Articles | Volume 21, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-517-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-517-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
19 Feb 2025
Research article |
| 19 Feb 2025
| 19 Feb 2025
Total air content measurements from the RECAP ice core
Sindhu Vudayagiri
Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
Bo Vinther
Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
Johannes Freitag
Glaciology, Department of Geosciences, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
Peter L. Langen
Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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Thea Quistgaard, Tanja Denager, Raphael J. M. Schneider, Jesper R. Christiansen, Simon Stisen, and Peter L. Langen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1139, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1139, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Geoscientific Model Development (GMD).
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We present a generative modelling framework for kilometre-scale precipitation downscaling that combines machine learning with physics-informed design. The model produces daily ensembles, not just single realisations. Using a structured evaluation setup across spatial, probabilistic, and climatological metrics, we show that realistic detail does not guarantee correct climatology and statistics, demonstrating key trade-offs which must be addressed cleanly for reliable impact and risk assessment.
Elke Schlager, Sebastian Scher, Ruth H. Mottram, and Peter L. Langen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-7, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-7, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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Predicting Greenland's surface melt is crucial for understanding sea-level rise, but traditional firn models are too slow for exploring many climate scenarios. We developed a machine learning model that predicts daily surface melt from regional climate model data with high accuracy across Greenland's diverse regions. Our model can be retrained on different polar climate models, and extended to predict additional properties like runoff to efficiently emulate surface mass balance.
Tanja Denager, Jesper Riis Christiansen, Raphael Johannes Maria Schneider, Peter Langen, Thea Quistgaard, and Simon Stisen
Biogeosciences, 23, 441–462, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-441-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-441-2026, 2026
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This study demonstrates that incorporating both temperature and temporal variability in water level in emission models significantly influences CO2 emission from peat soil. Especially the co-occurrence of elevated air temperature and low groundwater table significantly influence CO2 emissions under scenarios of rewetting and climate change.
Lisa Ardoin, Catherine Larose, Jean-Louis Tison, Christoph Keuschnig, Vasileios Gkinis, Saïda El Amri, Pierre-Henry Blard, Paul Bierman, Thomas Blunier, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Charlotte Maistriau, Jørgen-Peder Steffensen, Thomas Röckmann, and François Fripiat
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6204, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6204, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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We investigated gas dynamics at the ice–bed interface of two Greenland ice cores to assess methane and carbon dioxide behaviour beneath ice sheets. At Camp Century, methane diffuses into the ice and is partly oxidized. At GRIP, methane remains preserved despite oxygen. These contrasts suggest that methane oxidation is controlled by local basal conditions, including ice thickness and substrate availability.
Margaret Harlan, Helle Astrid Kjær, Aylin de Campo, Anders Svensson, Thomas Blunier, Vasileios Gkinis, Sarah Jackson, Christopher Plummer, and Tessa Vance
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 6255–6271, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6255-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6255-2025, 2025
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This paper provides high-resolution chemistry and impurity measurements from the Mount Brown South ice core in East Antarctica, from 873 to 2008 CE. Measurements include sodium, ammonium, hydrogen peroxide, electrolytic conductivity, and insoluble microparticles. Data are provided on three scales: 1 mm and 3 cm averaged depth resolution and decadally averaged. The paper also describes the continuous flow analysis systems used to collect the data and characterizes uncertainties and data quality.
Florian Painer, Sepp Kipfstuhl, Martyn Drury, Tsutomu Uchida, Johannes Freitag, and Ilka Weikusat
The Cryosphere, 19, 5023–5044, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5023-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5023-2025, 2025
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Air clathrate hydrates trap ancient air in the deeper part of ice sheets. We use digital microscopy and automated image analysis to investigate the evolution of number, size, and shape of air clathrate hydrates from 1250 m depth to the bottom of the ice sheet. We confirm the previously found relation of changes in number and size with past climate and find a connection of their shape to changes in ice deformation. The results will help us to better understand air clathrate hydrates in deep ice.
