210Pb-Dating of Cold Alpine Firn/Ice Cores From Colle Gnifetti, Switzerland

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Gäggeler, H., von Gunten, H. R., Rössler, E., Oeschger, H., Schotterer, U.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1983
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000005220; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000005220

Abstract The 210 Pb( 210 Po) method has for the first time been successfully applied for dating cold alpine firn/ice cores. The mean accumulation rate on Grenzgletscher near Colle Gnifetti (Switzerland, altitude 4 450 m) is found to be 37 cm year −1 and 32 cm year −1 for the two ice cores drilled down to 32 m and 65 m in 1976 and 1977, respectively. The surface activity amounts to 4 dpm kg −1 ice. It is shown that a good agreement between the data of the two ice cores is reached with a model taking into account an effect of decreasing annual ice layers with depth. With this thin-out correction, the accumulation rate in the 1977 core increases to 39 cm year −1 .