Reply on RC2

Abstract

Dust particle studies in ice cores from the tropical Andes provide important information about climate dynamics. We investigated dust concentrations from a 22.7 m ice-core recovered from the Quelccaya Ice Cap (QIC) in 2018, representing 12 years of snow accumulation. The dust seasonality signal was still preserved with some homogenization of the record due to surface melting and percolation. Using a microparticle counter, we measured the dust concentration from 2–60 µm and divided the annual dust concentration into three distinct groups: fine particle percentage (FPP, 2–10 µm), coarse particle percentage (CPP, 10–20 μm) and giant particle percentage (GPP, 20–60 μm). Increased dust was associated with the warm stage of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index (PDO) from 2014–2017 with significant increases in FPP and a relative decrease in GPP. There was a positive correlation between PDO and FPP (r = 0.68, p-value < 0.02). CPP and GPP were dominant during the PDO cold phase (2005–2013) and were more strongly associated with the Tropical Northern Atlantic index (TNA), which was positive from 2005–2017. The relation between TNA and CPP was r = 0.60 (p-value < 0.05) and that with GPP was r = 0.59 (p-value < 0.05). We also revealed a potential link between QIC dust and Madeira River sediments and runoff. Sediment concentration decreases at Porto Velho station were correlated with %GPP (r = 0.67, p < 0.02) from 2005–2017. This relationship contributes to a better understanding of the effects of PDO oscillations on both parameters. The %GPP and sediment decreases were potentially linked with the PDO phase change from negative to positive. We also noted a strong negative correlation between FPP and runoff (r = −0.80, p < 0.002) from 2005–2016, which was understandable due to the relationship of FPP to wetter conditions while runoff decreases were associated with increasing dryness in the southern part of the Madeira Basin. Assessing dust record variability by distinct size groups can help to improve our knowledge of how the Pacific and Atlantic oceans influence atmospheric oscillations in the QIC. In addition, the association of dust variability with dynamic changes in sediments and runoff in the Madeira River system demonstrates the potential for future investigation of linkages between QIC dust and Amazon basin rivers.