Mikkel Langgaard Lauritzen, Anne Solgaard, Nicholas Mossor Rathmann, Bo Møllesøe Vinther, Aslak Grindsted, Brice Noël, Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir, and Christine Schøtt Hvidberg
The Cryosphere, 19, 3599–3622, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3599-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3599-2025, 2025
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We studied the Holocene (past 11 700 years) to understand how the Greenland Ice Sheet has changed. Using 841 computer simulations, we tested different scenarios and matched them to historical ice elevation data, confirming our model's accuracy. Results show that Greenland's melting has raised sea levels by about 5.3 m since the Holocene began and by around 12 mm in just the past 500 years.
Chloe A. Brashear, Tyler R. Jones, Valerie Morris, Bruce H. Vaughn, William H. G. Roberts, William B. Skorski, Abigail G. Hughes, Richard Nunn, Sune Olander Rasmussen, Kurt M. Cuffey, Bo M. Vinther, Todd Sowers, Christo Buizert, Vasileios Gkinis, Christian Holme, Mari F. Jensen, Sofia E. Kjellman, Petra M. Langebroek, Florian Mekhaldi, Kevin S. Rozmiarek, Jonathan W. Rheinlænder, Margit H. Simon, Giulia Sinnl, Silje Smith-Johnsen, and James W. C. White
Clim. Past, 21, 529–546, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-529-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-529-2025, 2025
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We use a series of spectral techniques to quantify the strength of high-frequency climate variability in northeastern Greenland to 50 000 ka before present. Importantly, we find that variability consistently decreases hundreds of years prior to Dansgaard–Oeschger warming events. Model simulations suggest a change in North Atlantic sea ice behavior contributed to this pattern, thus providing new information on the conditions which preceded abrupt climate change during the Last Glacial Period.
Jonathan Ortved Melcher, Sune Halkjær, Peter Ditlevsen, Peter L. Langen, Guido Vettoretti, and Sune Olander Rasmussen
Clim. Past, 21, 115–132, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-115-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-115-2025, 2025
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We introduce a new model that simulates Dansgaard–Oeschger events, dramatic and irregular climate shifts within past ice ages. The model consists of simplified equations inspired by ocean current dynamics. We fine-tune this model to capture the Dansgaard–Oeschger events with unprecedented accuracy, providing deeper insights into past climate patterns. This helps us understand and predict complex climate changes, aiding future climate change resilience efforts.
Emma Pearce, Dimitri Zigone, Coen Hofstede, Andreas Fichtner, Joachim Rimpot, Sune Olander Rasmussen, Johannes Freitag, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 18, 4917–4932, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4917-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4917-2024, 2024
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Our study near EastGRIP camp in Greenland shows varying firn properties by direction (crucial for studying ice stream stability, structure, surface mass balance, and past climate conditions). We used dispersion curve analysis of Love and Rayleigh waves to show firn is nonuniform along and across the flow of an ice stream due to wind patterns, seasonal variability, and the proximity to the edge of the ice stream. This method better informs firn structure, advancing ice stream understanding.
Julien Westhoff, Johannes Freitag, Anaïs Orsi, Patricia Martinerie, Ilka Weikusat, Michael Dyonisius, Xavier Faïn, Kevin Fourteau, and Thomas Blunier
The Cryosphere, 18, 4379–4397, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4379-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4379-2024, 2024
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We study the EastGRIP area, Greenland, in detail with traditional and novel techniques. Due to the compaction of the ice, at a certain depth, atmospheric gases can no longer exchange, and the atmosphere is trapped in air bubbles in the ice. We find this depth by pumping air from a borehole, modeling, and using a new technique based on the optical appearance of the ice. Our results suggest that the close-off depth lies at around 58–61 m depth and more precisely at 58.3 m depth.
Nicolaj Hansen, Andrew Orr, Xun Zou, Fredrik Boberg, Thomas J. Bracegirdle, Ella Gilbert, Peter L. Langen, Matthew A. Lazzara, Ruth Mottram, Tony Phillips, Ruth Price, Sebastian B. Simonsen, and Stuart Webster
The Cryosphere, 18, 2897–2916, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2897-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2897-2024, 2024
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We investigated a melt event over the Ross Ice Shelf. We use regional climate models and a firn model to simulate the melt and compare the results with satellite data. We find that the firn model aligned well with observed melt days in certain parts of the ice shelf. The firn model had challenges accurately simulating the melt extent in the western sector. We identified potential reasons for these discrepancies, pointing to limitations in the models related to representing the cloud properties.
