Differentiating bubble-free layers from melt layers in ice cores using noble gases
International audience Melt layers are clear indicators of extreme summer warmth on polar ice caps. The visual identification of refrozen meltwater as clear bubble-free layers cannot be used to study some past warm periods, because, in deeper ice, bubbles are lost to clathrate formation. We present...
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Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-01806136 https://hal.science/hal-01806136/document https://hal.science/hal-01806136/file/div-class-title-differentiating-bubble-free-layers-from-melt-layers-in-ice-cores-using-noble-gases-div.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG14J237 |
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ftinsu:oai:HAL:hal-01806136v1 2024-04-28T08:22:02+00:00 Differentiating bubble-free layers from melt layers in ice cores using noble gases Orsi, Anais Kawamura, Kenji Fegyveresi, John Headly, Melissa Alley, Richard Severinghaus, Jeffrey Glaces et Continents, Climats et Isotopes Stables (GLACCIOS) Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement Gif-sur-Yvette (LSCE) Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)) Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)) Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO - UC San Diego) University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) University of California (UC)-University of California (UC) National Institute of Polar Research Tokyo (NiPR) Graduate University for Advanced Studies Hayama (SOKENDAI) Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) Penn State System 2015 https://hal.science/hal-01806136 https://hal.science/hal-01806136/document https://hal.science/hal-01806136/file/div-class-title-differentiating-bubble-free-layers-from-melt-layers-in-ice-cores-using-noble-gases-div.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG14J237 en eng HAL CCSD International Glaciological Society info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3189/2015JoG14J237 hal-01806136 https://hal.science/hal-01806136 https://hal.science/hal-01806136/document https://hal.science/hal-01806136/file/div-class-title-differentiating-bubble-free-layers-from-melt-layers-in-ice-cores-using-noble-gases-div.pdf doi:10.3189/2015JoG14J237 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 0022-1430 EISSN: 1727-5652 Journal of Glaciology https://hal.science/hal-01806136 Journal of Glaciology, 2015, 61 (227), pp.585 - 594. ⟨10.3189/2015JoG14J237⟩ ice and climate ice core meltwater chemistry polar firn surface melt [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology [SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2015 ftinsu https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG14J237 2024-04-05T00:37:31Z International audience Melt layers are clear indicators of extreme summer warmth on polar ice caps. The visual identification of refrozen meltwater as clear bubble-free layers cannot be used to study some past warm periods, because, in deeper ice, bubbles are lost to clathrate formation. We present here a reliable method to detect melt events, based on the analysis of Kr/Ar and Xe/Ar ratios in ice cores, and apply it to the detection of melt in clathrate ice from the Eemian at NEEM, Greenland. Additionally, melt layers in ice cores can compromise the integrity of the gas record by dissolving soluble gases, or by altering gas transport in the firn, which affects the gas chronology. We find that the easily visible 1 mm thick bubble-free layers in the WAIS Divide ice core do not contain sufficient melt to alter the gas composition in the core, and do not cause artifacts or discontinuities in the gas chronology. The presence of these layers during winter, and the absence of anomalies in soluble gases, suggests that these layers can be formed by processes other than refreezing of meltwater. Consequently, the absence of bubbles in thin crusts is not in itself proof of a melt event Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland ice core Journal of Glaciology Institut national des sciences de l'Univers: HAL-INSU Journal of Glaciology 61 227 585 594 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Institut national des sciences de l'Univers: HAL-INSU |
op_collection_id |
ftinsu |
language |
English |
topic |
ice and climate ice core meltwater chemistry polar firn surface melt [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology [SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology |
spellingShingle |
ice and climate ice core meltwater chemistry polar firn surface melt [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology [SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology Orsi, Anais Kawamura, Kenji Fegyveresi, John Headly, Melissa Alley, Richard Severinghaus, Jeffrey Differentiating bubble-free layers from melt layers in ice cores using noble gases |
topic_facet |
ice and climate ice core meltwater chemistry polar firn surface melt [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology [SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology |
description |
International audience Melt layers are clear indicators of extreme summer warmth on polar ice caps. The visual identification of refrozen meltwater as clear bubble-free layers cannot be used to study some past warm periods, because, in deeper ice, bubbles are lost to clathrate formation. We present here a reliable method to detect melt events, based on the analysis of Kr/Ar and Xe/Ar ratios in ice cores, and apply it to the detection of melt in clathrate ice from the Eemian at NEEM, Greenland. Additionally, melt layers in ice cores can compromise the integrity of the gas record by dissolving soluble gases, or by altering gas transport in the firn, which affects the gas chronology. We find that the easily visible 1 mm thick bubble-free layers in the WAIS Divide ice core do not contain sufficient melt to alter the gas composition in the core, and do not cause artifacts or discontinuities in the gas chronology. The presence of these layers during winter, and the absence of anomalies in soluble gases, suggests that these layers can be formed by processes other than refreezing of meltwater. Consequently, the absence of bubbles in thin crusts is not in itself proof of a melt event |
author2 |
Glaces et Continents, Climats et Isotopes Stables (GLACCIOS) Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement Gif-sur-Yvette (LSCE) Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)) Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)) Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO - UC San Diego) University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) University of California (UC)-University of California (UC) National Institute of Polar Research Tokyo (NiPR) Graduate University for Advanced Studies Hayama (SOKENDAI) Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) Penn State System |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Orsi, Anais Kawamura, Kenji Fegyveresi, John Headly, Melissa Alley, Richard Severinghaus, Jeffrey |
author_facet |
Orsi, Anais Kawamura, Kenji Fegyveresi, John Headly, Melissa Alley, Richard Severinghaus, Jeffrey |
author_sort |
Orsi, Anais |
title |
Differentiating bubble-free layers from melt layers in ice cores using noble gases |
title_short |
Differentiating bubble-free layers from melt layers in ice cores using noble gases |
title_full |
Differentiating bubble-free layers from melt layers in ice cores using noble gases |
title_fullStr |
Differentiating bubble-free layers from melt layers in ice cores using noble gases |
title_full_unstemmed |
Differentiating bubble-free layers from melt layers in ice cores using noble gases |
title_sort |
differentiating bubble-free layers from melt layers in ice cores using noble gases |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-01806136 https://hal.science/hal-01806136/document https://hal.science/hal-01806136/file/div-class-title-differentiating-bubble-free-layers-from-melt-layers-in-ice-cores-using-noble-gases-div.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG14J237 |
genre |
Greenland ice core Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Greenland ice core Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
ISSN: 0022-1430 EISSN: 1727-5652 Journal of Glaciology https://hal.science/hal-01806136 Journal of Glaciology, 2015, 61 (227), pp.585 - 594. ⟨10.3189/2015JoG14J237⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3189/2015JoG14J237 hal-01806136 https://hal.science/hal-01806136 https://hal.science/hal-01806136/document https://hal.science/hal-01806136/file/div-class-title-differentiating-bubble-free-layers-from-melt-layers-in-ice-cores-using-noble-gases-div.pdf doi:10.3189/2015JoG14J237 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG14J237 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
61 |
container_issue |
227 |
container_start_page |
585 |
op_container_end_page |
594 |
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1797583969238122496 |