Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard)
Black carbon (BC) is a light-absorbing particle that warms the atmosphere–Earth system. The climate effects of BC are amplified in the Arctic, where its deposition on light surfaces decreases the albedo and causes earlier melt of snow and ice. Despite its suggested significant role in Arctic climate...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:e03ff3ed8d4548f6b22817be1134ee86 2023-05-15T13:11:40+02:00 Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard) M. M. Ruppel I. Isaksson J. Ström E. Beaudon J. Svensson C. A. Pedersen A. Korhola 2014-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-11447-2014 https://doaj.org/article/e03ff3ed8d4548f6b22817be1134ee86 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/11447/2014/acp-14-11447-2014.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7316 https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7324 1680-7316 1680-7324 doi:10.5194/acp-14-11447-2014 https://doaj.org/article/e03ff3ed8d4548f6b22817be1134ee86 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol 14, Iss 20, Pp 11447-11460 (2014) Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 article 2014 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-11447-2014 2022-12-31T15:42:31Z Black carbon (BC) is a light-absorbing particle that warms the atmosphere–Earth system. The climate effects of BC are amplified in the Arctic, where its deposition on light surfaces decreases the albedo and causes earlier melt of snow and ice. Despite its suggested significant role in Arctic climate warming, there is little information on BC concentrations and deposition in the past. Here we present results on BC (here operationally defined as elemental carbon (EC)) concentrations and deposition on a Svalbard glacier between 1700 and 2004. The inner part of a 125 m deep ice core from Holtedahlfonna glacier (79°8' N, 13°16' E, 1150 m a.s.l.) was melted, filtered through a quartz fibre filter and analysed for EC using a thermal–optical method. The EC values started to increase after 1850 and peaked around 1910, similar to ice core records from Greenland. Strikingly, the EC values again increase rapidly between 1970 and 2004 after a temporary low point around 1970, reaching unprecedented values in the 1990s. This rise is not seen in Greenland ice cores, and it seems to contradict atmospheric BC measurements indicating generally decreasing atmospheric BC concentrations since 1989 in the Arctic. For example, changes in scavenging efficiencies, post-depositional processes and differences in the vertical distribution of BC in the atmosphere are discussed for the differences between the Svalbard and Greenland ice core records, as well as the ice core and atmospheric measurements in Svalbard. In addition, the divergent BC trends between Greenland and Svalbard ice cores may be caused by differences in the analytical methods used, including the operational definitions of quantified particles, and detection efficiencies of different-sized BC particles. Regardless of the cause of the increasing EC values between 1970 and 2004, the results have significant implications for the past radiative energy balance at the coring site. Article in Journal/Newspaper albedo Arctic black carbon glacier glacier Greenland Greenland ice core Greenland ice cores ice core Svalbard Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Greenland Holtedahlfonna ENVELOPE(13.730,13.730,79.011,79.011) Low Point ENVELOPE(-37.183,-37.183,-54.050,-54.050) Svalbard Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 14 20 11447 11460 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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English |
topic |
Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 |
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Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 M. M. Ruppel I. Isaksson J. Ström E. Beaudon J. Svensson C. A. Pedersen A. Korhola Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard) |
topic_facet |
Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 |
description |
Black carbon (BC) is a light-absorbing particle that warms the atmosphere–Earth system. The climate effects of BC are amplified in the Arctic, where its deposition on light surfaces decreases the albedo and causes earlier melt of snow and ice. Despite its suggested significant role in Arctic climate warming, there is little information on BC concentrations and deposition in the past. Here we present results on BC (here operationally defined as elemental carbon (EC)) concentrations and deposition on a Svalbard glacier between 1700 and 2004. The inner part of a 125 m deep ice core from Holtedahlfonna glacier (79°8' N, 13°16' E, 1150 m a.s.l.) was melted, filtered through a quartz fibre filter and analysed for EC using a thermal–optical method. The EC values started to increase after 1850 and peaked around 1910, similar to ice core records from Greenland. Strikingly, the EC values again increase rapidly between 1970 and 2004 after a temporary low point around 1970, reaching unprecedented values in the 1990s. This rise is not seen in Greenland ice cores, and it seems to contradict atmospheric BC measurements indicating generally decreasing atmospheric BC concentrations since 1989 in the Arctic. For example, changes in scavenging efficiencies, post-depositional processes and differences in the vertical distribution of BC in the atmosphere are discussed for the differences between the Svalbard and Greenland ice core records, as well as the ice core and atmospheric measurements in Svalbard. In addition, the divergent BC trends between Greenland and Svalbard ice cores may be caused by differences in the analytical methods used, including the operational definitions of quantified particles, and detection efficiencies of different-sized BC particles. Regardless of the cause of the increasing EC values between 1970 and 2004, the results have significant implications for the past radiative energy balance at the coring site. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
M. M. Ruppel I. Isaksson J. Ström E. Beaudon J. Svensson C. A. Pedersen A. Korhola |
author_facet |
M. M. Ruppel I. Isaksson J. Ström E. Beaudon J. Svensson C. A. Pedersen A. Korhola |
author_sort |
M. M. Ruppel |
title |
Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard) |
title_short |
Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard) |
title_full |
Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard) |
title_fullStr |
Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard) |
title_sort |
increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from holtedahlfonna (svalbard) |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-11447-2014 https://doaj.org/article/e03ff3ed8d4548f6b22817be1134ee86 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(13.730,13.730,79.011,79.011) ENVELOPE(-37.183,-37.183,-54.050,-54.050) |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland Holtedahlfonna Low Point Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland Holtedahlfonna Low Point Svalbard |
genre |
albedo Arctic black carbon glacier glacier Greenland Greenland ice core Greenland ice cores ice core Svalbard |
genre_facet |
albedo Arctic black carbon glacier glacier Greenland Greenland ice core Greenland ice cores ice core Svalbard |
op_source |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol 14, Iss 20, Pp 11447-11460 (2014) |
op_relation |
http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/11447/2014/acp-14-11447-2014.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7316 https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7324 1680-7316 1680-7324 doi:10.5194/acp-14-11447-2014 https://doaj.org/article/e03ff3ed8d4548f6b22817be1134ee86 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-11447-2014 |
container_title |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
20 |
container_start_page |
11447 |
op_container_end_page |
11460 |
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1766248420485365760 |