Kévin Fourteau, Johannes Freitag, Mika Malinen, and Henning Löwe
The Cryosphere, 18, 2831–2846, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2831-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2831-2024, 2024
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Understanding the settling of snow under its own weight has applications from avalanche forecasts to ice core interpretations. We study how this settling can be modeled using 3D images of the internal structure of snow and ice deformation mechanics. We found that classical ice mechanics, as used, for instance, in glacier flow, explain the compaction of dense polar snow but not that of lighter seasonal snow. How, exactly, the ice deforms during light snow compaction thus remains an open question.
Xiaofeng Wang, Lu An, Peter L. Langen, and Rongxing Li
Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLVIII-1-2024, 691–696, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-1-2024-691-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-1-2024-691-2024, 2024
Kavitha Sundu, Johannes Freitag, Kévin Fourteau, and Henning Löwe
The Cryosphere, 18, 1579–1596, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1579-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1579-2024, 2024
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Ice crystals often show a rod-like, vertical orientation in snow and firn; they are said to be anisotropic. The stiffness in the vertical direction therefore differs from the horizontal, which, for example, impacts the propagation of seismic waves. To quantify this anisotropy, we conducted finite-element simulations of 391 snow, firn, and ice core microstructures obtained from X-ray tomography. We then derived a parameterization that may be employed for advanced seismic studies in polar regions.
Baptiste Vandecrux, Robert S. Fausto, Jason E. Box, Federico Covi, Regine Hock, Åsa K. Rennermalm, Achim Heilig, Jakob Abermann, Dirk van As, Elisa Bjerre, Xavier Fettweis, Paul C. J. P. Smeets, Peter Kuipers Munneke, Michiel R. van den Broeke, Max Brils, Peter L. Langen, Ruth Mottram, and Andreas P. Ahlstrøm
The Cryosphere, 18, 609–631, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-609-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-609-2024, 2024
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How fast is the Greenland ice sheet warming? In this study, we compiled 4500+ temperature measurements at 10 m below the ice sheet surface (T10m) from 1912 to 2022. We trained a machine learning model on these data and reconstructed T10m for the ice sheet during 1950–2022. After a slight cooling during 1950–1985, the ice sheet warmed at a rate of 0.7 °C per decade until 2022. Climate models showed mixed results compared to our observations and underestimated the warming in key regions.
Johannes Lohmann, Jiamei Lin, Bo M. Vinther, Sune O. Rasmussen, and Anders Svensson
Clim. Past, 20, 313–333, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-313-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-313-2024, 2024
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We present the first attempt to constrain the climatic impact of volcanic eruptions with return periods of hundreds of years by the oxygen isotope records of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores covering the last glacial period. A clear multi-annual volcanic cooling signal is seen, but its absolute magnitude is subject to the unknown glacial sensitivity of the proxy. Different proxy signals after eruptions during cooler versus warmer glacial stages may reflect a state-dependent climate response.
Xavier Faïn, David M. Etheridge, Kévin Fourteau, Patricia Martinerie, Cathy M. Trudinger, Rachael H. Rhodes, Nathan J. Chellman, Ray L. Langenfelds, Joseph R. McConnell, Mark A. J. Curran, Edward J. Brook, Thomas Blunier, Grégory Teste, Roberto Grilli, Anthony Lemoine, William T. Sturges, Boris Vannière, Johannes Freitag, and Jérôme Chappellaz
Clim. Past, 19, 2287–2311, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-2287-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-2287-2023, 2023
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We report on a 3000-year record of carbon monoxide (CO) levels in the Southern Hemisphere's high latitudes by combining ice core and firn air measurements with modern direct atmospheric samples. Antarctica [CO] remained stable (–835 to 1500 CE), decreased during the Little Ice Age, and peaked around 1985 CE. Such evolution reflects stable biomass burning CO emissions before industrialization, followed by growth from CO anthropogenic sources, which decline after 1985 due to improved combustion.
