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Beryllium-10 transport to Antarctica: Results from seasonally resolved observations and modeling

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 11:10 authored by Joel PedroJoel Pedro, Heikkila, UE, Klekociuk, A, Smith, AM, Tasman van OmmenTasman van Ommen, Mark Curran
Cosmogenic 10Be measured in polar ice cores has important application in the reconstruction of past solar activity. However, the processes controlling its atmospheric transport and deposition to the ice sheets are not fully understood. Here we use the seasonal changes in 10Be concentrations in a 10 year monthly resolved ice core record from the Law Dome site (East Antarctica) in conjunction with ECHAM5-HAM general circulation model (GCM) simulations of 10Be and 7Be deposition as tools to examine this problem. Maximum 10Be concentrations are observed in the ice core during the austral late summer to early autumn (summer-autumn), while minimum concentrations are observed during the austral winter. The GCM simulations, corroborated by earlier observations of 10Be:7Be ratios in Antarctica from the Georg von Neumayer air sampling station, suggest that the 10Be concentration maximum is linked to direct input of stratospheric 10Be from the Antarctic stratosphere to the lower levels of the Antarctic troposphere during the austral summer-autumn. This result contrasts with the modeled transport of 10Be to Greenland, where the seasonal maximum in stratospheric input is seen in the late winter to spring, synchronous with the timing of the seasonal maximum in midlatitude stratosphere to troposphere exchange. Our results suggest that a different combination of processes is responsible for the transport of 10Be to the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets.

History

Publication title

Journal of Geophysical Research

Volume

116

Issue

D23

Article number

D23120

Number

D23120

Pagination

1-14

ISSN

2156-2202

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Amer Geophysical Union

Place of publication

2000 Florida Ave Nw, Washington, USA, Dc, 20009

Rights statement

Copyright 2011 American Geophysical Union

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences

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