scholarly journals Historical black carbon deposition in the Canadian High Arctic: a <i>></i>250-year long ice-core record from Devon Island

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 12345-12361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian M. Zdanowicz ◽  
Bernadette C. Proemse ◽  
Ross Edwards ◽  
Wang Feiteng ◽  
Chad M. Hogan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Detection Sensitivity ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Coal Burning ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Devon Ice Cap ◽  
Ice Core Record

Abstract. Black carbon aerosol (BC), which is emitted from natural and anthropogenic sources (e.g., wildfires, coal burning), can contribute to magnify climate warming at high latitudes by darkening snow- and ice-covered surfaces, and subsequently lowering their albedo. Therefore, modeling the atmospheric transport and deposition of BC to the Arctic is important, and historical archives of BC accumulation in polar ice can help to validate such modeling efforts. Here we present a > 250-year ice-core record of refractory BC (rBC) deposition on Devon ice cap, Canada, spanning the years from 1735 to 1992. This is the first such record ever developed from the Canadian Arctic. The estimated mean deposition flux of rBC on Devon ice cap for 1963–1990 is 0.2 mg m−2 a−1, which is at the low end of estimates from Greenland ice cores obtained using the same analytical method ( ∼ 0.1–4 mg m−2 a−1). The Devon ice cap rBC record also differs from the Greenland records in that it shows only a modest increase in rBC deposition during the 20th century. In the Greenland records a pronounced rise in rBC is observed from the 1880s to the 1910s, which is largely attributed to midlatitude coal burning emissions. The deposition of contaminants such as sulfate and lead increased on Devon ice cap in the 20th century but no concomitant rise in rBC is recorded in the ice. Part of the difference with Greenland could be due to local factors such as melt–freeze cycles on Devon ice cap that may limit the detection sensitivity of rBC analyses in melt-impacted core samples, and wind scouring of winter snow at the coring site. Air back-trajectory analyses also suggest that Devon ice cap receives BC from more distant North American and Eurasian sources than Greenland, and aerosol mixing and removal during long-range transport over the Arctic Ocean likely masks some of the specific BC source–receptor relationships. Findings from this study suggest that there could be a large variability in BC aerosol deposition across the Arctic region arising from different transport patterns. This variability needs to be accounted for when estimating the large-scale albedo lowering effect of BC deposition on Arctic snow/ice.

scholarly journals Historical black carbon deposition in the Canadian High Arctic: A 190-year long ice-core record from Devon Island

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian M. Zdanowicz ◽  
Bernadette C. Proemse ◽  
Ross Edwards ◽  
Wang Feiteng ◽  
Chad M. Hogan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Coal Burning ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Devon Ice Cap ◽  
Ice Core Record

Abstract. Black carbon aerosol (BC) emitted from natural and anthropogenic sources (e.g., wildfires, coal burning) can contribute to magnify climate warming at high latitudes by darkening snow- and ice-covered surfaces, thus lowering their albedo. Modeling the atmospheric transport and deposition of BC to the Arctic is therefore important, and historical archives of BC accumulation in polar ice can help to validate such modeling efforts. Here we present a 190-year ice-core record of refractory BC (rBC) deposition on Devon ice cap, Canada, spanning calendar years 1810–1990, the first such record ever developed from the Canadian Arctic. The estimated mean deposition flux of rBC on Devon ice cap for 1963–1990 is 0.2 mg m−2 a−1, which is low compared to most Greenland ice-core sites over the same period. The Devon ice cap rBC record also differs from existing Greenland records in that it shows no evidence of a substantial increase in rBC deposition during the early-mid 20th century, which, for Greenland, has been attributed to mid-latitude coal burning emissions. The deposition of other contaminants such as sulfate and Pb increased on Devon ice cap in the 20th century but without a concomitant rise in rBC. Part of the difference with Greenland may be due to local factors such as wind scouring of winter snow at the coring site on Devon ice cap. Air back-trajectory analyses also suggest that Devon ice cap receives BC from more distant North American and Eurasian sources than Greenland, and aerosol mixing and removal during long-range transport over the Arctic Ocean likely masks some of the specific BC source-receptor relationships. Findings from this study underscore the large variability in BC aerosol deposition across the Arctic region that may arise from different transport patterns. This variability needs to be accounted for when estimating the large-scale albedo lowering effect of BC deposition on Arctic snow/ice.