Zhuo Wang, Ailsa Chung, Daniel Steinhage, Frédéric Parrenin, Johannes Freitag, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 17, 4297–4314, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4297-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4297-2023, 2023
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We combine radar-based observed internal layer stratigraphy of the ice sheet with a 1-D ice flow model in the Dome Fuji region. This results in maps of age and age density of the basal ice, the basal thermal conditions, and reconstructed accumulation rates. Based on modeled age we then identify four potential candidates for ice which is potentially 1.5 Myr old. Our map of basal thermal conditions indicates that melting prevails over the presence of stagnant ice in the study area.
Nora Hirsch, Alexandra Zuhr, Thomas Münch, Maria Hörhold, Johannes Freitag, Remi Dallmayr, and Thomas Laepple
The Cryosphere, 17, 4207–4221, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4207-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4207-2023, 2023
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Stable water isotopes from firn cores provide valuable information on past climates, yet their utility is hampered by stratigraphic noise, i.e. the irregular deposition and wind-driven redistribution of snow. We found stratigraphic noise on the Antarctic Plateau to be related to the local accumulation rate, snow surface roughness and slope inclination, which can guide future decisions on sampling locations and thus increase the resolution of climate reconstructions from low-accumulation areas.
Anja Løkkegaard, Kenneth D. Mankoff, Christian Zdanowicz, Gary D. Clow, Martin P. Lüthi, Samuel H. Doyle, Henrik H. Thomsen, David Fisher, Joel Harper, Andy Aschwanden, Bo M. Vinther, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Harry Zekollari, Toby Meierbachtol, Ian McDowell, Neil Humphrey, Anne Solgaard, Nanna B. Karlsson, Shfaqat A. Khan, Benjamin Hills, Robert Law, Bryn Hubbard, Poul Christoffersen, Mylène Jacquemart, Julien Seguinot, Robert S. Fausto, and William T. Colgan
The Cryosphere, 17, 3829–3845, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3829-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3829-2023, 2023
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This study presents a database compiling 95 ice temperature profiles from the Greenland ice sheet and peripheral ice caps. Ice viscosity and hence ice flow are highly sensitive to ice temperature. To highlight the value of the database in evaluating ice flow simulations, profiles from the Greenland ice sheet are compared to a modeled temperature field. Reoccurring discrepancies between modeled and observed temperatures provide insight on the difficulties faced when simulating ice temperatures.
Michaela Mühl, Jochen Schmitt, Barbara Seth, James E. Lee, Jon S. Edwards, Edward J. Brook, Thomas Blunier, and Hubertus Fischer
Clim. Past, 19, 999–1025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-999-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-999-2023, 2023
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Our ice core measurements show that methane, ethane, and propane concentrations are significantly elevated above their past atmospheric background for Greenland ice samples containing mineral dust. The underlying co-production process happens during the classical discrete wet extraction of air from the ice sample and affects previous reconstructions of the inter-polar difference of methane as well as methane stable isotope records derived from dust-rich Greenland ice.
Antoine Grisart, Mathieu Casado, Vasileios Gkinis, Bo Vinther, Philippe Naveau, Mathieu Vrac, Thomas Laepple, Bénédicte Minster, Frederic Prié, Barbara Stenni, Elise Fourré, Hans Christian Steen-Larsen, Jean Jouzel, Martin Werner, Katy Pol, Valérie Masson-Delmotte, Maria Hoerhold, Trevor Popp, and Amaelle Landais
Clim. Past, 18, 2289–2301, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-2289-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-2289-2022, 2022
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This paper presents a compilation of high-resolution (11 cm) water isotopic records, including published and new measurements, for the last 800 000 years from the EPICA Dome C ice core, Antarctica. Using this new combined water isotopes (δ18O and δD) dataset, we study the variability and possible influence of diffusion at the multi-decadal to multi-centennial scale. We observe a stronger variability at the onset of the interglacial interval corresponding to a warm period.
Giulia Sinnl, Mai Winstrup, Tobias Erhardt, Eliza Cook, Camilla Marie Jensen, Anders Svensson, Bo Møllesøe Vinther, Raimund Muscheler, and Sune Olander Rasmussen
Clim. Past, 18, 1125–1150, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1125-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1125-2022, 2022
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A new Greenland ice-core timescale, covering the last 3800 years, was produced using the machine learning algorithm StratiCounter. We synchronized the ice cores using volcanic eruptions and wildfires. We compared the new timescale to the tree-ring timescale, finding good alignment both between the common signatures of volcanic eruptions and of solar activity. Our Greenlandic timescales is safe to use for the Late Holocene, provided one uses our uncertainty estimate.
