Black Carbon deposition on snow from Antarctic Peninsula

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Cereceda-Balic ◽  
Maria Florencia Ruggeri ◽  
Victor Vidal ◽  
Humberto Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Thick Layer ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Filtration System ◽  
Antarctic Snow ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Snow Samples

<p>Atmospheric Black carbon (BC) strongly affects direct radiative forcing and climate, not only while suspended in the atmosphere but also after deposition onto high albedo surfaces, which are especially sensitive, because the absorption of solar radiation by deposited BC accelerate the snowpack/ice melting. In the Southern Hemisphere, the BC generated in the continents can be transported through the atmosphere from low and mid-latitudes to Antarctica, or it can be emitted in Antarctica by the anthropogenic activities developed in situ.  To assess the potential origin of the BC deposited in the snow of the Antarctic, and establish a possible relationship with the human activities that are carried out there, snow samples were taken in different sites from the Antarctic peninsula during summer periods: Chilean Base O’Higgins (BO), 2014; La Paloma Glacier 2015 and 2016 (at a distance of 6 km separated from BO); close to Chilean Base Yelcho (BY), 2018 and away from Chilean Base Yelcho 2018 (at a distance of 5 km separated from BY). Shallow snow samples were collected in Whirl-Pak (Nasco) plastics bags from the top of the snowpack, in an area of 1 m<sup>2</sup> and 5 cm thick layer, using a clean plastic shovel and disposable dust-free nitrile gloves. Sample weighed around 1500-2000 g, and they were kept always frozen (-20 °C), during transport and storage, until they could be processed in the laboratory. BC concentration in the snow samples was determined by using a novel methodology recently developed, published and patent by the authors (Cereceda et al 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133934; US 16/690,013-Nov, 2019 ). The methodology consisted of a filter-based optical method where snow samples were microwave-assisted melted, then filtered through a special filtration system able to generate a uniform BC spot on Nuclepore 47 mm polycarbonate filters (Whatman, UK). BC deposited in filters was analyzed using a SootScan™, Model OT21 Optical Transmissometer (Magee Scientific, USA), where optical transmission was compared between the sample and a reference filter at a wavelength of 880 nm. The BC mass concentration was calculated using a 5-points calibration curve, previously prepared using real diesel BC soot as standard.  Results showed a BC concentration in snow of 1283.8 ± 1240 µg kg<sup>-1</sup>. Snow from O’Higgins Base presented the highest BC concentration (3395.7 µg kg<sup>-1</sup>), followed by snow from the site close to Yelcho Base (1309.2 µg kg<sup>-1</sup>), snow from La Paloma Glacier 2016 (745.9 µg kg<sup>-1</sup>), snow from the site away from Yelcho Base (734.5 µg kg<sup>-1</sup>) and snow from La Paloma Glacier 2015 (233.6 µg kg<sup>-1</sup>). BC values observed in Antarctic snow were higher than others previously reported in the literature (Cereceda et al 2019) and showed the influence that anthropic activities have in the study area, considering that the two highest values of BC concentration in snow were found at sites near the bases, which presented levels comparable to those found in snowy sites in the Andes, continental Chile (Cereceda et al 2019).</p>

Black Carbon and Light-absorbing impurities in the Antarctic Peninsula

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raul Cordero ◽  
Alessandro Damiani ◽  
Sarah Feron ◽  
Alia Khan ◽  
Jose Jorquera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Surface Albedo ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Algae Bloom ◽  
Geographical Differences ◽  
Feedback Mechanisms ◽  
Snow Algae ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Snow Samples

