Variability of 10Be and δ18O in snow pits from Greenland and a surface traverse from Antarctica

Abstract

To examine temporal variability of 10Be in glacial ice, we sampled snow to a depth of 160cm at the NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling) drilling site in Greenland. The samples span three years between the summers of 2006 and 2009. At the same time, spatial variability of 10Be in glacial ice was explored through collection of the upper ∼5cm of surface snow in Antarctica during part of the Swedish–Japanese traverse from Svea to Syowa station during the austral summer in 2007–2008. The results of the Greenlandic 10Be snow suggested variable concentrations that apparently do not clearly reflect the seasonal change as indicated by the δ18O data. The 10Be concentration variability most likely reflects also effects of aerosol loading and deposition pathways, possibly in combination with post-depositional processes.The Antarctic traverse data expose a negative correlation between 10Be and δ18O, while there are weaker but still significant correlations to altitude and distance to the coast (approximated by the distance to the 70th latitude). These relationships indicate that geographical factors, mainly the proximity to the coast, may strongly affect 10Be concentrations in snow in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica.