The polar expression of ENSO and sea-ice variability as recorded in a South Pole ice core

• Main Authors: Meyerson, Eric A., Mayewski, Paul A., Kreutz, Karl J., Meeker, L. David, Whitlow, Sallie I., Twickler, Mark S.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository 2002
• Subjects: Pacific; South Pole; ice core; Sea ice; South pole
• Online Access: https://scholars.unh.edu/faculty_pubs/339; https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1338&context=faculty_pubs

An annually dated ice core recovered from South Pole (2850 m a.s.l.) in 1995, that covers the period 1487–1992, was analyzed for the marine biogenic sulfur species methanesulfonate (MS). Empirical orthogonal function analysis is used to calibrate the high-resolution MS series with associated environmental series for the period of overlap (1973–92). Utilizing this calibration we present a ~500 year long proxy record of the polar expression of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and southeastern Pacific sea-ice extent variations. These records reveal short-term periods of increased (1800–50, 1900–40) and decreased sea-ice extent (1550–1610, 1660–1710, 1760–1800). In general, increased (decreased) sea-ice extent is associated with a higher (lower) frequency of El Niño events.