Reconstruction of Paleofire Emissions Over the Past Millennium From Measurements of Ice Core Acetylene
Acetylene is a short-lived trace gas produced during combustion of fossil fuels, biomass, and biofuels. Biomass burning is likely the only major source of acetylene in the preindustrial atmosphere, making ice core acetylene a powerful tool for reconstructing paleofire emissions. Here we present a 2,...
Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
eScholarship, University of California
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3m42490x https://escholarship.org/content/qt3m42490x/qt3m42490x.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl085101 |
id |
ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org:ark:/13030/qt3m42490x |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org:ark:/13030/qt3m42490x 2024-09-15T17:41:42+00:00 Reconstruction of Paleofire Emissions Over the Past Millennium From Measurements of Ice Core Acetylene Nicewonger, Melinda R Aydin, Murat Prather, Michael J Saltzman, Eric S 2020-02-16 application/pdf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3m42490x https://escholarship.org/content/qt3m42490x/qt3m42490x.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl085101 unknown eScholarship, University of California qt3m42490x https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3m42490x https://escholarship.org/content/qt3m42490x/qt3m42490x.pdf doi:10.1029/2019gl085101 public Geophysical Research Letters, vol 47, iss 3 Climate Action Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences article 2020 ftcdlib https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl085101 2024-06-28T06:28:20Z Acetylene is a short-lived trace gas produced during combustion of fossil fuels, biomass, and biofuels. Biomass burning is likely the only major source of acetylene in the preindustrial atmosphere, making ice core acetylene a powerful tool for reconstructing paleofire emissions. Here we present a 2,000-year atmospheric record of acetylene reconstructed from analysis of air bubbles trapped in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores and infer pyrogenic acetylene emissions using a chemistry transport model. From 0 to 1500 CE, Antarctic acetylene averages 36±1pmolmol−1 (mean±1 SE), roughly double the annual mean over Antarctica today. Antarctic acetylene declines during the Little Ice Age by over 50% to 17±2pmolmol−1 from 1650 to 1750 CE. Acetylene over Greenland declines less dramatically over the same period. Modeling results suggest that pyrogenic acetylene emissions during 1000–1500 CE were sustained at rates significantly greater than modern day and declined by over 50% during the 1650–1750 CE period. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Greenland ice core University of California: eScholarship Geophysical Research Letters 47 3 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Climate Action Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Climate Action Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Nicewonger, Melinda R Aydin, Murat Prather, Michael J Saltzman, Eric S Reconstruction of Paleofire Emissions Over the Past Millennium From Measurements of Ice Core Acetylene |
topic_facet |
Climate Action Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
description |
Acetylene is a short-lived trace gas produced during combustion of fossil fuels, biomass, and biofuels. Biomass burning is likely the only major source of acetylene in the preindustrial atmosphere, making ice core acetylene a powerful tool for reconstructing paleofire emissions. Here we present a 2,000-year atmospheric record of acetylene reconstructed from analysis of air bubbles trapped in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores and infer pyrogenic acetylene emissions using a chemistry transport model. From 0 to 1500 CE, Antarctic acetylene averages 36±1pmolmol−1 (mean±1 SE), roughly double the annual mean over Antarctica today. Antarctic acetylene declines during the Little Ice Age by over 50% to 17±2pmolmol−1 from 1650 to 1750 CE. Acetylene over Greenland declines less dramatically over the same period. Modeling results suggest that pyrogenic acetylene emissions during 1000–1500 CE were sustained at rates significantly greater than modern day and declined by over 50% during the 1650–1750 CE period. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nicewonger, Melinda R Aydin, Murat Prather, Michael J Saltzman, Eric S |
author_facet |
Nicewonger, Melinda R Aydin, Murat Prather, Michael J Saltzman, Eric S |
author_sort |
Nicewonger, Melinda R |
title |
Reconstruction of Paleofire Emissions Over the Past Millennium From Measurements of Ice Core Acetylene |
title_short |
Reconstruction of Paleofire Emissions Over the Past Millennium From Measurements of Ice Core Acetylene |
title_full |
Reconstruction of Paleofire Emissions Over the Past Millennium From Measurements of Ice Core Acetylene |
title_fullStr |
Reconstruction of Paleofire Emissions Over the Past Millennium From Measurements of Ice Core Acetylene |
title_full_unstemmed |
Reconstruction of Paleofire Emissions Over the Past Millennium From Measurements of Ice Core Acetylene |
title_sort |
reconstruction of paleofire emissions over the past millennium from measurements of ice core acetylene |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3m42490x https://escholarship.org/content/qt3m42490x/qt3m42490x.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl085101 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Greenland ice core |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Greenland ice core |
op_source |
Geophysical Research Letters, vol 47, iss 3 |
op_relation |
qt3m42490x https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3m42490x https://escholarship.org/content/qt3m42490x/qt3m42490x.pdf doi:10.1029/2019gl085101 |
op_rights |
public |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl085101 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
47 |
container_issue |
3 |
_version_ |
1810487944289452032 |