Refining the isotopic (Sr-Nd) signature of potential source areas for glacial dust in East Antarctica

• Main Authors: Delmonte, B, Basile-Doelsch, I, Petit, J, Michard, A, Revel-Rolland, M, Maggi, V, Gemmiti, B
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2003
• Subjects: Antarctica; ice cores; atmospheric dust; possible source areas; Antarctic; The Antarctic; East Antarctica; New Zealand; Antarc*; ice core
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10281/17855; https://doi.org/10.1051/jp4:20030317

The geographical origin of the mineral dust transported to the East Antarctic Plateau from the Southern Hemisphere (SH) continents has been investigated by means of the isotopic (Sr-Nd) signature of samples from Potential Source Areas (PSAs). Dust reaching Antarctica is fine-grained (<5 um), and therefore the new isotopic fields have been defined in the equivalent size range. The so obtained dataset evidences a partial overlap among the signatures of the Ice Core dust and South America, New Zealand and the Antarctic Dry Valleys, while South Africa appear distinctly different; further data are needed for the Australian continent. Despite the geochemical similarity with the Dry Valleys and New Zealand, Southern South America still appears to be the most probable source for dust in Antarctica in glacial times