scholarly journals Black carbon variability since preindustrial times in Eastern part of Europe reconstructed from Mt Elbrus, Caucasus ice cores

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saehee Lim ◽  
Xavier Faïn ◽  
Patrick Ginot ◽  
Vladimir Mikhalenko ◽  
Stanislav Kutuzov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Mass Concentration ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Ice Core Record ◽  
Summer Time ◽  
Mass Concentrations

Abstract. Black carbon (BC), emitted by fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning, is the second largest man-made contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide (Bond et al., 2013). However, limited information exists on its past emissions and atmospheric variability. In this study, we present the first high-resolution record of refractory BC (rBC, including mass concentration and size) reconstructed from ice cores drilled at a high-altitude Eastern European site in Mt. Elbrus (ELB), Caucasus (5115 m a.s.l.). The ELB ice core record, covering the period 1825–2013, reflects the atmospheric load of rBC particles at the ELB site transported from the European continent with a larger rBC input from sources located in the Eastern part of Europe. In the first half of the 20th century, European anthropogenic emissions resulted in a 1.5-fold increase in the ice core rBC mass concentrations as respect to its level in the preindustrial era (before 1850). The rBC mass concentrations increased by a 5-fold in 1960–1980, followed by a decrease until ~ 2000. Over the last decade, the rBC signal for summer time slightly increased. We have compared the signal with the atmospheric BC load simulated using past BC emissions (ACCMIP and MACCity inventories) and taken into account the contribution of different geographical region to rBC distribution and deposition at the ELB site. Interestingly, the observed rBC variability in the ELB ice core record since the 1960s is not in perfect agreement with the simulated atmospheric BC load. Similar features between the ice core rBC record and the best scenarios for the atmospheric BC load support that anthropogenic BC increase in the 20th century is reflected in the ELB ice core record. However, the peak in BC mass concentration observed in ~ 1970 in the ice core is estimated to occur a decade later from past inventories. BC emission inventories for the period 1960s–1970s may be underestimating European anthropogenic emissions. Furthermore, for summer time snow layers of the last 2000s, the slightly increasing trend of rBC deposition likely reflects recent changes in anthropogenic and biomass burning BC emissions in the Eastern part of Europe. Our study highlights that the past changes in BC emissions of Eastern Europe need to be considered in assessing on-going air quality regulation.

scholarly journals An 800 year high-resolution black carbon ice-core record from Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitri Osmont ◽  
Isabel A. Wendl ◽  
Loïc Schmidely ◽  
Michael Sigl ◽  
Carmen P. Vega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Snow Albedo ◽  
Decadal Scale

Abstract. Produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuel and biomass, black carbon (BC) contributes to Arctic warming by reducing snow albedo and thus triggering a snow-albedo feedback leading to increased snow melting. Therefore, it is of high importance to assess past BC emissions to better understand and constrain their role. However, only few long-term BC records are available from the Arctic, mainly originating from Greenland ice cores. Here, we present the first long-term and high-resolution refractory black carbon (rBC) record from Svalbard, derived from the analysis of two ice cores drilled at the Lomonosovfonna ice field in 2009 (LF-09) and 2011 (LF-11) and covering 800 years of atmospheric emissions. Our results show that rBC concentrations strongly increased from 1860 on due to anthropogenic emissions and reached two maxima, at the end of the 19th century and in the middle of the 20th century. No increase in rBC concentrations during the last decades was observed, which is corroborated by atmospheric measurements elsewhere in the Arctic but contradicts a previous study from another ice core from Svalbard. While melting may affect BC concentrations during periods of high temperatures, rBC concentrations remain well-preserved prior to the 20th century due to lower temperatures inducing little melt. Therefore, the preindustrial rBC record (before 1800), along with ammonium (NH4+), formate (HCOO−) and specific organic markers (vanillic acid (VA) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HBA)), was used as a proxy for biomass burning. Despite numerous single events, no long-term trend was observed over the time period 1222–1800 for rBC and NH4+. In contrast, formate, VA and p-HBA experience multi-decadal peaks reflecting periods of enhanced biomass burning. Most of the background variations and single peak events are corroborated by other ice-core records from Greenland and Siberia. We suggest that the paleofire record from the LF ice core primarily reflects biomass burning episodes from Northern Eurasia, induced by decadal-scale climatic variations.

