Frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation
This paper discusses the chemical composition of frost flowers and their accompanying slush layers and the evidence for their role as a salt source in processes important to atmospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation. Analysis of Antarctic frost flowers shows that they are highly saline and f...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres |
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American Geophysical Union
2002
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/17389/ https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2002JD002492 |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:17389 2023-05-15T13:45:12+02:00 Frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation Rankin, Andrew M. Wolff, Eric W. Martin, Seelye 2002-12 http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/17389/ https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2002JD002492 unknown American Geophysical Union Rankin, Andrew M.; Wolff, Eric W.; Martin, Seelye. 2002 Frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation. Journal of Geophysical Research, 107 (D23), 4683. 14, pp. https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002492 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002492> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2002 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002492 2023-02-04T19:31:05Z This paper discusses the chemical composition of frost flowers and their accompanying slush layers and the evidence for their role as a salt source in processes important to atmospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation. Analysis of Antarctic frost flowers shows that they are highly saline and fractionated in sea-salt ions, with sulfate being depleted strongly relative to sodium. Because frost flowers give a bright return on satellite scatterometer images, the times and places of their formation can be identified. When winds blow towards an aerosol sampling station from areas identified by the scatterometer as covered with flowers, the collected aerosol is also depleted in sulfate. Because the flowers have a large salinity, bromide concentrations are elevated in frost flowers relative to seawater. With their high surface area, it is possible that bromine is released to the atmosphere from frost flowers, with consequent implications for tropospheric ozone depletion. The finding that quantities of fractionated sea salt are available at the sea–ice interface in the winter months and may be transported inland as aerosol also has implications for the interpretation of ice core records. Analysis of one near-coastal core shows that the majority of the sodium comes from a fractionated source rather than from open water. Hitherto, strong sea-salt signals in ice cores have been attributed to increased open water and more efficient transport inland, perhaps due to stormier weather. At least in coastal regions, however, these signals may be related instead to the increased formation of sea ice and frost flowers. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic ice core Sea ice Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 107 D23 AAC 4-1 AAC 4-15 |
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Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
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ftnerc |
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description |
This paper discusses the chemical composition of frost flowers and their accompanying slush layers and the evidence for their role as a salt source in processes important to atmospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation. Analysis of Antarctic frost flowers shows that they are highly saline and fractionated in sea-salt ions, with sulfate being depleted strongly relative to sodium. Because frost flowers give a bright return on satellite scatterometer images, the times and places of their formation can be identified. When winds blow towards an aerosol sampling station from areas identified by the scatterometer as covered with flowers, the collected aerosol is also depleted in sulfate. Because the flowers have a large salinity, bromide concentrations are elevated in frost flowers relative to seawater. With their high surface area, it is possible that bromine is released to the atmosphere from frost flowers, with consequent implications for tropospheric ozone depletion. The finding that quantities of fractionated sea salt are available at the sea–ice interface in the winter months and may be transported inland as aerosol also has implications for the interpretation of ice core records. Analysis of one near-coastal core shows that the majority of the sodium comes from a fractionated source rather than from open water. Hitherto, strong sea-salt signals in ice cores have been attributed to increased open water and more efficient transport inland, perhaps due to stormier weather. At least in coastal regions, however, these signals may be related instead to the increased formation of sea ice and frost flowers. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rankin, Andrew M. Wolff, Eric W. Martin, Seelye |
spellingShingle |
Rankin, Andrew M. Wolff, Eric W. Martin, Seelye Frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation |
author_facet |
Rankin, Andrew M. Wolff, Eric W. Martin, Seelye |
author_sort |
Rankin, Andrew M. |
title |
Frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation |
title_short |
Frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation |
title_full |
Frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation |
title_fullStr |
Frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation |
title_sort |
frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/17389/ https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2002JD002492 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic ice core Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic ice core Sea ice |
op_relation |
Rankin, Andrew M.; Wolff, Eric W.; Martin, Seelye. 2002 Frost flowers - implications for tropospheric chemistry and ice core interpretation. Journal of Geophysical Research, 107 (D23), 4683. 14, pp. https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002492 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002492> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002492 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres |
container_volume |
107 |
container_issue |
D23 |
container_start_page |
AAC 4-1 |
op_container_end_page |
AAC 4-15 |
_version_ |
1766216283763769344 |