Gravitational Enrichment of ^(84)Kr/^(36)Ar Ratios in Polar Ice Caps: A Measure of Firn Thickness and Accumulation Temperature

• Published in: Science
• Main Authors: Craig, H., Wiens, R. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science 1996
• Subjects: Greenland; Langway; Dye 3; Dye-3; ice core
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.271.5256.1708

Measurements of ^(84)Kr/^(36)Ar ratios in Greenland ice show that gravitational separation in the firn layer is responsible for the enrichments relative to atmospheric ratios. The ^(84)Kr/^(36)Ar ratio is enriched by 12.8 per mil and is 24 times the ^(18)O/^(16)O enrichment in trapped O_2, as predic...