Chemical characterization of Arctic resuspended soils using trace elements and Sr and Pb isotope ratios

• Main Authors: Bruschi, F., Hobin, K., Petroselli, C., Moroni, B., Rotoloni, A., Masetti, M., Spolaor, A., Grotti, M., Vanhaecke, F., Cappelletti, D.
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Arctic; Norway; Svalbard; albedo; glaciers; Iceland; Alaska
• Online Access: https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5021555

Mineral dust emission and transport can occur at high latitudes, impacting the Earth’s radiative budget and snow albedo. Even though the Arctic region is not often considered as a relevant dust source, in a context of arctic amplification, the importance of high latitude dust (HLD) sources is increasing. Although there is still a lack of knowledge concerning HLD sources and their impact, previous studies have shown how the dust produced there, affects the high Arctic.In this work, we have characterised both potential HLD source areas through the resuspension of soil samples and potential receptor areas through filtration of snow samples. The potential HDL sources considered are Iceland, Alaska and Svalbard Island (Norway), while the second ones, were obtained filtering snow, firn or ice sampled on different Svalbard glaciers. 31 trace elements (TEs) were quantified using tandem ICP-MS on the filters loaded by soil resuspension. Moreover, the Sr and Pb isotope ratios were measured on the whole set of samples using a MC-ICP-MS unit at the A&MS Lab at Ghent University. Specific TEs can be used to recognize different patterns in dust originating from regions characterized by a different geological composition and the analyses of two different isotopic systems is useful in order to differentiate eventual dust sources characterized by overlapping signatures for one of the two elements.The proposed methodology is therefore promising for tracing dust emission and transport in the high Arctic and potentially to reconstruct past circulation patterns by investigating the dust composition in ice cores.