Isotopic differentiation of past CH4 sources as archived in polar ice cores
Bubble enclosures in polar ice cores represent the only direct paleoatmospheric archive. Ice core reconstructions of atmospheric methane concentrations show significant increases for both glacial/interglacial transitions as well as for rapid warming events (Dansgaard/Oeschger events).The source for...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Conference Object |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
2006
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/15071/ https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.25266 |
| Summary: | Bubble enclosures in polar ice cores represent the only direct paleoatmospheric archive. Ice core reconstructions of atmospheric methane concentrations show significant increases for both glacial/interglacial transitions as well as for rapid warming events (Dansgaard/Oeschger events).The source for these emissions is still a matter of debate with terrestrial wetlands, permafrost and marine gas hydrates being potential candidates. Additionally terrestrial plants producing methane under aerobic conditions could play a major role.By means of stable carbon and hydrogen isotope analysis of methane in ice core air bubbles we are able to distinguish between different methane sources. To this end a high-sensitivity, high precision mass spectrometric technique is currently developed. |
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