Spatial variability in isotope signatures of precipitation around Neumayer station, East Antarctica

• Main Authors: Fernandoy, Francisco, Oerter, Hans, Meyer, Hanno
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Ice Shelf
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/19061/; https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/19061/1/Fer2008a.pdf; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.30800; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.30800.d001

At the German Antarctic Neumayer Station located on Antarctic coast (70°39S, 8°15W), fresh snow was sampled during the last 26 years. Additionally, during the PreIPICS campaign 2006-2007 (Ekstroemisen ice shelf), four ice-cores were retrieved on the ridges Halvfarryggen and Soerasen. The isotope composition d18O and dD of snow and ice-cores were analysed to reconstruct climate variability of the past 50 years. The mean d18O for fresh snow samples is -20.5, reflecting regional cold condensation temperatures (-16°C MAAT at Neumayer, 1982-2006). Two ice cores located at 70 and 100 km to the south-west of the station as well as 690 and 655 m a.s.l. respectively, have similar mean d18O values compared to Neumayer, showing no significant altitude effect. The other two cores are situated further inland (539 and 760 m a.s.l.), show more negative mean values (-24.3 and -22.8) as consequence of the altitude effect. Based on these observations, it is likely that altitude effects in this region start taking place at heights above 690 m a.s.l. The deuterium excess (d = dD 8 d18O) indicates that mountain ranges get different moisture influence in east (Halvfarryggen) and west (Soerasen). No significant temperature trend is derived from d18O values at this area.