10 Be concentration in the ice shelf of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica

• Main Authors: Moraal, H., Muscheler, R., du Plessis, L., Kubik, P.W., Beer, J., McCracken, K.G., McDonald, F.B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: South African Association for the Advancement of Science 2005
• Subjects: Queen Maud Land; SANAE; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Shelf
• Online Access: https://www.journals.co.za/content/sajsci/101/5-6/EJC96397

The radionuclide 10 Be is produced in the atmosphere by cosmic rays. When it filters out and settles in polar ice, it becomes a powerful tool to study the variations of the cosmic ray intensity in the distant past and, from that, solar activity before the era of systematic solar observations.(6) The relationship between the cosmic ray intensity and the 10 Be concentration is, however, an inferred one, because cosmic rays have been observed only during the past 50 years or so, while there are only a few 10 Be records for this period. We report here on a pilot experiment to cut ice from the exposed ice shelf near the South African base, SANAE, in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, from which this 10 Be/cosmic ray relationship may eventually be established experimentally.