Julien Westhoff, Giulia Sinnl, Anders Svensson, Johannes Freitag, Helle Astrid Kjær, Paul Vallelonga, Bo Vinther, Sepp Kipfstuhl, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, and Ilka Weikusat
Clim. Past, 18, 1011–1034, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1011-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1011-2022, 2022
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We present a melt event record from an ice core from central Greenland, which covers the past 10 000 years. Our record displays warm summer events, which can be used to enhance our understanding of the past climate. We compare our data to anomalies in tree ring width, which also represents summer temperatures, and find a good correlation. Furthermore, we investigate an outstandingly warm event in the year 986 AD or 991 AD, which has not been analyzed before.
Xavier Faïn, Rachael H. Rhodes, Philip Place, Vasilii V. Petrenko, Kévin Fourteau, Nathan Chellman, Edward Crosier, Joseph R. McConnell, Edward J. Brook, Thomas Blunier, Michel Legrand, and Jérôme Chappellaz
Clim. Past, 18, 631–647, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-631-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-631-2022, 2022
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Carbon monoxide (CO) is a regulated pollutant and one of the key components determining the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere. In this study, we analyzed five ice cores from Greenland at high resolution for CO concentrations by coupling laser spectrometry with continuous melting. By combining these new datasets, we produced an upper-bound estimate of past atmospheric CO abundance since preindustrial times for the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes, covering the period from 1700 to 1957 CE.
Jiamei Lin, Anders Svensson, Christine S. Hvidberg, Johannes Lohmann, Steffen Kristiansen, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Jørgen Peder Steffensen, Sune Olander Rasmussen, Eliza Cook, Helle Astrid Kjær, Bo M. Vinther, Hubertus Fischer, Thomas Stocker, Michael Sigl, Matthias Bigler, Mirko Severi, Rita Traversi, and Robert Mulvaney
Clim. Past, 18, 485–506, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-485-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-485-2022, 2022
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We employ acidity records from Greenland and Antarctic ice cores to estimate the emission strength, frequency and climatic forcing for large volcanic eruptions from the last half of the last glacial period. A total of 25 volcanic eruptions are found to be larger than any eruption in the last 2500 years, and we identify more eruptions than obtained from geological evidence. Towards the end of the glacial period, there is a notable increase in volcanic activity observed for Greenland.
Fredrik Boberg, Ruth Mottram, Nicolaj Hansen, Shuting Yang, and Peter L. Langen
The Cryosphere, 16, 17–33, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-17-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-17-2022, 2022
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Using the regional climate model HIRHAM5, we compare two versions (v2 and v3) of the global climate model EC-Earth for the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets. We are interested in the surface mass balance of the ice sheets due to its importance when making estimates of future sea level rise. We find that the end-of-century change in the surface mass balance for Antarctica is 420 Gt yr−1 (v2) and 80 Gt yr−1 (v3), and for Greenland it is −290 Gt yr−1 (v2) and −1640 Gt yr−1 (v3).
Merve Polat, Jesper Baldtzer Liisberg, Morten Krogsbøll, Thomas Blunier, and Matthew S. Johnson
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 8041–8067, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-8041-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-8041-2021, 2021
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We have designed a process for removing methane from a gas stream so that nitrous oxide can be measured without interference. These are both key long-lived greenhouse gases frequently studied in relation to ice cores, plants, water treatment and so on. However, many researchers are not aware of the problem of methane interference, and in addition there have not been good methods available for solving the problem. Here we present and evaluate such a method.
