Sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in Antarctic ice
It has been suggested1,2 that acids in the cold polar ice sheets may exist as aqueous mixtures at grain boundaries. This assumption can correctly predict the d.c. conductivity of polar ice2, but this does not prove the existence of acids or liquid veins at grain boundaries, and this remains controve...
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:521698 2023-05-15T13:41:42+02:00 Sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in Antarctic ice Mulvaney, Robert Wolff, Eric W. Oates, K. 1988 http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/521698/ https://doi.org/10.1038/331247a0 unknown Mulvaney, Robert orcid:0000-0002-5372-8148 Wolff, Eric W.; Oates, K. 1988 Sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in Antarctic ice. Nature, 331 (6153). 247-249. https://doi.org/10.1038/331247a0 <https://doi.org/10.1038/331247a0> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 1988 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1038/331247a0 2023-02-04T19:47:27Z It has been suggested1,2 that acids in the cold polar ice sheets may exist as aqueous mixtures at grain boundaries. This assumption can correctly predict the d.c. conductivity of polar ice2, but this does not prove the existence of acids or liquid veins at grain boundaries, and this remains controversial3–5. In this study we used a scanning electron microscope (SEM), equipped with a cold stage and an energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis facility, to determine the location of sulphur in ice from the Antarctic Peninsula. As expected, sulphur was undetectable in the bulk of the ice. However, at the junctions where three grains met (triple-junctions), sulphur was found in concentrations greater than 1 M in areas of < 1 μm2. Calculations show that between 40 and 100% of the sulphuric acid present in this ice was found at the triple-junctions, and would have been liquid at ice-sheet temperatures. This finding, if general, has considerable implications for many of the physical properties of polar ice. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Nature 331 6153 247 249 |
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Open Polar |
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Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
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ftnerc |
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unknown |
description |
It has been suggested1,2 that acids in the cold polar ice sheets may exist as aqueous mixtures at grain boundaries. This assumption can correctly predict the d.c. conductivity of polar ice2, but this does not prove the existence of acids or liquid veins at grain boundaries, and this remains controversial3–5. In this study we used a scanning electron microscope (SEM), equipped with a cold stage and an energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis facility, to determine the location of sulphur in ice from the Antarctic Peninsula. As expected, sulphur was undetectable in the bulk of the ice. However, at the junctions where three grains met (triple-junctions), sulphur was found in concentrations greater than 1 M in areas of < 1 μm2. Calculations show that between 40 and 100% of the sulphuric acid present in this ice was found at the triple-junctions, and would have been liquid at ice-sheet temperatures. This finding, if general, has considerable implications for many of the physical properties of polar ice. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mulvaney, Robert Wolff, Eric W. Oates, K. |
spellingShingle |
Mulvaney, Robert Wolff, Eric W. Oates, K. Sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in Antarctic ice |
author_facet |
Mulvaney, Robert Wolff, Eric W. Oates, K. |
author_sort |
Mulvaney, Robert |
title |
Sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in Antarctic ice |
title_short |
Sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in Antarctic ice |
title_full |
Sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in Antarctic ice |
title_fullStr |
Sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in Antarctic ice |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in Antarctic ice |
title_sort |
sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in antarctic ice |
publishDate |
1988 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/521698/ https://doi.org/10.1038/331247a0 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet |
op_relation |
Mulvaney, Robert orcid:0000-0002-5372-8148 Wolff, Eric W.; Oates, K. 1988 Sulphuric acid at grain boundaries in Antarctic ice. Nature, 331 (6153). 247-249. https://doi.org/10.1038/331247a0 <https://doi.org/10.1038/331247a0> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/331247a0 |
container_title |
Nature |
container_volume |
331 |
container_issue |
6153 |
container_start_page |
247 |
op_container_end_page |
249 |
_version_ |
1766154177578270720 |