Holocene climate history from ice cores, snow profiles, the glacial system and local climate patterns from the Mt Erebus Saddle, Antarctica Entry ID:
K049_1999_2008_NZ_7
Abstract:
To understand the drivers and consequences of climate change on timescales important to humans, the paleoclimate of ice cores, the glacial system and local climate patterns were analysed from Mt Erebus Saddle. Mt Erebus Saddle lies in the pathway of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) initiated katabatic surges across the Ross Ice Shelf and also of enhanced cyclonic activity from the Southern Ocean. Ice core records from Mt Erebus Saddle are likely to show strong ENSO influence and therefore may provide a mean to reconstruct ENSO since its initiation in the early Holocene. A GPR/GPS (35MHz ) survey was made to map the bedrock topography and internal structure of the glacier. Two cores (200 and 160m) were extracted, measured and logged. Each 1m long core had its core temperature measured (within 5 mins of core recovery), weighed to calculate density and determine the depth of bubble close off and firn/ice transition and investigated for crystal structure, melt and dust/tephra layer occurrence. Analysis of volume, grain size and mineralogy was taken to determine the source and to infer wind pattern and strength. Small chips were used to study gas bubble properties (including porosity, gas bubble size and geometry). The borehole was measured for temperature and light penetrations after drilling. The borehole was measured for temperature and light penetrations after drilling. Several snow profiles were sampled with 1cm resolution for analysis on snow chemistry, isotopic composition, dust content and mineralogy. The ice cores and snow samples were measured for major cations, anions and methylsulfonate, trace elements, oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratio, gas analysis in ice core bubbles (CO2 and CH4), dust concentration and mineralogy, Si detection and tritium concentration and dating the ice core. Three snow stakes, 6m long were anchored into the ground to measure the accumulation rate at the drill site as the topography promotes strong winds leading to significant compaction of the surface snow.
Related URL
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Description:
The IGS global system of satellite tracking stations, Data Centers, and Analysis Centers puts high-quality GPS data and data products on line in near real time to meet the objectives of a wide range of scientific and engineering applications and studies.
Link:
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Description:
The ice reader database hosts basic data from ice cores of the Antarctic Continent. The goal is to compile a complete list of cores by name, site, location and as much other information as possible
Link:
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Description:
Publishing Network for Geoscientific & Environmental Data This database contains information regarding stable oxygen isotopes of snow pits at four sites: Polar Plateau, Victoria Lower Glacier, Wilson Piedmont Glacier and Baldwin Valley Glacier
The project is currently ongoing an some of the data is available in various databases which are constantly changing. The investigator is the best person to contact for access to the data.
Name:
SHULAMIT
GORDON Phone:
+64 3 358 0200
Fax:
+64 3 358 0211
Email:
s.gordon at antarcticanz.govt.nz
Contact Address:
Antarctica New Zealand
Private Bag 4745 City:
Christchurch
Country:
New Zealand
Personnel
NANCY
BERTLER Role:
INVESTIGATOR
Phone:
+64 4 463 6196
Fax:
+64 4 463 5186
Email:
Nancy.Bertler at vuw.ac.nz
Contact Address:
Antarctic Research Center
Victoria University of Wellington
PO BOX 600 City:
Wellington
Postal Code:
6140
Country:
New Zealand
CEISHA
POIROT Role:
DIF AUTHOR
Phone:
+64 3 358 0200
Fax:
+64 3 358 0211
Email:
c.poirot at antarcticanz.govt.nz
Contact Address:
Antarctica New Zealand
Private Bag 4745 City:
Christchurch
Country:
New Zealand
SHULAMIT
GORDON Role:
DIF AUTHOR
Phone:
+64 3 358 0200
Fax:
+64 3 358 0211
Email:
s.gordon at antarcticanz.govt.nz
Contact Address:
Antarctica New Zealand
Private Bag 4745 City:
Christchurch
Country:
New Zealand
Publications/References
Bertler, N.A.N. 2003 Understanding the climate behavior of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, from coastal ice cores. Ph.D., Victoria University of Wellington.
Bertler, N.A.N. Barrett, P.J. Mayewski, P.A. Fogt, R.L. Kreutz, K.J. Shulmeister, J. El Nino suppresses Antarctic warming. Geophysical research letters 31, 2004.
Bertler, N.A.N. Barrett, P.J. Mayewski, P.A. Fogt, R.L. Kreutz, K.J. Shulmeister, J. Reply to comment by Doran et al. on “El Nino suppresses Antarctic warming”. Geophysical research letters 32: 2005.
Bertler, N.A.N. Naish, T.R. Oerter, H. Kipfstuhl, S. Barrett, P.J. Mayewski, P.A. Kreutz, K. 2006 The effects of joint ENSO–Antarctic Oscillation forcing on the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Antarctic science 18(4): 507-514.
Bertler, N.A.N. Naish, T.R. Mayewski, P.A. Barrett, P.J. Opposing oceanic and atmospheric ENSO influences on the Ross Sea Region, Antarctica. Advances in geosciences 6: 83-86, 2006.
Witherow, R. Lyons, W.B. Bertler, N.A.N. Welch, K.A. Mayewski, P.A. Sneed, S.B. Nylen, T. Handley, M.J. Fountain, A. 2006 The aeolian flux of calcium, chloride and nitrate to the McMurdo Dry Valleys landscape: evidence from snow pit analysis. Antarctic science 18(4): 497-505.
Bertler, N.A.N. Mayewski, P.A. Aristarain, A. Barrett, P. Becagli, S. Bernardo, R. Bo, S. Xiao, C. Curran, M. Qin, D. Antarctic Snow Chemistry. Annals of glaciology 41: 167-179, 2005.
Bertler, N.A.N. Barrett, P.J. Mayewski, P.A. Sneed, S.B. Naish, T.R. Morgenstern, U. Solar forcing recorded by aerosol concentrations in coastal Antarctic glacier ice, McMurdo Dry Valleys. Annals of glaciology 41: 52-56, 2005.
Patterson, N.G. Bertler, N.A.N. Naish, T.R. Morgenstern, U. ENSO variability in the deuterium excess record of a coastal Antarctic ice core from the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Victoria Land. Annals of glaciology 41: 140-146, 2005.
Rhodes, R.H., Bertler, N.A.N., Baker, J.A., Sneed, S.B., Oerter, H., Arrigo, K.R. 2009. Sea ice variability and primary productivity in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, from methylsulphonate snow record. Geophysical research letters 36: L10704 2009. doi:10.1029/2009GL037311, 2009.
Creation and Review Dates
DIF Creation Date:
2005-09-22
Last DIF Revision Date:
2010-02-23
