Abstract
The insoluble particulate matter deposited on ice sheets provide key information to reconstruct past climate. The low concentration of some insoluble particulate matter, such as terrigenous particles and microfossils, challenges the efficiency of the recovery and the representativeness of the results. Here we present a new optimized method to extract, quantify and classify targeted low concentration insoluble particulate matter. Particle recovery rates and particle distribution were investigated using polystyrene particle standards filtered through Polycarbonate membrane filters and subsequently scanned in a scanning electron microscope. Experimental results in continuous and discrete sampling systems reveal consistent trends in the transport and removal of particulate material inside a filtration system. Statistical simulations are used to optimize the sample analyses required to achieve representative results. The analysis of diatoms in ice cores using this new method uncovered their potential to hold valuable climate records from the Antarctic Peninsula region. The data presented here evidence the presence of a measurable amount of marine diatoms with sub-annual variations, highlighting the potential of this record as a seasonal indicator. The new method presented provides an optimized and statistically representative approach for extracting, recovering and analyzing micrometre-sized, low-concentration insoluble particulate matter in ice.
Highlights
Ice cores are faithful recorders of changing climate over thousands of years (Alley, 2014)
Fourteen Continuous Flow Analysis (CFA) runs were completed (MI sample followed by three rinsing cycles of ultrapure ice strips (UPI)), producing 96 filters
We propose that many microspheres could be fragmented during the sample freezing and lost while filtrating or that some fragments were ignored during Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) scanning
Summary
Ice cores are faithful recorders of changing climate over thousands of years (Alley, 2014). The chemical composition of ice reflects changes in atmospheric composition and circulation, while patterns in the seasonal deposition of chemical species allow accurate dating of ice cores at annual and sub-annual resolution (Legrand and Mayewski, 1997; Alley, 2010). Ice core chronologies are constructed from a variety of parameters, including absolute time markers and seasonal indicators (Wolff et al, 2010). Absolute time markers can be produced by large-magnitude volcanic eruptions. Their SO2 emissions (Sigl et al, 2015) and tephra deposits (Davies et al, 2012) have provided numerous reference horizons in ice cores. Seasonal indicators include changes in the stable isotope composition of the ice, changes in the concentration of impurities and changes in the physical
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
