Abstract
AbstractVolcanism can play a key role in modulating climate; however, a lack of historical records has limited our comprehension of Antarctic volcanism and its role on the cryosphere. Remote sensing can provide insight into active volcanism in Antarctica during the satellite era, although the evidence is often inconclusive. Here, we use independent evidence from ice cores to validate one such potential volcanic eruption from the sub‐Antarctic Balleny Islands in 2001 CE. Multiple ice cores from downwind of the eruption site, record elevated input of sulfate, microparticles, and the presence of tephra, coincident with the eruption. In‐phase deposition of volcanic products confirmed a rapid tropospheric transport of volcanic emissions from a small‐to‐moderate, local eruption during 2001. Air mass trajectories demonstrated some air parcels were transported over the West Antarctic ice sheet from the Balleny Islands to ice core sites at the time of the potential eruption, establishing a route for transport and deposition of volcanic products over the ice sheet. The data presented here validate previous remote sensing observations and confirms a volcanic event in the Balleny Islands during 2001 CE. This newly identified eruption provides a case study of recent Antarctic volcanism.
Highlights
Antarctica is considered one of the least volcanically active regions on Earth, with the highest number of volcanoes listed as uncertainly active and many others hidden beneath the ice sheet (Hund, 2014)
We present a detailed study of five ice core glaciochemical and microparticle records from the southern Antarctic Peninsula, Ellsworth Land, and Marie Byrd Land, to validate the occurrence of this eruption
We structure our evidence in the following order, based on their merit as an indicator for this volcanic eruption. (a) Sulfate, a commonly used proxy for past volcanism in continental Antarctic ice cores but less suitable at low elevation and coastal sites where background biogenic sulfur is high. (b) electric conductivity (EC), a secondary parameter commonly used to identify volcanic activity. (c) Microparticle concentration (MPC) and size distribution dependent on distance from the source. (d) Cryptotephra, only produced during volcanic eruptions
Summary
Antarctica is considered one of the least volcanically active regions on Earth, with the highest number of volcanoes listed as uncertainly active and many others hidden beneath the ice sheet (Hund, 2014). Over 100 volcanoes have been identified in the Antarctic continent and sub-Antarctic Islands (de Vries et al, 2018; LeMasurier et al, 1990) with more than 20 documented in the historical records (Patrick & Smellie, 2013). Just two are frequently monitored by ground-based instruments (Mount Erebus and Deception Island; LeMasurier et al, 1990; Patrick & Smellie, 2013; Smellie et al, 2021), while the others are rarely surveyed due to their extreme isolation. Remote sensing techniques have helped to monitor regional volcanism; high detection thresholds and coarse spatial resolution have hindered the capacity of some sensors to accurately identify volcanic activity (Patrick & Smellie, 2013). The remoteness and inaccessibility of most of the Antarctic volcanoes have strongly limited our knowledge of the Antarctic volcanic activity
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