340 years of atmospheric circulation characteristics reconstructed from an eastern Antarctic Peninsula ice core

Copyright @ 2006 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Precipitation delivery mechanisms for Dolleman Island (DI), located off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, are investigated using reanalysis and back trajectory data. The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and ENSO are both shown to influence precip...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical Research Letters
Main Authors: Russell, A, McGregor, GR, Marshall, GJ
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Geophysical Union 2006
Subjects:
Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
Dolleman
Dolleman Island
The Antarctic
Weddell
Weddell Sea
Antarc*
ice core
Online Access:http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2006/2006GL025899.shtml
http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/5962
https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL025899
Description
Summary:Copyright @ 2006 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Precipitation delivery mechanisms for Dolleman Island (DI), located off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, are investigated using reanalysis and back trajectory data. The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and ENSO are both shown to influence precipitation delivery and event size. Precipitation delivery variability is compared against the interannual variation of chemical data from two DI ice cores. Nitrate concentration in the cores is strongly linked with the ratio of easterly to westerly back trajectories arriving at DI, as described by a Cross-Peninsula Index (CPI) defined in this paper. This CPI is used subsequently to reconstruct the atmospheric circulation characteristics for the 340-year ice core record. The analysis highlights a period of increased easterlies during 1720–1780 and an increase in westerlies for 1950–1980, the latter concomitant with a positive SAM trend and western Peninsula warming. The reconstruction also reveals periods when polynyas may have been present in the Weddell Sea.

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