрах орчныг бий болгодог болохыг эрдэмтэд тогтоожээ.
Альфред Вегенерийн хүрээлэн (AWI) болон Вудс Хоулын далай судлалын хүрээлэнгийн судлаачид 2021 онд Гренланд болон Свалбардын хоорондох Фрамын хоолойд судалгаа хийх явцдаа хар өнгөтэй, их хэмжээний чулуулгийн хог хаягдал тээж яваа мөсөн уулсыг ажигласан байна. Хиймэл дагуулын зураглал болон усан доорх хяналтын 21 станцын мэдээллийг нэгтгэн судалснаар, мөс хайлахад дотор нь шигдсэн чулуунууд далайн ёроолд “дусал чулуу” (dropstone) хэлбэрээр үлдэж, улмаар тэрхүү хэсэгт шүр, далайн од, хөвөн зэрэг амьтад суурьшин экосистем бүрэлдэж байгааг илрүүлжээ.
Марине биологич Кирстин Мейер-Кайзерын тэмдэглэснээр, урьд өмнө нь зөвхөн ганц нэг чулуу байсан газруудад одоо томоохон чулуулгийн бөөгнөрөл үүсэж, энэ нь далайн гүний био олон янз байдлыг нэмэгдүүлж байна. Судлаачид эдгээр чулуунуудын эх үүсвэрийг тогтоохдоо хиймэл дагуулын зураглал ашиглан мөсөн уулсын аяллыг нөхөн сэргээж, ихэнх нь Гренландын зүүн хойд хэсгийн мөсөн голуудаас гаралтай болохыг баталжээ.
Энэхүү нээлт нь далайн экосистемийн холбоо хамаарлыг харуулаад зогсохгүй, Арктикийн бүс дэх мөсөн уулсын хөдөлгөөнийг хянах нь ачаа тээвэр болон усан замын аюулгүй байдалд чухал ач холбогдолтойг судлаач Томас Крумпен онцолсон байна. Мөсөн уулс ихсэх нь ачааны болон аялалын хөлөг онгоцууд, мөн газрын тос, байгалийн хийн хайгуулын үйл ажиллагаанд эрсдэл учруулж болзошгүй тул судалгааны үр дүн нь далай тэнгисийн үйл ажиллагаанд ч мөн хувь нэмэр оруулах юм.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A chance observation of unusually dark icebergs in the Arctic has led scientists to an unexpected discovery on the ocean floor.
The discovery comes from a study by researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who investigated icebergs drifting through the Fram Strait, between Greenland and Svalbard. What initially appeared to be a geological curiosity turned out to be linked to growing biodiversity on the seafloor.
By combining satellite observations with data from underwater monitoring stations, the team was able to follow the journey of rocks trapped in glacial ice and trace their role in shaping new ecosystems beneath the Arctic Ocean.
An Unexpected Scene in the Fram Strait
The research began during a polar expedition in 2021, when scientists noticed something odd about several icebergs floating through the Fram Strait. Unlike the bright white ice typically seen in the region, some appeared much darker because they were covered with large amounts of debris.
According to the AWI, marine biologist Melanie Bergmann explained in a press release from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) that:
“Some of the icebergs were carrying unusually large amounts of debris and looked almost black from above.”
The observation prompted researchers to investigate where all of that rocky material eventually ended up. The answer was found far below the surface. As icebergs melt, the rocks and sediments trapped inside them sink to the seabed. These deposits, known as dropstones, can remain on the ocean floor long after the ice has disappeared.
Icebergs Help Build Seafloor Habitats
The team relied on AWI’s Hausgarten Observatory, a network of 21 underwater observation stations in the Fram Strait, to study what happens after the rocks reach the seabed.
Images collected from the observatory revealed thriving communities developing around the dropstones. Researchers documented soft corals, sea anemones, sea stars, sponges and bryozoans attached to or living near the rocks. These habitats are becoming more common as new stones are deposited on the seafloor.
“Where previously there were only isolated stones of various sizes, we are now finding much larger accumulations, frequently in small groups,” marine biologist Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser said in a statement released by AWI, adding that: “as a result, biodiversity in the deep sea is increasing.”
The findings drew attention beyond the research team. Speaking to Nature, marine biologist Bodil Bluhm of UiT The Arctic University of Norway described the discovery as a “‘wow’ example for how incredibly connected different parts of our planet are.”
Tracing the Path From Ice to Seafloor
To understand where the rocks originated, researchers reconstructed the paths of the debris-rich icebergs using satellite imagery. Most were traced back to glaciers in northeastern Greenland, while others appeared to come from the Russian High Arctic.
As explained by the study team, satellite coverage over Russian glaciers was too limited to determine whether climate change has influenced iceberg production there. Greenland provided clearer evidence, allowing scientists to observe how glaciers collect rocks as they move across land before releasing them into the sea through calving.
The team also collected samples from stones found on the seabed and compared them with material observed on the icebergs. The mineral compositions matched, reinforcing the link between the dropstones and the glaciers that carried them into the ocean.
The findings also extend beyond marine biology. The same data used to track iceberg movements and identify the origin of the dropstones could also help researchers better understand potential hazards in Arctic waters. Lead author Thomas Krumpen noted that improving knowledge of where icebergs travel and where they deposit rocky debris may prove valuable for maritime operations in the region.
“An increasing presence of icebergs in certain regions of the Arctic harbours considerable risks, for example for cruise ships and cargo ships, which are travelling in ever greater numbers in the ice or near the ice edge, as well as for exploration activities for oil and gas,” he said.
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