Deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between Dronning Maud Land and Dome C, Antarctica
The nitrogen stable isotopic composition in nitrate (δ15N-NO−3) measured in ice cores from low-snow-accumulation regions in East Antarctica has the potential to provide constraints on past ultraviolet (UV) radiation and thereby total column ozone (TCO) due to the sensitivity of nitrate (NO−3) photol...
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European Geosciences Union
2020
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524530/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524530/7/acp-20-5861-2020.pdf https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/20/5861/2020/acp-20-5861-2020.html |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:524530 2023-05-15T13:41:44+02:00 Deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between Dronning Maud Land and Dome C, Antarctica Winton, V. Holly L. Ming, Alison Caillon, Nicolas Hauge, Lisa Jones, Anna E. Savarino, Joel Yang, Xin Frey, Markus M. 2020-05-15 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524530/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524530/7/acp-20-5861-2020.pdf https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/20/5861/2020/acp-20-5861-2020.html en eng European Geosciences Union https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524530/7/acp-20-5861-2020.pdf Winton, V. Holly L. orcid:0000-0001-7112-6768 Ming, Alison orcid:0000-0001-5786-6188 Caillon, Nicolas; Hauge, Lisa; Jones, Anna E. orcid:0000-0002-2040-4841 Savarino, Joel; Yang, Xin orcid:0000-0002-3838-9758 Frey, Markus M. orcid:0000-0003-0535-0416 . 2020 Deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between Dronning Maud Land and Dome C, Antarctica. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 20. 5861-5885. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5861-2020 <https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5861-2020> cc_by_4 CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2020 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5861-2020 2023-02-04T19:48:53Z The nitrogen stable isotopic composition in nitrate (δ15N-NO−3) measured in ice cores from low-snow-accumulation regions in East Antarctica has the potential to provide constraints on past ultraviolet (UV) radiation and thereby total column ozone (TCO) due to the sensitivity of nitrate (NO−3) photolysis to UV radiation. However, understanding the transfer of reactive nitrogen at the air–snow interface in polar regions is paramount for the interpretation of ice core records of δ15N-NO−3 and NO−3 mass concentrations. As NO−3 undergoes a number of post-depositional processes before it is archived in ice cores, site-specific observations of δ15N-NO−3 and air–snow transfer modelling are necessary to understand and quantify the complex photochemical processes at play. As part of the Isotopic Constraints on Past Ozone Layer Thickness in Polar Ice (ISOL-ICE) project, we report new measurements of NO−3 mass concentration and δ15N-NO−3 in the atmosphere, skin layer (operationally defined as the top 5 mm of the snowpack), and snow pit depth profiles at Kohnen Station, Dronning Maud Land (DML), Antarctica. We compare the results to previous studies and new data, presented here, from Dome C on the East Antarctic Plateau. Additionally, we apply the conceptual 1D model of TRansfer of Atmospheric Nitrate Stable Isotopes To the Snow (TRANSITS) to assess the impact of NO−3 recycling on δ15N-NO−3 and NO−3 mass concentrations archived in snow and firn. We find clear evidence of NO−3 photolysis at DML and confirmation of previous theoretical, field, and laboratory studies that UV photolysis is driving NO−3 recycling and redistribution at DML. Firstly, strong denitrification of the snowpack is observed through the δ15N-NO−3 signature, which evolves from the enriched snowpack (−3 ‰ to 100 ‰), to the skin layer (−20 ‰ to 3 ‰), to the depleted atmosphere (−50 ‰ to −20 ‰), corresponding to mass loss of NO−3 from the snowpack. Based on the TRANSITS model, we find that NO−3 is recycled two times, on average, before it is archived in the ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica DML Dronning Maud Land East Antarctica ice core Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic East Antarctica Dronning Maud Land Kohnen ENVELOPE(0.000,0.000,-75.000,-75.000) Kohnen Station ENVELOPE(0.000,0.000,-75.000,-75.000) Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 20 9 5861 5885 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
