A High-Altitude Snow Chemistry Record from Amundsenisen, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Isaksson, E., Karlen, W., Mayewski, Paul Andrew, Twickler, M., Whitlow, S.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@UMaine 2001
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; Dronning Maud Land; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ers_facpub/3; https://doi.org/10.3189/172756501781832070; https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/context/ers_facpub/article/1002/viewcontent/mayewski_47.158.489.pdf

In this paper a detailed record of major ions from a 20 in deep firn core from Amundsenisen, western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, is presented. The core was drilled at 75degreesS, 2degrees E (2900 m.a.s.l.) during austral summer 1991/92. The following ions were measured at 3 cm resolution: Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl-, NO3-, SO42- and CH3SO3H (MSA). The core was dated back to 1865 using a combination of chemical records and volcanic reference horizons. The volcanic eruptions identified in this core are Mount Ngauruhoe, New Zealand (1974-75), Mount Agung, Indonesia (1963), Azul, Argentina (1932). and a broad peak that corresponds in time to Tarawera, New Zealand (1886), Falcon Island, South Shetlands, Southern Ocean (1885), and Krakatau, Indonesia (1883). There are no trends in any of the ion records, but the annual to decadal changes are large. The mean concentrations of the measured ions are in agreement with those from other high-altitude cores from the Antarctic plateau. At this core site there may be a correspondence between peaks in the MSA record and major El Nino-Southern Oscillation events.