δD – δ18O Relationships in Ice Formed by Subglacial Freezing: Paleoclimatic Implications

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Souchez, R. A., de Groote, J. M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1985
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006547; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000006547

Abstract A freezing slope, distinct from that of precipitation, is displayed on a δD–δ 18 O diagram by basal ice in different circumstances. However, if the subglacial reservoir allowed to freeze is mixed in the course of time with an input having a lighter isotopic composition, basal ice cannot be distinguished from glacier ice in terms of slope. Such a situation is encountered at the base of Grubengletscher and is indicated by a computer simulation using the open-system model of Souchez and Jouzel (1984). Suggested implications for the paleoclimatic interpretation of deep ice cores recovered from the bottom part of polar ice sheets are given.