Dust transport to Dome C, Antarctica, at the Last Glacial Maximum and present day

Abstract

The Antarctic polar ice-core records show large changes in the concentration of dust over glacial-interglacial timescales. This paper explores how much of this variation is due to changes in the transport of dust from arid regions to the ice cores. Back trajectories, initialised from the site of Dome C ice-core, Antarctica, are calculated using an offline trajectory code forced by modelled winds, output from the UKMO Unified Model running under present day and LGM boundary conditions. As well as comparing the present day and LGM back trajectories, their seasonal and interannual variability is also explored. The results suggest that the Patagonian provenance of the Dome C dust can be understood in terms of the atmospheric transport whereas the total change in dust concentration requires changes to the sources or sinks.