Lead-210 profile in firn layer over Antarctic ice sheet and its relation to the snow accumulation environment

Toshitaka Suzuki; Kokichi Kamiyama; Teruo Furukawa; Yoshiyuki Fujii

doi:10.3402/tellusb.v56i1.16403

Lead-210 profile in firn layer over Antarctic ice sheet and its relation to the snow accumulation environment

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

Volume 56 (2004): Issue 1

By: Toshitaka Suzuki, Kokichi Kamiyama, Teruo Furukawa and Yoshiyuki Fujii

Open Access

|Jan 2004

Abstract

Vertical distributions of ²¹⁰Pb in surface firn were obtained at five locations in east Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. The distributions obtained in the inland high-plateau region are well described by the theoretical radioactive decay curve. On the other hand, the distributions obtained in the katabatic wind region have significant fluctuations including intervals where higher activity is found below layers with lower activity. We examined the relationship between the fluctuation of the ²¹⁰Pb profile and the temporal variation of the snow accumulation rate obtained by the snow stake method, and found a clear negative correlation between them. This result suggests that the fluctuation of the ²¹⁰Pb profile in the firn layer is closely related to the environment in the ice sheet surface, i.e. the extent of erosion—redistribution of snow. The measurement of the ²¹⁰Pb distribution in the ice sheet will be useful as an indicator of the surface stability in the Antarctic ice sheet.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v56i1.16403 | Journal eISSN: 1600-0889

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Language: English

Page range: 85 - 92

Submitted on: Feb 4, 2003

Accepted on: Aug 12, 2003

Published on: Jan 1, 2004

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 2004 Toshitaka Suzuki, Kokichi Kamiyama, Teruo Furukawa, Yoshiyuki Fujii, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 56 (2004): Issue 1