Snowfall and Oxygen-Isotope Variations off the North Coast of Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada
Abstract Snow-pack along the land-fast ice fringe off the north coast of Ellesmere Island was generally characterized by depth-hoar overlain by dense snow and wind slab. Mean snow depth in the study area was 0.54 m (1982-85) and the mean δ 18 O value of the snow-pack was -31.3˚/00. Isotope data were...
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1987
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000008698 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000008698 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0022143000008698 2024-03-03T08:41:34+00:00 Snowfall and Oxygen-Isotope Variations off the North Coast of Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada Jeffries, Martin O. Roy Krouse, H. 1987 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000008698 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000008698 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) Journal of Glaciology volume 33, issue 114, page 195-199 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 Earth-Surface Processes journal-article 1987 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000008698 2024-02-08T08:37:11Z Abstract Snow-pack along the land-fast ice fringe off the north coast of Ellesmere Island was generally characterized by depth-hoar overlain by dense snow and wind slab. Mean snow depth in the study area was 0.54 m (1982-85) and the mean δ 18 O value of the snow-pack was -31.3˚/00. Isotope data were not obtained previously for this geographic region and, therefore, complement a previous study of δ 18 O variations in High Arctic snow (Koerner, 1979). The data are consistent with an Arctic Ocean moisture source. The δ 18 O profiles show seasonal variations, with winter snow being more depleted in 18 O than fall and spring snow. However, the δ 18 O profiles are dominated by a trend to higher δ 18 O values with increasing depth. This is attributed to a decrease in δ 18 O values as condensation temperatures fall during the autumn-winter accumulation period. During this time, there is also a change from relatively open to almost complete ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. The change in evaporation conditions and consequent effect on δ values gives rise to a sharp discontinuity in the δ 18 O profiles and a bi-modal δ 18 O frequency distribution. The bi-modal distribution is reinforced by a secondary isotope fractionation that occurs during depth-hoar formation. This isotope effect leads to a wider δ 18 O range but does not significantly alter the mean δ 18 O value. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ocean Ellesmere Island Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Arctic Arctic Ocean Ellesmere Island Canada Journal of Glaciology 33 114 195 199 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth-Surface Processes |
spellingShingle |
Earth-Surface Processes Jeffries, Martin O. Roy Krouse, H. Snowfall and Oxygen-Isotope Variations off the North Coast of Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada |
topic_facet |
Earth-Surface Processes |
description |
Abstract Snow-pack along the land-fast ice fringe off the north coast of Ellesmere Island was generally characterized by depth-hoar overlain by dense snow and wind slab. Mean snow depth in the study area was 0.54 m (1982-85) and the mean δ 18 O value of the snow-pack was -31.3˚/00. Isotope data were not obtained previously for this geographic region and, therefore, complement a previous study of δ 18 O variations in High Arctic snow (Koerner, 1979). The data are consistent with an Arctic Ocean moisture source. The δ 18 O profiles show seasonal variations, with winter snow being more depleted in 18 O than fall and spring snow. However, the δ 18 O profiles are dominated by a trend to higher δ 18 O values with increasing depth. This is attributed to a decrease in δ 18 O values as condensation temperatures fall during the autumn-winter accumulation period. During this time, there is also a change from relatively open to almost complete ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. The change in evaporation conditions and consequent effect on δ values gives rise to a sharp discontinuity in the δ 18 O profiles and a bi-modal δ 18 O frequency distribution. The bi-modal distribution is reinforced by a secondary isotope fractionation that occurs during depth-hoar formation. This isotope effect leads to a wider δ 18 O range but does not significantly alter the mean δ 18 O value. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jeffries, Martin O. Roy Krouse, H. |
author_facet |
Jeffries, Martin O. Roy Krouse, H. |
author_sort |
Jeffries, Martin O. |
title |
Snowfall and Oxygen-Isotope Variations off the North Coast of Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada |
title_short |
Snowfall and Oxygen-Isotope Variations off the North Coast of Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada |
title_full |
Snowfall and Oxygen-Isotope Variations off the North Coast of Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada |
title_fullStr |
Snowfall and Oxygen-Isotope Variations off the North Coast of Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Snowfall and Oxygen-Isotope Variations off the North Coast of Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada |
title_sort |
snowfall and oxygen-isotope variations off the north coast of ellesmere island, n.w.t., canada |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1987 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000008698 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000008698 |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Ellesmere Island Canada |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Ellesmere Island Canada |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Ellesmere Island Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Ellesmere Island Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 33, issue 114, page 195-199 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000008698 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
33 |
container_issue |
114 |
container_start_page |
195 |
op_container_end_page |
199 |
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1792497265780195328 |