Abstract
Palaeorecords which depict changes in sulphur dynamics form an invaluable resource for recording atmospheric pollution. Tree rings constitute an archive that are ubiquitously available and can be absolutely dated, providing the potential to explore local- to regional-scale trends in sulphur availability. Rapid isotopic analysis by a novel “on-line” method using elemental analyser isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS) is developed, achieving sample precision of <0.4‰ using sample sizes of 40 mg wood powder. Tree cores from NE Italy show trends in pollution, evidenced through increasing concentrations of sulphur towards the youngest growth, and inverse trends in sulphur isotopes differentiating modern growth with light sulphur isotopes (+0.7‰) from pre-industrial growth (+7.5‰) influenced by bedrock composition. Comparison with speleothem records from the same location demonstrate replication, albeit offset in isotopic value due to groundwater storage. Using EA-IRMS, tree ring archives form a valuable resource for understanding local- to regional-scale sulphur pollution dynamics.
Highlights
Changes in atmospheric sulphur aerosols over time represent a principal driver of climatic variability and an essential forcing mechanism for climate modelling (e.g. Charlson et al, 1991; Shindell et al, 2003)
Sulphur concentrations and isotope signatures obtained from the two tree cores (Abies alba) in the Italian Alps are displayed in Fig. 2 and compared to speleothem proxy records from the area
The first 50 years of growth were omitted from analyses due to possible presence of juvenile effects in the sulphur isotope series as observed in other tree ring parameters (Loader et al, 2013; McCarroll and Loader, 2004; Young et al, 2012)
Summary
Changes in atmospheric sulphur aerosols over time represent a principal driver of climatic variability and an essential forcing mechanism for climate modelling (e.g. Charlson et al, 1991; Shindell et al, 2003). Inventories of anthropogenic sulphur emissions to the atmosphere have identified clear trends of increasing regional pollution levels prior to the introduction of clean-up technologies fitted to power stations and industry. The subsequent onset of reductions in sulphur loading to the atmosphere depends upon location and emissions policy. Whereas in many European countries, sulphur emissions peaked in the 1970s (Smith et al, 2001, 2011; Vestreng et al, 2007), newly emerging industrial nations are struggling to curb emissions and in many cases have yet to reach peak emissions status (Schreifels et al, 2012; Su et al, 2011). Understanding the spatial patterns of sulphur emissions and their possible impact upon environmental status is not straightforward. The extraction of sulphur from palaeoarchives is difficult, and fraught with poor analytical
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