Abstract
Three 2-m deep snowpits sampled at South Pole in 1994 provide detailed (2-cm resolution) profiles of the concentrations of soluble ionic species for the period 1987 - 1994. The most prominent feature is a large concentration spike of SO4 = in snow deposited in 1992 reflecting fallout from the eruptions of Pinatubo and Hudson in 1991. Concentrations of MSA and values of the MSA/(non-sea-salt SO4 =) ratio are elevated for about three years centered on the prominent volcanic signal. These changes appear to be due to the extended 1991 - 1993 El Nino. The overlapping effects of the volcanic eruptions and El Nino circulation preclude partitioning the enhanced deposition of SO4 = into volcanic and biogenic fractions. Nitrate concentration profiles show no relation to the severity of O3 depletion in the Antarctic stratosphere during the period of record. Rather, the profiles show a progressive decline of the annual peak concentrations over the top 0.5 - 1.0 m of each pit. This behavior is attributed to post-deposition loss of NO3 -, presumably by re-emission of HNO3 into the atmosphere. Copyright 1996 by the American Geophysical Union.
Department
Earth Sciences, Earth Systems Research Center
Publication Date
5-15-1996
Journal Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher
Wiley
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1029/96GL01039
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
J. E. Dibb and S. I. Whitlow, "Recent climate anomalies and their impact on snow chemistry at south pole, 1987-1994," Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 23, no. 10, pp. 1115–1118, May 1996.
Rights
Copyright 1996 by the American Geophysical Union.