Sea-ice-related halogen enrichment at Law Dome, coastal East Antarctica
The Law Dome site is ideal for the evaluation of sea ice proxies due to its location near to the Antarctic coast, regular and high accumulation throughout the year, an absence of surface melting or remobilization, and minimal multiyear sea ice. We present records of bromine and iodine concentrations...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2017-02-01
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| Series: | Climate of the Past |
| Online Access: | http://www.clim-past.net/13/171/2017/cp-13-171-2017.pdf |
| Summary: | The Law Dome site is ideal for the evaluation of sea ice proxies due to its
location near to the Antarctic coast, regular and high accumulation
throughout the year, an absence of surface melting or remobilization, and
minimal multiyear sea ice. We present records of bromine and iodine
concentrations and their enrichment beyond seawater compositions and compare
these to satellite observations of first-year sea ice area in the
90–130° E sector of the Wilkes coast. Our findings support the
results of previous studies of sea ice variability from Law Dome, indicating
that Wilkes coast sea ice area is currently at its lowest level since the
start of the 20th century. From the Law Dome DSS1213 firn core, 26 years of
monthly deposition data indicate that the period of peak bromine enrichment
is during austral spring–summer, from November to February. Results from a
traverse along the lee (western) side of Law Dome show low levels of sodium
and bromine deposition, with the greatest fluxes in the vicinity of the Law
Dome summit. Finally, multidecadal variability in iodine enrichment appears
well correlated to bromine enrichment, suggesting a common source of
variability that may be related to the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation
(IPO). |
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| ISSN: | 1814-9324 1814-9332 |