scholarly journals Continuous non-marine inputs of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to the High Arctic: a multi-decadal temporal record

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 5045-5058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi M. Pickard ◽  
Alison S. Criscitiello ◽  
Christine Spencer ◽  
Martin J. Sharp ◽  
Derek C. G. Muir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transport ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Long Range Transport ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Volatile Precursor ◽  
Range Transport ◽  
Devon Ice Cap

Abstract. Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are persistent, in some cases, bioaccumulative compounds found ubiquitously within the environment. They can be formed from the atmospheric oxidation of volatile precursor compounds and undergo long-range transport (LRT) through the atmosphere and ocean to remote locations. Ice caps preserve a temporal record of PFAA deposition making them useful in studying the atmospheric trends in LRT of PFAAs in polar or mountainous regions, as well as in understanding major pollutant sources and production changes over time. A 15 m ice core representing 38 years of deposition (1977–2015) was collected from the Devon Ice Cap in Nunavut, providing us with the first multi-decadal temporal ice record in PFAA deposition to the Arctic. Ice core samples were concentrated using solid phase extraction and analyzed by liquid and ion chromatography methods. Both perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) were detected in the samples, with fluxes ranging from < LOD to 141 ng m−2 yr−1. Our results demonstrate that the PFCAs and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have continuous and increasing deposition on the Devon Ice Cap, despite recent North American and international regulations and phase-outs. We propose that this is the result of on-going manufacture, use and emissions of these compounds, their precursors and other newly unidentified compounds in regions outside of North America. By modelling air mass transport densities, and comparing temporal trends in deposition with production changes of possible sources, we find that Eurasian sources, particularly from Continental Asia, are large contributors to the global pollutants impacting the Devon Ice Cap. Comparison of PFAAs to their precursors and correlations of PFCA pairs showed that deposition of PFAAs is dominated by atmospheric formation from volatile precursor sources. Major ion analysis confirmed that marine aerosol inputs are unimportant to the long-range transport mechanisms of these compounds. Assessments of deposition, homologue profiles, ion tracers, air mass transport models, and production and regulation trends allow us to characterize the PFAA depositional profile on the Devon Ice Cap and further understand the LRT mechanisms of these persistent pollutants.

scholarly journals Continuous Non-Marine Inputs of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to the High Arctic: A Multi-Decadal Temporal Record

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi M. Pickard ◽  
Alison S. Criscitiello ◽  
Christine Spencer ◽  
Martin J. Sharp ◽  
Derek C. G. Muir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solid Phase ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Ice Caps ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Devon Ice Cap ◽  
Pollutant Sources ◽  
Arctic Ice ◽  
Changes Over Time

Abstract. Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are persistent, bioaccumulative compounds found ubiquitously within the environment. They can be formed from the atmospheric oxidation of volatile precursor compounds and undergo long-range transport through the atmosphere and ocean to remote locations. Ice caps preserve a temporal record of PFAA deposition making them useful in studying the atmospheric trends in LRT of PFAAs as well as understanding major pollutant sources and production changes over time. A 15 m ice core representing 38 years of deposition (1977–2015) was collected from the Devon Ice Cap in Nunavut, providing us with the first multi-decadal temporal ice record in PFAA deposition to the Arctic. Ice core samples were concentrated using solid phase extraction and analyzed by liquid and ion chromatography methods. Both perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) were detected in the samples, with fluxes ranging from

scholarly journals An 800-year high-resolution black carbon ice core record from Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 12777-12795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitri Osmont ◽  
Isabel A. Wendl ◽  
Loïc Schmidely ◽  
Michael Sigl ◽  
Carmen P. Vega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Snow Albedo ◽  
Decadal Scale