Kenneth D. Mankoff, Xavier Fettweis, Peter L. Langen, Martin Stendel, Kristian K. Kjeldsen, Nanna B. Karlsson, Brice Noël, Michiel R. van den Broeke, Anne Solgaard, William Colgan, Jason E. Box, Sebastian B. Simonsen, Michalea D. King, Andreas P. Ahlstrøm, Signe Bech Andersen, and Robert S. Fausto
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 5001–5025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5001-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5001-2021, 2021
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We estimate the daily mass balance and its components (surface, marine, and basal mass balance) for the Greenland ice sheet. Our time series begins in 1840 and has annual resolution through 1985 and then daily from 1986 through next week. Results are operational (updated daily) and provided for the entire ice sheet or by commonly used regions or sectors. This is the first input–output mass balance estimate to include the basal mass balance.
Nicolaj Hansen, Peter L. Langen, Fredrik Boberg, Rene Forsberg, Sebastian B. Simonsen, Peter Thejll, Baptiste Vandecrux, and Ruth Mottram
The Cryosphere, 15, 4315–4333, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4315-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4315-2021, 2021
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We have used computer models to estimate the Antarctic surface mass balance (SMB) from 1980 to 2017. Our estimates lies between 2473.5 ± 114.4 Gt per year and 2564.8 ± 113.7 Gt per year. To evaluate our models, we compared the modelled snow temperatures and densities to in situ measurements. We also investigated the spatial distribution of the SMB. It is very important to have estimates of the Antarctic SMB because then it is easier to understand global sea level changes.
Helle Astrid Kjær, Lisa Lolk Hauge, Marius Simonsen, Zurine Yoldi, Iben Koldtoft, Maria Hörhold, Johannes Freitag, Sepp Kipfstuhl, Anders Svensson, and Paul Vallelonga
The Cryosphere, 15, 3719–3730, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3719-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3719-2021, 2021
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Ice core analyses are often done in home laboratories after costly transport of samples from the field. This limits the amount of sample that can be analysed.
Here, we present the first truly field-portable continuous flow analysis (CFA) system for the analysis of impurities in snow, firn and ice cores while still in the field: the lightweight in situ analysis (LISA) box.
LISA is demonstrated in Greenland to reconstruct accumulation, conductivity and peroxide in snow cores.
Delia Segato, Maria Del Carmen Villoslada Hidalgo, Ross Edwards, Elena Barbaro, Paul Vallelonga, Helle Astrid Kjær, Marius Simonsen, Bo Vinther, Niccolò Maffezzoli, Roberta Zangrando, Clara Turetta, Dario Battistel, Orri Vésteinsson, Carlo Barbante, and Andrea Spolaor
Clim. Past, 17, 1533–1545, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1533-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1533-2021, 2021
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Human influence on fire regimes in the past is poorly understood, especially at high latitudes. We present 5 kyr of fire proxies levoglucosan, black carbon, and ammonium in the RECAP ice core in Greenland and reconstruct for the first time the fire regime in the high North Atlantic region, comprising coastal east Greenland and Iceland. Climate is the main driver of the fire regime, but at 1.1 kyr BP a contribution may be made by the deforestation resulting from Viking colonization of Iceland.
Ulas Im, Kostas Tsigaridis, Gregory Faluvegi, Peter L. Langen, Joshua P. French, Rashed Mahmood, Manu A. Thomas, Knut von Salzen, Daniel C. Thomas, Cynthia H. Whaley, Zbigniew Klimont, Henrik Skov, and Jørgen Brandt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10413–10438, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10413-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10413-2021, 2021
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Future (2015–2050) simulations of the aerosol burdens and their radiative forcing and climate impacts over the Arctic under various emission projections show that although the Arctic aerosol burdens are projected to decrease significantly by 10 to 60 %, regardless of the magnitude of aerosol reductions, surface air temperatures will continue to increase by 1.9–2.6 ℃, while sea-ice extent will continue to decrease, implying reductions of greenhouse gases are necessary to mitigate climate change.
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Short summary
Air trapped in polar ice during snowfall reflects atmospheric pressure at the time of occlusion, serving as a proxy for elevation. However, melting, firn structure changes, and air pressure variability complicate this relationship. We measured total air content (TAC) in the RECAP ice core from Renland ice cap, eastern Greenland, spanning 121 000 years. Melt layers and short-term TAC variations, whose origins remain unclear, present challenges in interpreting elevation changes.
Air trapped in polar ice during snowfall reflects atmospheric pressure at the time of occlusion,...
