Sea-salt aerosol transport patterns over the Northern Hemisphere inferred from two subarctic ice core records

Abstract

Atmospheric circulation reconstruction based on glaciochemical records requires knowledge of chemical concentration controls, such as source, transport pathway and strength. To gain insight into these processes, the relationships between glaciochemical records from two Northern Hemisphere sites (Mt. Logan in Yukon Territory and 20D in southern Greenland) and instrumental sea level pressure (SLP) series are investigated. Calibrations between Mt. Logan sea-salt sodium (ssNa+) concentration and SLP series show that ssNa+ concentrations are closely correlated with the autumntime (SON) Aleutian Low and the summertime (JJA) North Pacific Subtropical High. Both the deepened Aleutian Low and enhanced North Pacific Subtropical High strengthen the transport of sea-salt aerosols from the North Pacific to the Mt. Logan region. Calibrations between 20D ssNa+ concentrations and SLP series indicate that ssNa + concentrations are closely related to the wintertime (Jan.) Icelandic Low. A deepening of the Icelandic Low strengthens winter storms and frequent cyclogenesis over the North Atlantic and pushes more sea-salt laden air masses to the Greenland ice sheet. Therefore, ice core ssNa + records from the Mt. Logan region can be considered as a proxy for reconstructing the au-tumntime Aleutian Low and summertime North Pacific Subtropical High, and the ssNa + records from Greenland ice core (20D) may provide a proxy for reconstructing the wintertime Icelandic Low.