Refractory black carbon (rBC) variability in a 47-year West Antarctic snow and firn core
Black carbon (BC) is an important climate-forcing agent that affects snow albedo. In this work, we present a record of refractory black carbon (rBC) variability, measured from a 20 m deep snow and firn core drilled in West Antarctica (79 ∘ 55 ′ 34.6 ′′ S, 94 ∘ 21 ′ 13.3 ′′ W, 2122 m above sea level)...
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2020
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:826416e1907d4779b3bbd14e242d3201 2023-05-15T13:24:18+02:00 Refractory black carbon (rBC) variability in a 47-year West Antarctic snow and firn core L. Marquetto S. Kaspari J. Cardia Simões 2020-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1537-2020 https://doaj.org/article/826416e1907d4779b3bbd14e242d3201 EN eng Copernicus Publications https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1537/2020/tc-14-1537-2020.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-14-1537-2020 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/826416e1907d4779b3bbd14e242d3201 The Cryosphere, Vol 14, Pp 1537-1554 (2020) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1537-2020 2022-12-31T12:14:15Z Black carbon (BC) is an important climate-forcing agent that affects snow albedo. In this work, we present a record of refractory black carbon (rBC) variability, measured from a 20 m deep snow and firn core drilled in West Antarctica (79 ∘ 55 ′ 34.6 ′′ S, 94 ∘ 21 ′ 13.3 ′′ W, 2122 m above sea level) during the 2014–2015 austral summer. This is the highest elevation rBC record from West Antarctica. The core was analyzed using the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) coupled to a CETAC Marin-5 nebulizer. Results show a well-defined seasonality with geometric mean concentrations of 0.015 µ g L −1 for the wet season (austral summer–fall) and 0.057 µ g L −1 for the dry season (austral winter–spring). The core was dated to 47 years (1968–2015) using rBC seasonality as the main parameter, along with sodium (Na), sulfur (S) and strontium (Sr) variations. The annual rBC concentration geometric mean was 0.03 µ g L −1 , the lowest of all rBC cores in Antarctica referenced in this work, while the annual rBC flux was 6.25 µ g m −2 a −1 , the lowest flux in West Antarctica rBC records. No long-term trend was observed. Snow albedo reductions at the site due to BC were simulated using SNICAR online and found to be insignificant ( − 0.48 %) compared to clean snow. Fire spot inventory and BC emission estimates from the Southern Hemisphere suggest Australia and Southern Hemisphere South America as the most probable emission sources of BC to the drilling site, whereas HYSPLIT model particle transport simulations from 1968 to 2015 support Australia and New Zealand as rBC sources, with limited contributions from South America. Spectral analysis (REDFIT method) of the BC record showed cycles related to the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) and to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), but cycles in common with the Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) were not detected. Correlation of rBC records in Antarctica with snow accumulation, elevation and distance to the sea suggests rBC transport to East Antarctica is different from transport to West Antarctica. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica The Cryosphere West Antarctica Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic The Antarctic East Antarctica Austral West Antarctica Amundsen Sea New Zealand The Cryosphere 14 5 1537 1554 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 L. Marquetto S. Kaspari J. Cardia Simões Refractory black carbon (rBC) variability in a 47-year West Antarctic snow and firn core |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Black carbon (BC) is an important climate-forcing agent that affects snow albedo. In this work, we present a record of refractory black carbon (rBC) variability, measured from a 20 m deep snow and firn core drilled in West Antarctica (79 ∘ 55 ′ 34.6 ′′ S, 94 ∘ 21 ′ 13.3 ′′ W, 2122 m above sea level) during the 2014–2015 austral summer. This is the highest elevation rBC record from West Antarctica. The core was analyzed using the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) coupled to a CETAC Marin-5 nebulizer. Results show a well-defined seasonality with geometric mean concentrations of 0.015 µ g L −1 for the wet season (austral summer–fall) and 0.057 µ g L −1 for the dry season (austral winter–spring). The core was dated to 47 years (1968–2015) using rBC seasonality as the main parameter, along with sodium (Na), sulfur (S) and strontium (Sr) variations. The annual rBC concentration geometric mean was 0.03 µ g L −1 , the lowest of all rBC cores in Antarctica referenced in this work, while the annual rBC flux was 6.25 µ g m −2 a −1 , the lowest flux in West Antarctica rBC records. No long-term trend was observed. Snow albedo reductions at the site due to BC were simulated using SNICAR online and found to be insignificant ( − 0.48 %) compared to clean snow. Fire spot inventory and BC emission estimates from the Southern Hemisphere suggest Australia and Southern Hemisphere South America as the most probable emission sources of BC to the drilling site, whereas HYSPLIT model particle transport simulations from 1968 to 2015 support Australia and New Zealand as rBC sources, with limited contributions from South America. Spectral analysis (REDFIT method) of the BC record showed cycles related to the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) and to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), but cycles in common with the Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) were not detected. Correlation of rBC records in Antarctica with snow accumulation, elevation and distance to the sea suggests rBC transport to East Antarctica is different from transport to West Antarctica. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
L. Marquetto S. Kaspari J. Cardia Simões |
author_facet |
L. Marquetto S. Kaspari J. Cardia Simões |
author_sort |
L. Marquetto |
title |
Refractory black carbon (rBC) variability in a 47-year West Antarctic snow and firn core |
title_short |
Refractory black carbon (rBC) variability in a 47-year West Antarctic snow and firn core |
title_full |
Refractory black carbon (rBC) variability in a 47-year West Antarctic snow and firn core |
title_fullStr |
Refractory black carbon (rBC) variability in a 47-year West Antarctic snow and firn core |
title_full_unstemmed |
Refractory black carbon (rBC) variability in a 47-year West Antarctic snow and firn core |
title_sort |
refractory black carbon (rbc) variability in a 47-year west antarctic snow and firn core |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1537-2020 https://doaj.org/article/826416e1907d4779b3bbd14e242d3201 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic East Antarctica Austral West Antarctica Amundsen Sea New Zealand |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic East Antarctica Austral West Antarctica Amundsen Sea New Zealand |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica The Cryosphere West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica The Cryosphere West Antarctica |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 14, Pp 1537-1554 (2020) |
op_relation |
https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1537/2020/tc-14-1537-2020.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-14-1537-2020 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/826416e1907d4779b3bbd14e242d3201 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1537-2020 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
1537 |
op_container_end_page |
1554 |
_version_ |
1766378582644359168 |