Continuous Characterization of Insoluble Particles in Ice Cores Using the Single-Particle Extinction and Scattering Method

This study presents the integration of the single-particle extinction and scattering (SPES) method in a continuous flow analysis (CFA) setup. Continuous measurements with the instrument allow for the characterization of water-insoluble particles in ice cores at high resolution with a minimized risk of contamination. The SPES method can be used to investigate particles smaller than 1 μm, which previously could not be detected by instruments typically used in CFA. Moreover, the SPES method provides not only the particle concentration and size distribution but also the effective refractive index. We show that nonabsorbing mineral particles and absorbing particles from both wildfires and fossil fuel burning can be detected with the SPES method in shallow ice cores from North-East Greenland. The concentration record retrieved with SPES correlates well with established methods used in continuous measurements of dust content in ice cores. Year-to-year variations in the number distribution of the diameter are only detectable by stacking annual layers because of the low nonabsorbing particle concentration of late Holocene ice of approximately 6 × 104 mL-1. The median diameter in the bottom 20 m of the EGRIP-S7 core is found to be 0.75 μm (0.72 μm) during the annual maximum (minimum) in dust concentration.

Identifying imprints of externally derived dust and halogens in the sedimentary record of an Iberian alpine lake for the past ∼13,500 years - Lake Peixão, Serra da Estrela (Central Portugal)

Iberian lacustrine sediments are a valuable archive to document environmental changes since the last glacial termination, seen as key for anticipating future climate/environmental changes and their far-reaching implications for generations to come. Herein, multi-proxy-based indicators of a mountain lake record from Serra da Estrela were used to reconstruct atmospheric (in)fluxes and associated climatic/environmental changes over the last ∼13.5 ka. Depositions of long-range transported dust (likely from the Sahara) and halogens (primarily derived from seawater) were higher for the pre-Holocene, particularly in the late Bølling-Allerød-Younger Dryas period, compared to the Holocene. This synchronous increase could be related to a recognized dust-laden atmosphere, along with the combined effect of (i) an earlier proposed effective transport of Sahara dust for higher latitudes during cold periods and (ii) the progressive Polar Front expansion southwards, with the amplification of halogen activation reactions in lower latitudes due to greater closeness to snow/sea ice (halide-laden) surfaces. Additionally, the orographic blocking of Serra da Estrela may have played a critical role in increasing precipitation of Atlantic origin at higher altitudes, with the presence of snow prompting physical and chemical processes involving halogen species. In the Late Holocene, the dust proxy records highlighted two periods of enhanced input to Lake Peixão, the first (∼3.5-2.7 ka BP) after the end of the last African Humid Period and the second, from the 19th century onwards, agreeing with the advent of commercial agriculture, and human contribution to land degradation and dust emission in the Sahara/Sahel region. The oceanic imprints throughout the Holocene matched well with North Atlantic rapid climatic changes that, in turn, coincided with ice-rafted debris or Bond events and other records of increased storminess for the European coasts. Positive parallel peaks in halogens were found in recent times, probably connected to fire extinction by halogenated alkanes and roadway de-icing.

Greenland Ice Core Record of Last Glacial Dust Sources and Atmospheric Circulation

Abrupt and large-scale climate changes have occurred repeatedly and within decades during the last glaciation. These events, where dramatic warming occurs over decades, are well represented in both Greenland ice core mineral dust and temperature records, suggesting a causal link. However, the feedbacks between atmospheric dust and climate change during these Dansgaard-Oeschger events are poorly known and the processes driving changes in atmospheric dust emission and transport remain elusive. Constraining dust provenance is key to resolving these gaps. Here, we present a multi-technique analysis of Greenland dust provenance using novel and established, source diagnostic isotopic tracers as well as results from a regional climate model including dust cycle simulations. We show that the existing dominant model for the provenance of Greenland dust as sourced from combined East Asian dust and Pacific volcanics is not supported. Rather, our clay mineralogical and Hf-Sr-Nd and D/H isotopic analyses from last glacial Greenland dust and an extensive range of Northern Hemisphere potential dust sources reveal three most likely scenarios (in order of probability): direct dust sourcing from the Taklimakan Desert in western China, direct sourcing from European glacial sources, or a mix of dust originating from Europe and North Africa. Furthermore, our regional climate modeling demonstrates the plausibility of European or mixed European/North African sources for the first time. We suggest that the origin of dust to Greenland is potentially more complex than previously recognized, demonstrating more uncertainty in our understanding dust climate feedbacks during abrupt events than previously understood.