The nitrogen stable isotopic composition in nitrate (δ15N-NO−3) measured in ice cores from low-snow-accumulation regions in East Antarctica has the potential to provide constraints on past ultraviolet (UV) radiation and thereby total column ozone (TCO) due to the sensitivity of nitrate (NO−3) photolysis to UV radiation. However, understanding the transfer of reactive nitrogen at the air–snow interface in polar regions is paramount for the interpretation of ice core records of δ15N-NO−3 and NO−3 mass concentrations. As NO−3 undergoes a number of post-depositional processes before it is archived in ice cores, site-specific observations of δ15N-NO−3 and air–snow transfer modelling are necessary to understand and quantify the complex photochemical processes at play. As part of the Isotopic Constraints on Past Ozone Layer Thickness in Polar Ice (ISOL-ICE) project, we report new measurements of NO−3 mass concentration and δ15N-NO−3 in the atmosphere, skin layer (operationally defined as the top 5 mm of the snowpack), and snow pit depth profiles at Kohnen Station, Dronning Maud Land (DML), Antarctica. We compare the results to previous studies and new data, presented here, from Dome C on the East Antarctic Plateau. Additionally, we apply the conceptual 1D model of TRansfer of Atmospheric Nitrate Stable Isotopes To the Snow (TRANSITS) to assess the impact of NO−3 recycling on δ15N-NO−3 and NO−3 mass concentrations archived in snow and firn. We find clear evidence of NO−3 photolysis at DML and confirmation of previous theoretical, field, and laboratory studies that UV photolysis is driving NO−3 recycling and redistribution at DML. Firstly, strong denitrification of the snowpack is observed through the δ15N-NO−3 signature, which evolves from the enriched snowpack (−3 ‰ to 100 ‰), to the skin layer (−20 ‰ to 3 ‰), to the depleted atmosphere (−50 ‰ to −20 ‰), corresponding to mass loss of NO−3 from the snowpack. Based on the TRANSITS model, we find that NO−3 is recycled two times, on average, before it is archived in the ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Winton, V. Holly L. Ming, Alison Caillon, Nicolas Hauge, Lisa Jones, Anna E. Savarino, Joel Yang, Xin Frey, Markus M. |
spellingShingle |
Winton, V. Holly L. Ming, Alison Caillon, Nicolas Hauge, Lisa Jones, Anna E. Savarino, Joel Yang, Xin Frey, Markus M. Deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between Dronning Maud Land and Dome C, Antarctica |
author_facet |
Winton, V. Holly L. Ming, Alison Caillon, Nicolas Hauge, Lisa Jones, Anna E. Savarino, Joel Yang, Xin Frey, Markus M. |
author_sort |
Winton, V. Holly L. |
title |
Deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between Dronning Maud Land and Dome C, Antarctica |
title_short |
Deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between Dronning Maud Land and Dome C, Antarctica |
title_full |
Deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between Dronning Maud Land and Dome C, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between Dronning Maud Land and Dome C, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between Dronning Maud Land and Dome C, Antarctica |
title_sort |
deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between dronning maud land and dome c, antarctica |
publisher |
European Geosciences Union |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524530/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524530/7/acp-20-5861-2020.pdf https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/20/5861/2020/acp-20-5861-2020.html |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(0.000,0.000,-75.000,-75.000) ENVELOPE(0.000,0.000,-75.000,-75.000) |
geographic |
Antarctic East Antarctica Dronning Maud Land Kohnen Kohnen Station |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic East Antarctica Dronning Maud Land Kohnen Kohnen Station |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica DML Dronning Maud Land East Antarctica ice core |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica DML Dronning Maud Land East Antarctica ice core |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524530/7/acp-20-5861-2020.pdf Winton, V. Holly L. orcid:0000-0001-7112-6768 Ming, Alison orcid:0000-0001-5786-6188 Caillon, Nicolas; Hauge, Lisa; Jones, Anna E. orcid:0000-0002-2040-4841 Savarino, Joel; Yang, Xin orcid:0000-0002-3838-9758 Frey, Markus M. orcid:0000-0003-0535-0416 . 2020 Deposition, recycling and archival of nitrate stable isotopes between the air-snow interface: comparison between Dronning Maud Land and Dome C, Antarctica. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 20. 5861-5885. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5861-2020 <https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5861-2020> |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5861-2020 |
container_title |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
container_volume |
20 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
5861 |
op_container_end_page |
5885 |
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1766155566538817536 |