Abstract. Produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuel and biomass, black carbon (BC) contributes to Arctic warming by reducing snow albedo and thus triggering a snow-albedo feedback leading to increased snowmelt. Therefore, it is of high importance to assess past BC emissions to better understand and constrain their role. However, only a few long-term BC records are available from the Arctic, mainly originating from Greenland ice cores. Here, we present the first long-term and high-resolution refractory black carbon (rBC) record from Svalbard, derived from the analysis of two ice cores drilled at the Lomonosovfonna ice field in 2009 (LF-09) and 2011 (LF-11) and covering 800 years of atmospheric emissions. Our results show that rBC concentrations strongly increased from 1860 on due to anthropogenic emissions and reached two maxima, at the end of the 19th century and in the middle of the 20th century. No increase in rBC concentrations during the last decades was observed, which is corroborated by atmospheric measurements elsewhere in the Arctic but contradicts a previous study from another ice core from Svalbard. While melting may affect BC concentrations during periods of high temperatures, rBC concentrations remain well preserved prior to the 20th century due to lower temperatures inducing little melt. Therefore, the preindustrial rBC record (before 1800), along with ammonium (NH4+), formate (HCOO−) and specific organic markers (vanillic acid, VA, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-HBA), was used as a proxy for biomass burning. Despite numerous single events, no long-term trend was observed over the time period 1222–1800 for rBC and NH4+. In contrast, formate, VA, and p-HBA experience multi-decadal peaks reflecting periods of enhanced biomass burning. Most of the background variations and single peak events are corroborated by other ice core records from Greenland and Siberia. We suggest that the paleofire record from the LF ice core primarily reflects biomass burning episodes from northern Eurasia, induced by decadal-scale climatic variations.

scholarly journals Black carbon variability since preindustrial times in the eastern part of Europe reconstructed from Mt. Elbrus, Caucasus, ice cores

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 3489-3505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saehee Lim ◽  
Xavier Faïn ◽  
Patrick Ginot ◽  
Vladimir Mikhalenko ◽  
Stanislav Kutuzov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Mass Concentration ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Ice Core Record ◽  
Mass Concentrations

Abstract. Black carbon (BC), emitted by fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning, is the second largest man-made contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide (Bond et al., 2013). However, limited information exists on its past emissions and atmospheric variability. In this study, we present the first high-resolution record of refractory BC (rBC, including mass concentration and size) reconstructed from ice cores drilled at a high-altitude eastern European site in Mt. Elbrus (ELB), Caucasus (5115 m a.s.l.). The ELB ice core record, covering the period 1825–2013, reflects the atmospheric load of rBC particles at the ELB site transported from the European continent with a larger rBC input from sources located in the eastern part of Europe. In the first half of the 20th century, European anthropogenic emissions resulted in a 1.5-fold increase in the ice core rBC mass concentrations with respect to its level in the preindustrial era (before 1850). The summer (winter) rBC mass concentrations increased 5-fold (3.3-fold) in 1960–1980, followed by a decrease until  ∼  2000. Over the last decade, the rBC signal for summertime slightly increased. We have compared the signal with the atmospheric BC load simulated using past BC emissions (ACCMIP and MACCity inventories) and taken into account the contribution of different geographical regions to rBC distribution and deposition at the ELB site. Interestingly, the observed rBC variability in the ELB ice core record since the 1960s is not in perfect agreement with the simulated atmospheric BC load. Similar features between the ice core rBC record and the best scenarios for the atmospheric BC load support anthropogenic BC increase in the 20th century being reflected in the ELB ice core record. However, the peak in BC mass concentration observed in  ∼  1970 in the ice core is estimated to occur a decade later from past inventories. BC emission inventories for the period 1960s–1970s may be underestimating European anthropogenic emissions. Furthermore, for summertime snow layers of the 2000s, the slightly increasing trend of rBC deposition likely reflects recent changes in anthropogenic and biomass burning BC emissions in the eastern part of Europe. Our study highlights that the past changes in BC emissions of eastern Europe need to be considered in assessing ongoing air quality regulation.

scholarly journals The importance of Asia as a source of black carbon to the European Arctic during springtime 2013

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (20) ◽  
pp. 11537-11555 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Liu ◽  
B. Quennehen ◽  
E. Darbyshire ◽  
J. D. Allan ◽  
P. I. Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Geometric Standard Deviation ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
Aerosol Composition ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
European Arctic ◽  
Mean Concentration