Iron in the NEEM ice core relative to Asian loess records over the last glacial-interglacial cycle

Mineral dust can indirectly affect the climate by supplying bioavailable iron (Fe) to the ocean. Here, we present the records of dissolved Fe (DFe) and total Fe (TDFe) in North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) ice core over the past 110 kyr BP. The Fe records are significantly negatively correlated with the carbon-dioxide (CO₂) concentrations during cold periods. The results suggest that the changes in Fe fluxes over the past 110 kyr BP in the NEEM ice core are consistent with those in Chinese loess records because the mineral-dust distribution is controlled by the East Asian deserts. Furthermore, the variations in the dust input on a global scale are most likely driven by changes in solar radiation during the last glacial-interglacial cycle in response to Earth's orbital cycles. In the last glacial-interglacial cycle, the DFe/TDFe ratios were higher during the warm periods (following the post-Industrial Revolution and during the Holocene and last interglacial period) than during the main cold period (i.e. the last glacial maximum (LGM)), indicating that the aeolian input of iron and the iron fertilization effect on the oceans have a non-linear relationship during different periods. Although the burning of biomass aerosols has released large amounts of DFe since the Industrial Revolution, no significant responses are observed in the DFe and TDFe variations during this period, indicating that severe anthropogenic contamination has no significant effect on the DFe (TDFe) release in the NEEM ice core.

High-resolution isotopic evidence for a potential Saharan provenance of Greenland glacial dust

Dust concentrations in Greenland ice show pronounced glacial/interglacial variations with almost two orders of magnitude increase during the Last Glacial Maximum. Greenland glacial dust was previously sourced to two East Asian deserts: the Taklimakan and Gobi deserts. Here we report the first high-resolution Pb and Sr isotopic evidence for a significant Saharan dust influence in Greenland during the last glacial period, back to ~31 kyr ago, from the Greenland NEEM ice core. We find that during Greenland Stadials 3-5.1 (~31 to 23 kyr ago), the primary dust provenance was East Asia, as previously proposed. Subsequently, the Saharan isotopic signals emerge during Greenland Stadials 2.1a-2.1c (~22.6 to 14.7 kyr ago) and from the late Bølling-Allerød to the Younger Dryas periods (~13.6 to 12 kyr ago), coincident with increased aridity in the Sahara and efficient northward transport of dust during these cold periods. A mixing isotopic model proposes the Sahara as an important source, accounting for contribution to Greenland glacial dust of up to 50%, particularly during Greenland Stadial 2.1b and the late Bølling-Allerød to the Younger Dryas periods. Our findings provide new insights into climate-related dust provenance changes and essential paleoclimatic constraints on dust-climate feedbacks in northern high latitudes.

Greenland records of aerosol source and atmospheric lifetime changes from the Eemian to the Holocene

The Northern Hemisphere experienced dramatic changes during the last glacial, featuring vast ice sheets and abrupt climate events, while high northern latitudes during the last interglacial (Eemian) were warmer than today. Here we use high-resolution aerosol records from the Greenland NEEM ice core to reconstruct the environmental alterations in aerosol source regions accompanying these changes. Separating source and transport effects, we find strongly reduced terrestrial biogenic emissions during glacial times reflecting net loss of vegetated area in North America. Rapid climate changes during the glacial have little effect on terrestrial biogenic aerosol emissions. A strong increase in terrestrial dust emissions during the coldest intervals indicates higher aridity and dust storm activity in East Asian deserts. Glacial sea salt aerosol emissions in the North Atlantic region increase only moderately (50%), likely due to sea ice expansion. Lower aerosol concentrations in Eemian ice compared to the Holocene are mainly due to shortened atmospheric residence time, while emissions changed little.

