Defining the geochemical composition of the EPICA Dome C ice core dust during the last glacial-interglacial cycle

• Published in: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
• Main Authors: Marino, F., Castellano, Emiliano, Ceccato, D., de Deckker, P., Delmonte, Barbara, Ghermandi, G., Maggi, V., Petit, Jean-Robert, Revel-Rolland, Marie, Udisti, Roberto
• Other Authors: Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Firenze = University of Florence (UniFI), Department of Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca = University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB), Department of Physics, Università degli Studi di Padova = University of Padua (Unipd), Research School of Earth Sciences Canberra (RSES), Australian National University (ANU), Department of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia = University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement (LGGE), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG), Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de Géodynamique des Chaines Alpines (LGCA), Géoazur (GEOAZUR 6526), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2008
• Subjects: ice cores; aeolian dust; major elements; dust sources; paleoclimate; Antarctica; [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology; Antarctic; Antarc*; EPICA; ice core
• Online Access: https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00379678; https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00379678/document; https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00379678/file/2008GC002023.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GC002023

International audience The major element composition of the insoluble, windborne long-range dust archived in the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica Dome C ice core has been determined by Particle Induced X-ray Emission analyses. The geochemistry of dust from the last glacial maximum (LGM) and from the Holocene is discussed in terms of past environmental changes, throughout the last climatic cycle. Antarctic dust from glacial and interglacial climate clearly reveals different geochemical compositions. The weathered crustal-like signature of LGM dust is characterized by a low compositional variability, suggesting a dominant source under the glacial regime. The close correspondence between the major element composition of Antarctic glacial dust and the composition of southern South American sediments supports the hypothesis of a dominant role of this area as major dust supplier during cold conditions. Conversely, the major element composition of Holocene dust displays high variability and high Al content on average. This implies that an additional source could also play some role. Comparison with size-selected sediments suggests that a contribution from Australia is likely during warm times, when a reduced glacial erosion decreases the primary dust production and a more intense hydrological cycle and larger vegetation cover inactivates dust mobility in a large part of southern South America, weakening its contribution as a massive dust supplier to Antarctica.