Abstract
AbstractA 2.7 m snow pit was sampled in the Lambert Glacier basin, about 650 km from the coast. Concentrations of methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and non-sea-salt SO42- (nssSO42-) show distinct variation with depth in the snow pit. The seasonal variation of MSA is used to date the snow-pit samples. MSA concentration is in the range 1.922.0 μgkg−1 with a mean of 7.0 μgkg-1. The mean nssSO42- concentration is 41.5 μgkg−1 with a range of 0-87 μgkg−1. The nssSO42- ∼ concentration was calculated by subtracting the sea-salt sulfate contribution using Nai as a conservative tracer. The nssSO42– contributes about 80% of the total sulfate in the snow pit. The mean mass ratio of MSA to nssSO42- 0.176, is much higher than that measured in the low to mid-latitudes, but is very close to the ratio in snow at the South Pole. El Chichon and Hudson volcanic eruptions do not significantly perturb the nssS042- concentrations at this site. MSA concentrations are anticorrelated with sea-ice area for the South Indian Ocean sector between 40° and 90° E, suggesting enhanced MSA production accompanying low sea-ice coverage.
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