ALBERT

Description: Recent snow accumulation rate is a key quantity for ice-core and mass-balance studies. Several accumulation measurement methods (stake farm, fin core, snow-radar profiling, surface morphology, remote sensing) were used, compared and integrated at eight sites along a transect from Terra Nova Bay to Dome C, East Antarctica, to provide information about the spatial and temporal variability of snow accumulation. Thirty-nine cores were dated by identifying tritium/b marker levels (1965_66) and non-sea-salt (nss) SO42_ spikes of the Tambora (Indonesia) volcanic event (1816) in order to provide information on temporal variability. Cores were linked by snow radar and global positioning system surveys to provide detailed information on spatial variability in snow accumulation. Stake-farm and ice-core accumulation rates are observed to differ significantly, but isochrones (snow radar) correlate well with ice-core derived accumulation. The accumulation/ablation pattern from stake measurements suggests that the annual local noise (metre scale) in snow accumulation can approach 2 years of ablation and more than four times the average annual accumulation, with no accumulation or ablation for a 5 year period in up to 40% of cases. The spatial variability of snow accumulation at the kilometre scale is one order of magnitude higher than temporal variability at the multi-decadal/secular scale. Stake measurements and firn cores at Dome C confirm an approximate 30% increase in accumulation over the last two centuries, with respect to the average over the last 5000 years

Description: During the 1992–2002 Antarctic expeditions, in the framework of the International Trans-Antarctic Expedition (ITASE) project, about 600 sites were sampled (superficial snow, snow pits and firn cores) along traverses in the northern Victoria Land–Dome C–Wilkes Land region. The sites were characterized by different geographical (distance from the sea, altitude) and climatological (annual mean accumulation rate, temperature) conditions and were affected by air masses from different marine sectors (Ross Sea, Pacific Ocean). Mean anion and cation contents were calculated at each site, in order to evaluate the spatial distribution of chemical impurities in snow. Here we discuss the distribution of non-sea-salt sulphate (nssSO42–) and of methanesulphonic acid (MSA) mainly originating from atmospheric oxidation of biogenic dimethyl sulphide; these compounds play a key role in climate control processes by acting as cloud condensation nuclei. The spatial distribution of nssSO42– and MSA is discussed as a function of distance from the sea, altitude and accumulation rate. Depositional fluxes of nssSO42– and MSA decrease as a function of distance from the sea, with a higher gradient in the first 200km step. There is an analogous trend with the site altitude, and the first 1600m step is relevant in determining the nssSO42– and MSA content in snow. The nssSO42–/MSA ratio depends on the distance from the sea and the biogenic source strength. At coastal sites, where biogenic inputs are dominant, this ratio is ~2. As biogenic input decreases (low MSA content) inland, the ratio increases, indicating the presence of alternative sources of nssSO42– (crustal, volcanic background) or advection of low-latitude air masses. By plotting total flux as a function of accumulation rate, dry depositional contributions were evaluated for nssSO42– and MSA in the Ross Sea and Pacific Ocean sectors. Non-sea-salt sulphate wet deposition prevails at sites where the accumulation rate (expressed as water equivalent) is higher than 70 kgm–2 a–1 (Ross Sea sector) or 370 kgm–2 a–1 (Pacific Ocean sector). MSA threshold values in these sectors are respectively 90 and 220 kgm–2 a–1.

Description: Sea-salt markers (Na+, Mg2+ and Cl–) were analyzed in recent snow collected at more than 600 sites located in coastal and central areas of East Antarctica (northern Victoria Land–Dome C–Wilkes Land), in order to understand the effect of site remoteness, transport efficiency and depositional and post-depositional processes on the spatial distribution of the primary marine aerosol. Firn-core, snow-pit and 1m integrated superficial snow samples were collected in the framework of the International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expeditions (ITASE) project during recent Italian Antarctic Campaigns (1992–2002). The sampling sites were mainly distributed along coast–inland traverses (northern Victoria Land– Dome C) and an east–west transect following the 2100m contour line (Wilkes Land). At each site, the snow ionic composition was determined. Here, we discuss the distribution of sea-spray components (Na+, Mg2+ and Cl–) as a function of distance from the sea, altitude and accumulation rate, in order to discover the pulling-down rate, possible fractionating phenomena and alternative sources moving inland from coastal areas. Sea-spray depositional fluxes decrease as a function of distance from the sea and altitude. A two-order-of-magnitude decrease occurs in the first 200km from the sea, corresponding to about 2000ma.s.l. Correlations of Mg2+ and Cl– with Na+ and trends of Mg2+/Na+ and Cl–/Na+ ratios showed that chloride has other sources than sea spray (HCl) and is affected by post-depositional processes. Accumulation rate higher than 80 kgm–2 a–1 preserves the chloride record in the snow. Sea-spray atmospheric scavenging is dominated by wet deposition in coastal and inland sites.