First data on the climate variability in the vicinity of Vostok Station (central Antarctica) over the past 2,000 years based on the study of a snow-firn core

• Published in: Arctic and Antarctic Research
• Main Authors: A. N. Veres, A. A. Ekaykin, V. Ya. Lipenkov, A. V. Turkeev, T. V. Khodzer, А. Н. Верес, А. А. Екайкин, В. Я. Липенков, А. В. Туркеев, Т. В. Ходжер
• Other Authors: This work is performed as part of the project 5.2 RTR of Roshydromet “Comprehensive oceanological, climatological, glaciological and geophysical studies of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean”. The authors are grateful to the administration of the Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) and its chief Klepikov A. V. for the logistical support of the glaciological program at Vostok Station, as well as to the participants of the 62th winter season for their assistance in the drilling work at the VK16 borehole, in particular V. Zarovchatsky and M. Zyukov, Работа выполнялась в рамках проекта 5.2 НИТР Росгидромета «Комплексные океанологические, климатические, гляциологические и геофизические исследования Антарктиды и Южного океана». Авторы благодарят Российскую антарктическую экспедицию и ее начальника А.В. Клепикова за поддержку и логистическое обеспечение полевыхработ в районе станции Восток, а также сотрудников зимовочного состава 62-й РАЭ станции Восток Виталия Заровчатского и Максима Зюкова за помощь в проведении буровых работ на скважине VK16
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian
• Published: Государственный научный центр Российской Федерации Арктический и антарктический научно-исследовательский институт 2020
• Subjects: температура воздуха; air temperature; firn dating; firn density; firn cores; inventory of volcanic events; Late Holocene; paleoclimate; snow accumulation rate; stable water isotopes; Vostok Station; датировка; керны; летопись вулканических событий; палеоклимат; плотность фирна; поздний голоцен; скорость снегонакопления; стабильные изотопы воды; станция Восток; Antarctic; East Antarctic Ice Sheet; Rae; Annals of Glaciology; Antarc*; Antarctica; Arctic; Ice Sheet; Journal of Glaciology; The Cryosphere; Антарктида
• Online Access: https://www.aaresearch.science/jour/article/view/321; https://doi.org/10.30758/0555-2648-2020-66-4-482-500

Central Antarctica is characterized by a crucial lack of information on climate variability during the late Holocene. The study of firn cores obtained from the central part of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is essential for the reconstruction of the paleoclimatic conditions at the continental and regional scales over the past 2,000 years (the Late Holocene). Based on glaciological and isotopic data from the shallow VK16 core drilled in the vicinity of Vostok Station over the periods of the 62th (2016-2017) and 63th (2017-2018) summer seasons of RAE, climatic characteristics have been reconstructed for the period 216 BC - 2010 AD. Studies of the VK16 core were carried out in two stages: firn density and electrical conductivity measurement (ECM), as well as sampling, was performed in the glaciological laboratory of the 5G drilling complex (Vostok Station) soon after the firn recovery, while the isotopic composition of the core samples was measured by a Picarro L-2120i laser analyzer in the Climate and Environmental Research Laboratory of AARI. In the ECM profile of the core, we discovered 14 absolute age markers (layers containing the products of known volcanic eruptions). These markers have allowed us to develop a robust chronostratigraphic scale for this core. We have shown that the main feature of the Late Holocene climate in this part of Antarctica is that the near-surface air temperature remained essentially constant throughout the whole time period under consideration. At the same time, the snow accumulation rate varied significantly around a mean value of 1.83 g cm-2 year-1, while the last 200 years were characterized by the highest snow accumulation rate, equal to 2.08 g cm-2 year-1. In this paper, we describe methods for studying firn cores, which can be useful for further research, and present first preliminary data on the climate variability in the vicinity of Vostok Station during the late Holocene. Климатическая изменчивость в Восточной Антарктиде за последние 2000 лет мало изучена. Бурение и ...