Greenland ice core evidence of the 79 AD Vesuvius eruption

C Barbante,C U Hammer,J P Steffensen,P Marianelli,G Cozzi,N M Kehrwald,M.-L Siggaard-Andersen,B M Vinther,H B Clausen

doi:10.5194/cp-9-1221-2013

Abstract

Abstract. Volcanic tephra are independent age horizons and can synchronize strata of various paleoclimate records including ice and sediment cores. The Holocene section of the Greenland Ice Core Project (GRIP) ice core is dated by multi-parameter annual layer counting, and contains peaks in acidity, SO42− and microparticle concentrations at a depth of 429.1 to 429.3 m, which have not previously been definitively ascribed to a volcanic eruption. Here, we identify tephra particles and determine that volcanic shards extracted from a depth of 429.3 m in the GRIP ice core are likely due to the 79 AD Vesuvius eruption. The chemical composition of the tephra particles is consistent with the K-phonolitic composition of the Vesuvius juvenile ejecta and differs from the chemical composition of other major eruptions (≥ VEI 4) between 50–100 AD.

Highlights

Major volcanic eruptions are phenomena which have dramatic consequences for climate and human lives
The Greenland Ice Core Project (GRIP) ice core contains an acidity peak at 429.1 m as revealed by electrical conductivity measurements (ECM) data (Fig. 1). This acid peak is a common signal in Greenland ice cores including DYE-3 and North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP) (Clausen et al, 1997; Vinther et al, 2006) and was originally dated to 80 AD in the DYE-3 ice core based on multiparameter annual layer counting (Clausen et al, 1997)
Species other than H2SO4 may influence the ECM and so parallel investigations of sulfate concentrations help determine if acidity peaks indicate an increase in H2SO4 and may be a marker of volcanic activity (Taylor et al, 1997)

Summary

Introduction

Major volcanic eruptions are phenomena which have dramatic consequences for climate and human lives. In many cases vast amounts of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and associated aerosols pollute the stratosphere for several years. This stratospheric veil reduces the solar radiation reaching earth’s surface and causes a general cooling for months to decades (Briffa et al, 1998). The conversion of SO2 into H2SO4 facilitates transport of volcanic emissions to the polar regions as H2SO4 is able to reach the stratosphere. This atmospheric height means that even H2SO4 that forms in low-latitude volcanic clouds can eventually reach the polar regions (Rampino and Self, 1982; Langway et al, 1988).

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Conclusion