<p>Assessing the albedo response due to light-absorbing impurities (LAI) in coastal snowpacks has become of great interest in the light of the ‘Antarctic greening’. Reductions in the albedo (triggered by a change in air temperature or by the LAI deposition) can also enhance feedback mechanisms; as the albedo drops, the fraction of absorbed solar energy increases, which leads to additional albedo drops.</p><p>Here we assess the presence of Black Carbon (BC) and LAI in coastal snowpacks in the Antarctic Peninsula. The BC-equivalent contentwas assessed by applying the meltwater filtration (MF) technique to snow samples taken at 7 locations in theAntarctic Peninsula, from latitude 62<sup>o</sup>S to latitude 67<sup>o</sup>S. BC-equivalentconcentrations exhibited significant geographical differences,but were found to be generally lower than 5 ng/g (in the range of those reported for the Arctic Ocean and Greenland). Moreover, the Angstrom coefficients were found to be particularly high at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula,likely due to the snow algae presence. After the onset of melt, red snow algae bloom, significantly affecting the surface albedo, as shown by our measurements.</p>

scholarly journals Recent Variations in Heavy Metal Concentrations in Firn and Air From the Antarctic Peninsula

1982 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 255-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Peel ◽  
E. W. Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Anodic Stripping Voltammetry ◽  
Stripping Voltammetry ◽  
Absorption Spectrometry ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Metal Concentrations ◽  
Heavy Metal Concentrations ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Snow Samples

A snow-pit and hand-drilled core have been sampled at Spaatz Island in the Antarctic Peninsula to obtain evidence on the importance of short-term fluctuations of heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) concentrations. A programme of air sampling was undertaken at the same time to investigate directly the link between concentrations in air and in snow. The snow samples and air filters have been analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) following preconcentration on tungsten wires and by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). One sequence of snow samples was preconcentrated in the field and analysed later for Cd in the laboratory. The snow analyses confirm that year-to-year variations in heavy metal concentrations may be comparable with changes due to long-term variations in global emission rates to the atmosphere from industrial sources. The importance of understanding these apparently meteorologically controlled processes is underlined. Averaged data from the combined air/snow sampling programme show a satisfactory linear relationship between concentrations in air and in snow for both the heavy metals and for the cation component of the marine aerosol. The results, considered in the light of Junge's model for static rainout, give a ratio for concentration in air (ng m−3)/concentration in snow (ng g−1) of 0.6±0.3.

First airborne gravity wave observations at the world’s hotspot in Southern Argentina

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Rapp ◽  
Bernd Kaifler ◽  
Andreas Dörnbrack ◽  
Sonja Gisinger ◽  
Tyler Mixa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Wave ◽  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Wave Activity ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Tierra Del Fuego ◽  
Mountain Waves ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Chemistry Research ◽  
The World ◽  
The Antarctic

<p>The region around Southern Argentina and the Antarctic peninsula is known as the world’s strongest hotspot of stratospheric gravity wave activity. In this region, large tropospheric winds are perturbed by the orography of the Andes and the Antarctic peninsula resulting in the excitation of mountain waves which might propagate all the way up into the upper mesosphere when the polar night jet is intact. In addition, satellite observations also show large stratospheric wave activity in the region of the Drake passage, i.e., in between the Andes and the Antarctic peninsula, and along the corresponding latitudinal circle of 60°S. The origin of these waves is currently not entirely understood. Several hypotheses are currently being investigated, like for example the idea that the mountain waves that were originally excited over the Andes and the Antarctic peninsula propagate horizontally to 60°S and along the latitudinal circle. In order to investigate this and other hypotheses the German research aircraft HALO was deployed to Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego, at the Southern Tip of Argentina in September and November 2019 in the frame of the SOUTHTRAC (Southern hemisphere Transport, Dynamics, and Chemistry) research mission. A total of 6 dedicated research flights with a typical length of 7000km were conducted to obtain gravity wave observations with the newly developed ALIMA (ALIMA=Airborne LIdar for Middle Atmosphere research)-instrument and the GLORIA (GLORIA=Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere) limb sounder. While ALIMA measures temperatures and temperature perturbations in the altitude range from 20-90 km, GLORIA observations allow to characterize wave perturbations in temperatures and trace gas concentrations below flight level (<~14 km). This paper gives an overview of the mission objectives, the prevailing atmospheric conditions during the HALO deployment, and highlights some outstanding initial results of the gravity wave observations.</p>

scholarly journals Trace Elements in Simultaneously Sampled Aerosol and Snow from the Antarctic Peninsula (Abstract)

