Cosmogenic Radionuclide Concentrations in Siple Dome Ice Cores

Cosmogenic radionuclide concentrations, specifically 10Be and 36Cl, are measured in annual ice core samples from Siple Dome, Antarctica. The dataset includes over 600 selected samples covering the period from 1698 AD to 1995 AD, though data is preliminary. The project was conducted by SCIOPS with support from the National Science Foundation.

Use Cases

• Analyze 10Be concentration time series to reconstruct historical solar activity and cosmic ray flux.
• Compare 36Cl and 10Be records from Antarctic Siple Dome cores with Arctic GISP2 project data for hemispheric climate studies.
• Correlate radionuclide concentrations with sample depth and documented year to establish a chronology for the ice core.
• Use digitized filter photographs from sample preparation for quality control or particulate analysis alongside chemical data.

Strengths

• Over 600 ice core samples selected for analysis.
• Annual resolution samples covering a 297-year period (1698 AD to 1995 AD).
• Chemical separation and purification completed for all samples, and 10Be AMS measurements are nearly complete.

Limitations

• Data described as preliminary and fragmental, with about 90% of 36Cl measurements and Cl concentration measurements unfinished.
• Sample selection issues: over 25% of original 800+ melt water samples were unsuitable due to transport loss, unclear depth, or small mass.
• Some sample documentation has uncertainties covering less than 75% of the total core depth.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS, supported by National Science Foundation Grant OPP-0126343.

Collection Method

Annual ice core samples melted, filtered through 30 µm Millipore filters, with chemical separation of Be and Cl performed at Berkeley and AMS measurements at LLNL.

Time Range

1698 AD to 1995 AD.

Freshness

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Geography

Siple Dome, Antarctica.