The seasonal variations of δ18O, Cl-, Na+, No3 - and Ca2+ in the snow and firn recovered from Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica

Abstract

Snow and firn samples recovered from two snow pits (2.5 and 4.5 m deep) and one 50-m firn core along the route of the 1996/1997 Chinese First Antarctic Inland Traverse Expedition in Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica, have been measured for chemical composition and oxygen isotope ratio. In the two snow pits, the variations of NO3 − are partly in phase with that of δ18O, while the variations of Cl− and Na− are in inverse phase with that of δ18O. The variations of Cl−, Na+, NO3 − and δ18IO show obvious seasonal variations and annual stratagraphy. However, with the depth increasing, the seasonal variations of δ18O are gradually smoothed below 3 m (corresponding to about 10-year mass accumulation) in depth while the seasonal variations of Cl−, Na+ and NO3 − are kept fairly well in the whole profile of the 50-m firn core (corresponding to about 250-year mass accumulation). The results provide a useful tool for dating the snow stratum in this region. On the contrary, no obvious seasonal variations of Ca2+ are found in the profiles.