Beryllium Isotope Measurements from Prydz Bay Ice Shelf Environments

A 2019 study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters presents beryllium isotope measurements from Prydz Bay, Antarctica. The dataset, hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network, includes samples from open marine, sub-ice shelf, and subglacial depositional environments. The research demonstrates the use of Be isotopes as tracers for sediment source, transport pathways, and sub-ice shelf circulation strength.

Use Cases

• Tracing sediment sources and transport pathways in glacio-marine environments based on beryllium isotope concentrations.
• Reconstructing sub-ice shelf circulation patterns based on 10Be concentration variations described in the study.
• Discriminating between open marine and sub-ice shelf sediment deposits based on HCl-extractable 10Be/9Be ratios.
• Modeling paleo-ice sheet margins and circulation strength using Be isotope signatures as environmental tracers.

Strengths

• Data is associated with a peer-reviewed publication in Earth and Planetary Science Letters (Volume 505, 2019).
• Samples cover multiple distinct Antarctic depositional environments: open marine, sub-ice shelf, and subglacial.
• The methodology is explicitly described, focusing on Be isotopes as tracers for both environmental setting and circulation strength.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified; the metadata lists a future last updated date of 2026-06-23.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network (data_gov_au), associated with a research article by Duanne A. White et al.

Collection Method

Beryllium isotope measurements (10Be and 9Be) taken from sediment samples collected in Prydz Bay, Antarctica.

Time Range

Study published in 2019; specific sample collection dates are not provided in the input.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 00:46:54.713980; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Prydz Bay, Antarctica, described as one of Antarctica's largest ice drainage systems.