1988 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan L. Dick
Keyword(s):  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Air Concentration ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
Surface Snow ◽  
Lead Zinc ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Fresh Surface ◽  
Larsen Ice Shelf ◽  
Snow Samples

Ultra-clean techniques have been used to collect a series of fresh surface-snow samples on Gipps Ice Rise, Larsen Ice Shelf (68°48′S, 60°54′W) between 21 December 1984 and 12 February 1985. Aerosol samples were collected simultaneously on to pre-cleaned membrane filters to allow the direct comparison of trace-element levels in air and snow. Samples have been analysed by various techniques for cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, aluminium, calcium, potassium and sodium. For all elements, cross-sample concentration profiles have been obtained to support the data for snow samples. The heavy-metal concentrations found in the surface snow were similar to those measured previously near Gomez Nunatak in the Antarctic Peninsula. The mean aerosol concentrations found at Gipps Ice Rise were Cd: 0.06 pg m−3, Cu: 1.0 pg m−3, Pb; 4.7 pg m−3, Zn: 6.1 pg m−3. These are the lowest concentrations measured so far in Antarctic aerosol. The ratio of the snow concentration (pg g−1) to air concentration (ng m−3), known as the washout factor, has been calculated for each element and sampling period. The data show that, for the Antarctic Peninsula, the marine aerosol is more efficiently removed to the snow-pack than is the crustal aerosol. Heavy metals are least efficiently removed. This result suggests that the measurement of concentrations in snow and ice alone may lead to misinterpretation of atmospheric source strengths.

scholarly journals Retention and radiative forcing of black carbon in eastern Sierra Nevada snow

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 365-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Sterle ◽  
J. R. McConnell ◽  
J. Dozier ◽  
R. Edwards ◽  
M. G. Flanner
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Major Ions ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Radiation Balance ◽  
Surface Snow ◽  
Dust Surface ◽  
Snow Samples ◽  
Eastern Sierra Nevada

Abstract. When contaminated by absorbing particles, such as refractory black carbon (rBC) and continental dust, snow's albedo decreases and thus its absorption of solar radiation increases, thereby hastening snowmelt. For this reason, an understanding of rBC's affect on snow albedo, melt processes, and radiation balance is critical for water management, especially in a changing climate. Measurements of rBC in a sequence of snow pits and surface snow samples in the eastern Sierra Nevada of California during the snow accumulation and ablation seasons of 2009 show that concentrations of rBC were enhanced sevenfold in surface snow (~25 ng g–1) compared to bulk values in the snowpack (~3 ng g–1). Unlike major ions, which were preferentially released during the initial melt, rBC and continental dust were retained in the snow, enhancing concentrations well into late spring, until a final flush occurred during the ablation period. We estimate a combined rBC and continental dust surface radiative forcing of 20 to 40 W m−2 during April and May, with dust likely contributing a greater share of the forcing.

scholarly journals Trace Elements in Simultaneously Sampled Aerosol and Snow from the Antarctic Peninsula (Abstract)

1988 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 201-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan L. Dick
Keyword(s):  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Air Concentration ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
Surface Snow ◽  
Lead Zinc ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Fresh Surface ◽  
Larsen Ice Shelf ◽  
Snow Samples

