Accumulation rates over the past 260 years archived in Elbrus ice core, Caucasus

• Main Authors: Mikhalenko, Vladimir, Kutuzov, Stanislav, Toropov, Pavel, Legrand, Michel, Sokratov, Sergey, Chernyakov, Gleb, Lavrentiev, Ivan, Preunkert, Susanne, Kozachek, Anna, Vorobiev, Mstislav, Khairedinova, Aleksandra, Lipenkov, Vladimir
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: ice core; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2023-46; https://cp.copernicus.org/preprints/cp-2023-46/

In this study, we present a seasonal-resolution accumulation record spanning the period from 1750 to 2009 Common Era (CE), based on a 181.8-m ice core obtained from the Elbrus Western Plateau in the Caucasus. We implemented various methods to account for uncertainties associated with glacier flow, layer thinning, and dating. Additionally, we developed a novel approach to calculate a seasonal calendar for meteorological data, enabling comparison with ice core records. The reconstructed accumulation data were compared with available meteorological data, gridded precipitation records, and paleo reanalysis data. Reconstructed accumulation is representative for a large region south of Eastern European plain and Black sea region. Summer precipitation was found to be the primary driver of precipitation variability. We identified a statistically significant but unstable in time relationship between changes in precipitation in the region and fluctuations of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index.