Stratigraphic correlation across the western to central Arctic Ocean for Quaternary Paleoenvironmental reconstruction

The Arctic Ocean is one of Earth's most dynamically evolving regions, especially for orbital timescale during the Quaternary marked by the waxing and waning of continental ice sheets in the circum-Arctic. The consequential environmental shifts have been imprinted in marine sedimentary deposits in the Arctic Ocean, rendering them invaluable for paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic subjects. Despite their potential significance, the accurate chronology of these sediment records remains debatable due to numerous uncertainties from different dating methods, resulting in difficulties in paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Even widely used absolute age measurement techniques, for example, such as radiocarbon dating using calcareous microfossils, have exhibited limitations in certain cases. To address these challenges and enhance the precision of age determination for Arctic Ocean marine sediments, this study aims to assess and compare various dating methods comprehensively. By critically examining their strengths and weaknesses, it can be sought to establish a more robust framework for constraining the ages of marine sedimentary sequences in the Arctic Ocean. Additionally, this research endeavors to explore the implications of improved chronological accuracy for reconstructing paleoenvironmental conditions in the Arctic Ocean. By refining the timeline of past events, it can be anticipated that a clearer picture of the interplay between ice sheet dynamics, oceanic circulation, and climatic variations will emerge.