4.08 - Water Stable Isotopes: Atmospheric Composition and Applications in Polar Ice Core Studies

Abstract

This chapter is an update of the review previously published. The focus is twofold: the first part dealing with theoretical aspects related with the physics and the modeling of water isotopes in the atmosphere is followed by a detailed presentation of the climatic information that can be extracted from these isotopes measured along deep ice cores drilled in Greenland and Antarctica. Here, the author reviews the considerable amount of research conducted in these complementary topics over the last 10 years. They are based on progress in methodologies, thanks to recent technological advances, which have revolutionized this field of research: use of a new tracer based on the measurement of the 17 O/ 18 O ratio, reconstruction of water isotopes in vapor by satellite-based remote sensing techniques, and the use of infrared laser spectrometers to measure water isotopes in water vapor. In addition, the author's ability to describe and simulate the distribution of water isotopes using atmospheric general circulation models in which fractionation processes are embedded has made considerable progress, while new ice cores allowed the author to extend the climatic information over eight glacial–interglacial cycles in Antarctica and back to the last interglacial in Greenland.