Ultra-clean techniques have been used to collect a series of fresh surface-snow samples on Gipps Ice Rise, Larsen Ice Shelf (68°48′S, 60°54′W) between 21 December 1984 and 12 February 1985. Aerosol samples were collected simultaneously on to pre-cleaned membrane filters to allow the direct comparison of trace-element levels in air and snow. Samples have been analysed by various techniques for cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, aluminium, calcium, potassium and sodium. For all elements, cross-sample concentration profiles have been obtained to support the data for snow samples.The heavy-metal concentrations found in the surface snow were similar to those measured previously near Gomez Nunatak in the Antarctic Peninsula. The mean aerosol concentrations found at Gipps Ice Rise were Cd: 0.06 pg m−3, Cu: 1.0 pg m−3, Pb; 4.7 pg m−3, Zn: 6.1 pg m−3. These are the lowest concentrations measured so far in Antarctic aerosol.The ratio of the snow concentration (pg g−1) to air concentration (ng m−3), known as the washout factor, has been calculated for each element and sampling period. The data show that, for the Antarctic Peninsula, the marine aerosol is more efficiently removed to the snow-pack than is the crustal aerosol. Heavy metals are least efficiently removed. This result suggests that the measurement of concentrations in snow and ice alone may lead to misinterpretation of atmospheric source strengths.

Atmospheric rivers landfalling at the Antarctic Peninsula: the Year of Polar Prediction summer special observing period measurements for model and forecast improvement 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Gorodetskaya ◽  
Penny Rowe ◽  
Heike Kalesse ◽  
Patric Seifert ◽  
Sang-Jong Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Moisture Transport ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Atmospheric Rivers ◽  
Surface Melt ◽  
The Antarctic

<p>During the last several decades, the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) has shown a much stronger warming trend compared to the rest of the ice sheet and other land areas in the Southern Hemisphere (Jones et al, 2019). Recent studies have also highlighted that the AP has experienced both an increase in precipitation and in surface melt. Atmospheric rivers (ARs) – long corridors of intense moisture transport from subtropical and mid-latitude regions poleward - are known for prominent role in moisture transport (Gorodetskaya et al, 2020) and intense precipitation in Antarctica (Gorodetskaya et al 2014). At the same time, ARs have been also associated with major surface melt events at the AP and adjacent ice shelves (Wille et al 2019). In this study, we explore the double role of ARs, as carriers of both heat and moisture, in their impacts on precipitation (rain and snow), cloud radiative forcing and air temperature at the AP. Observations from the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP, Bromwich et al 2020) endorsed sites/projects are used: Escudero station (the Characterization of the Antarctic Atmosphere and Low Clouds, or CAALC project) and King Sejong station (South Korean Antarctic Program projects) on King George Island, as well as Punta Arenas (southern Chile; the Dynamics, Aerosol, Cloud, And Precipitation Observations in the Pristine Environment of the Southern Ocean, or DACAPO-PESO project). These projects employed a set of ground-based remote sensing instrumentation for water vapor, cloud and precipitation observations, as well as frequent radiosonde launches during the YOPP Special Observing Period in austral summer 2018/2019. We present case studies characterizing the temporal evolution of ARs, focusing on thermodynamic and dynamic conditions accompanying the transition between snowfall and rain. Further, we demonstrate the added value of assimilating more frequent radiosonde observations in improving the forecast of weather conditions during ARs using the Polar-WRF model, including wind and precipitation prediction, which have important consequences for air, ship and station operations in Antarctica.</p><p>Bromwich, D. H., K. Werner, B. Casati, J. G. Powers, I. V. Gorodetskaya, F. Massonnet, V. Vitale, et al: The Year of Polar Prediction in the Southern Hemisphere (YOPP-SH), Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0255.1.</p><p>Gorodetskaya, I.V., Silva, T., Schmithüsen, H., and Hirasawa, N., 2020: Atmospheric River Signatures in Radiosonde Profiles and Reanalyses at the Dronning Maud Land Coast, East Antarctica.Adv. Atmos. Sci., https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-020-9221-8</p><p>Gorodetskaya, I. V., M. Tsukernik, K. Claes, M. F. Ralph, W. D. Neff, and N. P. M. van Lipzig, 2014: The role of atmospheric rivers in anomalous snow accumulation in East Antarctica. Geophys. Res. Lett.,  https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL060881</p><p>Jones, M. E., Bromwich, D. H., Nicolas, J. P., Carrasco, J., Plavcova, E., Zou, X., & Wang, A. S.-H. (2019). Sixty Years of Widespread Warming in the Southern Middle and High Latitudes (1957-2016). J. Climate, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-18</p><p>Wille, J.D., Favier, V., Dufour, A., Gorodetskaya, I.V., Turner, J., Agosta, C., and Codron, F., 2019. West Antarctic surface melt triggered by atmospheric rivers. Nat. Geosci. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0460-1</p>

