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An environmental record of lead isotopes over four centuries at Law Dome, Antarctica

Entry ID: ASAC_1092

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Summary

Abstract: Antarctic ice provides an archive of Earths atmospheric composition over time. It therefore records evidence of human impact on the atmosphere. Lead is a toxic element, whose isotopic fingerprint can also be used as a tracer. This project will investigate a 400 year Pb pollution record in ice from Law Dome.

From the abstracts of the referenced papers:

Techniques for Pb measurements have ... reached the stage where Antarctic ice with sub-picogram per gram concentrations can be reliably analysed for isotopic composition. Here, particular attention has been given to measuring the quantity of Pb added during the decontamination and sample storage stages of the sample preparation process because of their impact on accuracy at low concentrations. These stages, including the use of a stainless steel chisel for the decontamination, contributed ~5.2pg to the total sample analysed, amounting to a concentration increase of ~13fg per gram, which is significantly less than expected. Consequently the corrections to the isotopic ratios and concentration were also smaller. Other contributions to the blank, such as Pb fallout onto critical working areas in the HEPA-filtered laboratories, were also relatively small as was the amount of Pb leached from preconditioned perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) beakers during sample processing. The ion source contributed typically 89plus or minus 19 fg to the blank. Although this was relatively large, its influence depended upon the amount of Pb available for analysis and it had the greatest impact when small volumes of samples with a very low concentration were analysed. A 15 months investigation of the leaching characteristics of Pb from a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sample storage bottle showed 11 fg per cm per cm per day was released immediately following the initial 2 months cleaning process, but this decreased to immeasurable values after a further 3 months of cleaning.

Lead isotopic compositions and Pb and Ba concentrations have been measured in ice cores from Law Dome, East Antarctica, covering the past 6500 years. 'Natural' background concentrations of Pb (~0.4 pg/g) and Ba (~1.3 pg/g) are observed until 1884 AD, after which increased Pb concentrations and lowered 206Pb/207Pb ratios indicate the influence of anthropogenic Pb. The isotopic composition of 'natural' Pb varies within the range 206Pb/207Pb=1.20-1.25 and 208Pb/207Pb=2.46-2.50, with an average rock and soil dust Pb contribution of 8-12%. A major pollution event is observed at Law Dome between 1884 and 1908 AD, elevating the Pb concentration four-fold and changing 206Pb/207Pb ratios in the ice to ~1.12. Based on Pb isotopic systematics and Pb emission statistics, this is attributed to Pb mined at Broken Hill and smelted at Broken Hill and Port Pirie, Australia. Anthropogenic Pb inputs are at their greatest from ~1900 to ~1910 and from ~1960 to ~1980. During the 20th Century, Ba concentrations are consistently higher than 'natural' levels and are attributed to increased dust production, suggesting the influence of climate change and/or changes in land coverage with vegetation.

The fields in this dataset are:

Sample
Date
206Pb/207Pb
208Pb/207Pb
206Pb/204Pb
Pb concentration
Ba concentration

Related URL

Link: GET DATA

Description: Download point for the data

Geographic Coverage

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Spatial coordinates

N: -66.0

S: -66.0

E: 110.0

W: 110.0

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 1998-09-30

Stop Date: 2001-03-31

Paleo Temporal Coverage

Paleo Start Date: 7500 YBP
Paleo Stop Date: 0 YBP
Chrono Unit:

PHANEROZOIC > CENOZOIC > QUATERNARY > HOLOCENE

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA

GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

Science Keywords

CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > ICE SHEETS

HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > CONTAMINANT LEVELS/SPILLS

HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > HEAVY METALS CONCENTRATION

PALEOCLIMATE > ICE CORE RECORDS > ISOTOPES

ISO Topic Category

FARMING

BIOTA

Project

EOSDIS > Earth Observing System Data Information System

ESIP > Earth Science Information Partners Program

CESIC > Compendium of Environmental Sustainability Indicators Collections

Access Constraints None

Use Constraints The Trustees of Columbia University hold the copyright of this dataset. Users are prohibited from any commercial sale or free redistribution without explicit written permission from CIESIN. Users should acknowledge CIESIN as the source used in the creation of any reports, publications, new datasets, derived products, or services resulting from the use of this dataset. CIESIN also requests reprints of any publications and notification of any redistributing efforts.

Ancillary Keywords

CIESIN > Agriculture and Food Security > Agricultural Production > Water Resources

CIESIN > Agriculture and Food Security > Nutrients

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Originating Center

SEDAC

Data Center

Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center

Data Center URL: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/
Dataset ID: CIESIN_SEDAC_CESIC_COMPLETE_V11

Data Center Personnel
Name: SEDAC USER SERVICES Phone: +1 845-365-8920 Fax: +1 845-365-8922 Email: ciesin.info at ciesin.columbia.edu Contact Address: 61 Route 9W, P.O. Box 1000 City: Palisades Province or State: NY Postal Code: 10964 Country: USA

World Data Center for Human Interactions in the Environment

Data Center URL: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/wdc/
Dataset ID: CIESIN_SEDAC_CESIC_COMPLETE_V11

Data Center Personnel
Name: ROBERT CHEN Phone: 1-845-365-8952 Fax: 1-845-365-8922 Email: bchen at ciesin.columbia.edu Contact Address: WDC for Human Interactions in the Environment CIESIN/Columbia University P. O. Box 1000 61 Route 9W City: Palisades Province or State: NY Postal Code: 10964 Country: USA

Distribution

Distribution Media: Online Internet (HTTP)

Distribution Size: 0.5 MB

Distribution Format: CSV

Fees: 0

Personnel

SEDAC USER SERVICES

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Phone: +1 845-365-8920

Fax: +1 845-365-8922

Email: ciesin.info at ciesin.columbia.edu

Contact Address:

61 Route 9W, P.O. Box 1000

City: Palisades

Province or State: NY

Postal Code: 10964

Country: USA

CIESIN METADATA ADMINISTRATION

Role: DIF AUTHOR

Phone: +1 845-365-8988

Fax: +1 845-365-8922

Email: metadata at ciesin.columbia.edu

Contact Address:

61 Route 9W, P.O. Box 1000

City: Palisades

Province or State: New York

Postal Code: 10964

Country: USA

Publications/References

Global Footprint Network (GFN) (2006), Compendium of Environmental Sustainability Indicator Collections: 2006 National Footprint Accounts, Global Footprint Network (GFN), Oakland, CA, http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/cesic-national-footprint-...

Extended Metadata Properties

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Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2013-03-29

Last DIF Revision Date: 2013-03-29

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