Sea Ice Versus Storms: What Controls Sea Salt in Arctic Ice Cores?

Rhodes, Rachael H. and Yang, Xin and Wolff, Eric W. (2018) Sea Ice Versus Storms: What Controls Sea Salt in Arctic Ice Cores? Geophysical Research Letters. ISSN 0094-8276, ESSN: 1944-8007 DOI https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077403

Preview

Text Rhodes_et_al-2018-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf - Accepted Version Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

The sea ice surface is thought to be a major source of sea salt aerosol, suggesting that sodium records of polar ice cores may trace past sea ice extent. Here we test this possibility for the Arctic, using a chemical transport model to simulate aerosol emission, transport and deposition in the satellite era. Our simulations suggest that sodium records from inland Greenland ice cores are strongly influenced by the impact of meteorology on aerosol transport and deposition. In contrast, sodium in coastal Arctic cores is predominantly sourced from the sea ice surface and the strength of these aerosol emissions controls the ice core sodium variability. Such ice cores may therefore record decadal to centennial scale Holocene sea ice changes. However, any relationship between ice core sodium and sea ice change may depend on how sea ice seasonality impacts sea salt emissions. Field‐based observations are urgently required to constrain this.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	2018AREP; IA74
Subjects:	01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems
Divisions:	01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems 08 - Green Open Access
Journal or Publication Title:	Geophysical Research Letters
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077403
Depositing User:	Sarah Humbert
Date Deposited:	01 Jun 2018 10:50
Last Modified:	12 Sep 2019 09:40
URI:	http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/id/eprint/4288

Actions (login required)

View Item