Short Note: Micropropagation of Antarctic Colobanthus quitensis

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo E. Zúñiga ◽  
Pablo Zamora ◽  
Marcelo Ortega ◽  
Alberto Obrecht
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Short Note ◽  
Falkland Islands ◽  
Maritime Antarctic ◽  
Colobanthus Quitensis ◽  
The Andes ◽  
The Antarctic

The Antarctic Pearlwort, Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth.) Bartl. (Caryophyllaceae) is one of the two native vascular plant species that have successfully colonized the maritime Antarctic during the Holocene (Smith 1984). Within the Antarctic biome, it is only found on the Antarctic Peninsula and on islands in the maritime Antarctic (Smith 1984). Its distribution also includes South Georgia (sub-Antarctic), the Falkland Islands, and sites along the Andes, reaching c. 10°N in Mexico (Moore 1970). Moore (1970) observed that C. quitensis is self-compatible and appears to be largely, if not entirely, self-pollinated. Convey (1996), found that maritime Antarctic C. quitensis showed lower allocation to seed production than plants from sub-Antarctic sites.

scholarly journals Marine diatoms in ice cores from the Antarctic Peninsula and Ellsworth Land, Antarctica – species diversity and regional variability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter R. Tetzner ◽  
Elizabeth R. Thomas ◽  
Claire S. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Regional Variability ◽  
Marine Diatoms ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Glacier Ice ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract. The presence of marine microfossils (diatoms) in glacier ice and ice cores has been documented from numerous sites in Antarctica, Greenland, as well as from sites in the Andes and the Altai mountains, and attributed to entrainment and transport by winds. However, their presence and diversity in snow and ice, especially in polar regions, is not well documented and still poorly understood. Here we present the first data to resolve the regional and temporal distribution of diatoms in ice cores, spanning a 20 year period across four sites in the southern Antarctic Peninsula and Ellsworth Land, Antarctica. We assess the regional variability in diatom composition and abundance at annual and sub-annual resolution across all four sites. These data corroborate the dominance of contemporary marine diatoms in Antarctic Peninsula ice cores, reveal that the timing and amount of diatoms deposited vary between low and high elevation sites and support existing evidence that marine diatoms have the potential to yield a novel wind paleoenvironmental proxy for ice cores in the southern Antarctic Peninsula and Ellsworth Land.

scholarly journals Recent Variations in Heavy Metal Concentrations in Firn and Air From the Antarctic Peninsula

1982 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 255-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Peel ◽  
E. W. Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Anodic Stripping Voltammetry ◽  
Stripping Voltammetry ◽  
Absorption Spectrometry ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Metal Concentrations ◽  
Heavy Metal Concentrations ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Snow Samples

A snow-pit and hand-drilled core have been sampled at Spaatz Island in the Antarctic Peninsula to obtain evidence on the importance of short-term fluctuations of heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) concentrations. A programme of air sampling was undertaken at the same time to investigate directly the link between concentrations in air and in snow. The snow samples and air filters have been analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) following preconcentration on tungsten wires and by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). One sequence of snow samples was preconcentrated in the field and analysed later for Cd in the laboratory.The snow analyses confirm that year-to-year variations in heavy metal concentrations may be comparable with changes due to long-term variations in global emission rates to the atmosphere from industrial sources. The importance of understanding these apparently meteorologically controlled processes is underlined. Averaged data from the combined air/snow sampling programme show a satisfactory linear relationship between concentrations in air and in snow for both the heavy metals and for the cation component of the marine aerosol. The results, considered in the light of Junge's model for static rainout, give a ratio for concentration in air (ng m−3)/concentration in snow (ng g−1) of 0.6±0.3.

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