Ultra-distal Kamchatkan ash on Arctic Svalbard: Towards hemispheric cryptotephra correlation

Abstract

Rapidly deposited and geochemically distinct volcanic ash (tephra) markers represent a powerful chronological tool that enables precise dating and correlation of geological archives. Recent analytical advances now allow fingerprinting of non-visible ash (cryptotephra) over thousands of kilometers. This has opened up tantalizing possibilities for the intercontinental synchronization of records. We present geochemical evidence to demonstrate that ash from a Svalbard lake sediment core correlates to the Kamchatkan KS$_2$ eruption. By expanding the known dispersal range of cryptotephra by thousands of kilometers and linking the Pacific and Atlantic Arctic, this study raises cryptotephra analysis to a new level. Also, the presented findings mark a step towards a hemispheric tephrochronological framework. Finally, this study highlights the importance of looking beyond proximal volcanic sources to find a correlation.