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Mineral dust variability in central West Antarctica associated with ozone depletion

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2013) 13(4) 2165-2175
DOI: 10.5194/acp-13-2165-2013
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Abstract

We present here data of mineral dust variability retrieved from an ice core of the central West Antarctic, spanning the last five decades. Main evidence provided by the geochemical analysis is that northerly air mass incursions to the coring site, tracked by insoluble dust microparticles, have declined over the past 50 yr. This result contrasts with dust records from ice cores reported to the coastal West Antarctic that show increases since mid-20th century. We attribute this difference to regional climatic changes due to the ozone depletion and its implications to westerly winds. We found that the diameters of insoluble microparticles in the central West Antarctica ice core are significantly correlated with cyclone depth (energy) and wind intensity around Antarctica. © 2013 Author(s).

Figures

  • Fig. 1. (a) Fraction of insoluble dust microparticles (AlSi+Fe+Ti) at Mount Johns and ozone concentrations measured for October at Halley Bay Antarctic Stations (both with polynomial trends of degree 3 overlaid); (b) fraction of insoluble dust microparticles for AlSi and Fe, individually; (c) DJF wind intensity for 40–70◦ S (error bar: 1 standard deviation); (d) cyclone depth for DJF and the annual databases for the latitudinal bands 50–70◦ S and, (e) the same for 30–50◦ S; and (f) for AAO index. Shaded areas highlight the period of depleted ozone scenario.
  • Table 1. Trends in surface wind intensity measured in Antarctic stations (maritime region) before and after 1979. Data compiled from the SCAR-READER database. “Increase” and “Decrease”, (+/−), refer to trends.
  • Fig. 2. (A) Surface wind trends from Antarctic stations before and after 1979 (see Table 1); and (B) for comparison, simulated wind anomaly by NCEP-NCAR reanalysis relative to 1979 at 925 hPa.
  • Fig. 3. (A) Size distribution of insoluble microparticles and relative abundance of elements/chemical compounds obtained for Mount Johns ice core (central West Antarctica); (B) time variability of microparticle diameters at the same site.
  • Fig. 4. Dendrogram showing the similarity level among the geochemical and climate parameters. In this case the algorithm used is the single linkage, and Pearson’s r correlation was the similarity measure. A tolerance level defined around 0.3 grouped 2 sets of parameters.
  • Fig. 5. (upper) Correlation between total insoluble microparticle diameter in Mount Johns ice core and DJF cyclone depth around Antarctica between 1960 and 2007; (bottom) the same as the previous, but for wind intensity (40–70◦ S). A quadratic model was used to the best fit of the wind correlation.
  • Fig. 6. Schematic summary of recently observed patterns of mineral dust deposition in western Antarctica and continental climatic changes. (Air temperature at West Antarctica Ice Sheet, WAIS, is presented in Schneider et al., 2012; geochemical data of Talos Dome in Sala et al., 2008; Marie Byrd Land in Dixon et al., 2013; James Ross Is. in McConnell et al., 2007; Dyer Plateau in Thompson et al., 1994; Siple Station in Mosley-Thompson, 1992; and Mount Johns, this study).

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CITATION STYLE

APA

Cataldo, M., Evangelista, H., Simões, J. C., Godoi, R. H. M., Simmonds, I., Hollanda, M. H., … Van Grieken, R. (2013). Mineral dust variability in central West Antarctica associated with ozone depletion. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 13(4), 2165–2175. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-2165-2013

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