Abstract
Little information exists about the concentration and temporal variations of organic components in Antarctic precipitation. We present results of TOC (total organic carbon) analyses from snowpits that were sampled on alpine glaciers in the Taylor Valley, Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica, at ∼78°S. The snowpits represent snow accumulation from the 1990s and the TOC concentrations are very low; most of the analysis yielded values below 8 μM. These values are some of the lowest ever reported for precipitation or snowpack and indicate that TOC in glacial snow in coastal Antarctica is little influenced by terrestrial and anthropogenic emissions of organic carbon. The sources of the TOC are still not known, however the TOC variation is negatively correlated to Cl− and the other major ions in the snow suggesting a different source or timing of deposition than the seasalt aerosols and terrestrial dust.
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