Past climate changes in Greenland ice were accompanied by large aerosol concentration changes. Here, the authors show that by correcting for transport effects, reliable source changes for biogenic aerosol from North America, sea salt aerosol from the North Atlantic, and dust from East Asian deserts can be derived.

Aircraft Measurements of Total Mercury and Monomethyl Mercury in Summertime Marine Stratus Cloudwater from Coastal California, USA

Water samples from marine stratus clouds were collected during 16 aircraft flights above the Pacific Ocean near the Central California coast during the summer of 2016. These samples were analyzed for total mercury (THg), monomethyl mercury (MMHg), and 32 other chemical species in addition to aerosol physical parameters. The mean concentrations of THg and MMHg in the cloudwater samples were 9.2 ± 6.0 ng L^-1 (2.3-33.8 ng L^-1) ( N = 97) and 0.87 ± 0.66 ng L^-1 (0.17-2.9 ng L^-1) ( N = 22), respectively. This corresponds to 9.5% (3-21%) MMHg as a fraction of THg. Low and high nonsea salt calcium ion (nss-Ca²⁺) concentrations in cloudwater were used to classify flights as "marine" and "continental", respectively. Mean [MMHg]_marine was significantly higher ( p < 0.05) than [MMHg]_continental consistent with an ocean source of dimethyl Hg (DMHg) to the atmosphere. Mean THg in cloudwater was not significantly different between the two categories, indicating multiple emissions sources. Mean [THg]_continental was correlated with pH, CO, NO₃^-, NH₄⁺, and other trace metals, whereas [THg]_marine was correlated with MMHg and Na⁺. THg concentrations were negatively correlated with altitude, consistent with ocean and land emissions, coupled with removal at the cloud-top due to drizzle formation.

Dust outpaces bedrock in nutrient supply to montane forest ecosystems

Dust provides ecosystem-sustaining nutrients to landscapes underlain by intensively weathered soils. Here we show that dust may also be crucial in montane forest ecosystems, dominating nutrient budgets despite continuous replacement of depleted soils with fresh bedrock via erosion. Strontium and neodymium isotopes in modern dust show that Asian sources contribute 18-45% of dust deposition across our Sierra Nevada, California study sites. The remaining dust originates regionally from the nearby Central Valley. Measured dust fluxes are greater than or equal to modern erosional outputs from hillslopes to channels, and account for 10-20% of estimated millennial-average inputs of bedrock P. Our results demonstrate that exogenic dust can drive the evolution of nutrient budgets in montane ecosystems, with implications for predicting forest response to changes in climate and land use.

Radiocarbon evidence for enhanced respired carbon storage in the Atlantic at the Last Glacial Maximum

The influence of ocean circulation changes on atmospheric CO2 hinges primarily on the ability to alter the ocean interior's respired nutrient inventory. Here we investigate the Atlantic overturning circulation at the Last Glacial Maximum and its impact on respired carbon storage using radiocarbon and stable carbon isotope data from the Brazil and Iberian Margins. The data demonstrate the existence of a shallow well-ventilated northern-sourced cell overlying a poorly ventilated, predominantly southern-sourced cell at the Last Glacial Maximum. We also find that organic carbon remineralization rates in the deep Atlantic remained broadly similar to modern, but that ventilation ages in the southern-sourced overturning cell were significantly increased. Respired carbon storage in the deep Atlantic was therefore enhanced during the last glacial period, primarily due to an increase in the residence time of carbon in the deep ocean, rather than an increase in biological carbon export.