Abstract. Black carbon aerosol (BC) deposited to the Arctic sea ice or present in the free troposphere can significantly affect the Earth's radiation budget at high latitudes yet the BC burden in these regions and the regional source contributions are poorly constrained. Aircraft measurements of aerosol composition in the European Arctic were conducted during the Aerosol–Cloud Coupling And Climate Interactions in the Arctic (ACCACIA) campaign in March 2013. Pollutant plumes were encountered throughout the lower to upper Arctic troposphere featuring enhancements in CO and aerosol mass loadings, which were chemically speciated into BC and non-refractory sulphate and organic matter. FLEXPART-WRF simulations have been performed to evaluate the likely contribution to the pollutants from regional ground sources. By combining up-to-date anthropogenic and open fire biomass burning (OBB) inventories, we have been able to compare the contributions made to the observed pollution layers from the sources of eastern/northern Asia (AS), Europe (EU) and North America (NA). Over 90 % of the contribution to the BC was shown to arise from non-OBB anthropogenic sources. AS sources were found to be the major contributor to the BC burden, increasing background BC loadings by a factor of 3–5 to 100.8 ± 48.4 ng sm−3 (in standard air m3 at 273.15 K and 1013.25 mbar) and 55.8 ± 22.4 ng sm−3 in the middle and upper troposphere respectively. AS plumes close to the tropopause (about 7.5–8 km) were also observed, with BC concentrations ranging from 55 to 73 ng sm−3, which will potentially have a significant radiative impact. EU sources influenced the middle troposphere with a BC mean concentration of 70.8 ± 39.1 ng sm−3 but made a minor contribution to the upper troposphere due to the relatively high latitude of the source region. The contribution of NA was shown to be much lower at all altitudes with BC mean concentration of 20 ng sm−3. The BC transported to the Arctic is mixed with a non-BC volume fraction representing between 90–95 % of the mass, and has a relatively uniform core size distribution with mass median diameter 190–210 nm and geometric standard deviation σg = 1.55–1.65 and this varied little across all source regions. It is estimated that 60–95 % of BC is scavenged between emission and receptor based on BC / ΔCO comparisons between source inventories and measurement. We show that during the springtime of 2013, the anthropogenic pollution particularly from sources in Asia, contributed significantly to BC across the European Arctic free troposphere. In contrast to previous studies, the contribution from open wildfires was minimal. Given that Asian pollution is likely to continue to rise over the coming years, it is likely that the radiative forcing in the Arctic will also continue to increase.

scholarly journals Climatic Records from the Dunde Ice Cap, China

1988 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 178-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lonnie G. Thompson ◽  
Wu Xiaoling ◽  
Ellen Mosley-Thompson ◽  
Xie Zichu
Keyword(s):  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Average Thickness ◽  
The Past ◽  
Bedrock Topography ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Pulse Radar ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Ratios ◽  
Ice Core Record ◽  
Climatic Record

Results from the first glaciological investigation of the Dunde ice cap demonstrate that a long, highly temporally resolvable climatic ice-core record is preserved in this ice cap. Measurements of stratigraphy, microparticle concentrations, liquid conductivity, and oxygen-isotope ratios from three snow pits in 1984 suggest that the annual accumulation is approximately 200 mm (water equivalent). Measurement of microparticle concentrations and conductivities of pit samples collected in 1986 confirm the existence of annual dust layers and an annual accumulation rate of ∼200 mm/year over the past 5 years. Bore-hole temperatures of –5.4°C at 30 m indicate that the ice cap is polar. Mono-pulse radar depth determinations yield an average thickness of 140 m, which (coupled with the smooth bedrock topography and the current accumulation rate) suggest that the Dunde ice cap should contain at least a 3000 year climatic record. A drilling program to recover that record from this subtropical location is planned for 1987.

scholarly journals Climate reconstruction since the Little Ice Age by modelling Koryto glacier, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (184) ◽  
pp. 125-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoru Yamaguchi ◽  
Renji Naruse ◽  
Takayuki Shiraiwa
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Kamchatka Peninsula ◽  
Winter Precipitation ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Glacier Terminus ◽  
Tree Ring Data

AbstractBased on the field data at Koryto glacier, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, we constructed a one-dimensional numerical glacier model which fits the behaviour of the glacier. The analysis of meteorological data from the nearby station suggests that the recent rapid retreat of the glacier since the mid-20th century is likely to be due to a decrease in winter precipitation. Using the geographical data of the glacier terminus variations from 1711 to 1930, we reconstructed the fluctuation in the equilibrium-line altitude by means of the glacier model. With summer temperatures inferred from tree-ring data, the model suggests that the winter precipitation from the mid-19th to the early 20th century was about 10% less than that at present. This trend is close to consistent with ice-core results from the nearby ice cap in the central Kamchatka Peninsula.

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