A Chinese imprint in insoluble pollutants recently deposited in central Greenland as indicated by lead isotopes

A unique ∼ 10 year record of the lead isotopic composition of airborne insoluble particulate matter deposited in central Greenland was extracted from recent snow layers at NorthGRIP (75.1°N, 042.3°W; elevation 2,959 m), spanning the years 1989-2001. Comparison with lead isotopic signatures of both natural and anthropogenic northern hemisphere (NH) aerosol sources shows that human activities must have accounted for most of the insoluble lead deposited on Greenland during the late 1990 s, exceeding by far the natural contribution from large Asian mineral dust inputs. Lead isotopes imply predominance with time of European/Canadian sources over U.S.-derived lead, with an admixed signature typical of Chinese anthropogenic lead sources. The relative contribution of the latter shows a marked seasonal increase during spring. Our record also suggests that China's weight in the overall supply of insoluble pollutants deposited on Greenland was growing over the past decade of the 20th century.

Stochastic models of the meridional overturning circulation: time scales and patterns of variability

The global meridional overturning circulation (MOC) varies over a wide range of space and time scales in response to fluctuating 'weather' perturbations that may be modelled as stochastic forcing. This study reviews model studies of the effects of climate noise on decadal to centennial MOC variability, on transitions between the MOC regimes and on the dynamics of Dansgaard-Oeschger events characteristic of glacial periods.

From the Cover: Antarctic climate signature in the Greenland ice core record

A numerical algorithm is applied to the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) dust record from Greenland to remove the abrupt changes in dust flux associated with the Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) oscillations of the last glacial period. The procedure is based on the assumption that the rapid changes in dust are associated with large-scale changes in atmospheric transport and implies that D-O oscillations (in terms of their atmospheric imprint) are more symmetric in form than can be inferred from Greenland temperature records. After removal of the abrupt shifts the residual, dejumped dust record is found to match Antarctic climate variability with a temporal lag of several hundred years. It is argued that such variability may reflect changes in the source region of Greenland dust (thought to be the deserts of eastern Asia). Other records from this region and more globally also reveal Antarctic-style variability and suggest that this signal is globally pervasive. This provides the potential basis for suggesting a more important role for gradual changes in triggering more abrupt transitions in the climate system.

Ultra-sensitive Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) determination of calcium in ice cores at ppt level

A Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) spectrofluorimetric method for calcium determination in ice cores was optimised in order to achieve better analytical performances which would make it suitable for reliable calcium measurements at ppt level. The method here optimised is based on the formation of a fluorescent compound between Ca and Quin-2 in buffered environment. A careful evaluation of operative parameters (reagent concentration, buffer composition and concentration, pH), influence of interfering species possibly present in real samples and potential favourable effect of surfactant addition was carried out. The obtained detection limit is around 15 ppt, which is one order of magnitude lower than the most sensitive Flow Analysis method for Ca determination currently available in literature and reproducibility is better than 4% for Ca concentrations of 0.2 ppb. The method was validated through measurements performed in parallel with Ion Chromatography on 200 samples from an alpine ice core (Lys Glacier) revealing an excellent fit between the two chemical series. Calcium stratigraphy in Lys ice core was discussed in terms of seasonal pattern and occurrence of Saharan dust events.

GRIP Deuterium Excess Reveals Rapid and Orbital-Scale Changes in Greenland Moisture Origin

The Northern Hemisphere hydrological cycle is a key factor coupling ice sheets, ocean circulation, and polar amplification of climate change. Here we present a Northern Hemisphere deuterium excess profile covering one climatic cycle, constructed with the use of delta18O and deltaD Greenland Ice Core Project (GRIP) records. Past changes in Greenland source and site temperatures are quantified with precipitation seasonality taken into account. The imprint of obliquity is evidenced in the site-to-source temperature gradient at orbital scale. At the millennial time scale, GRIP source temperature changes reflect southward shifts of the geographical locations of moisture sources during cold events, and these rapid shifts are associated with large-scale changes in atmospheric circulation.