Monthly Beryllium-10 Concentrations from Law Dome Ice Cores

Antarctic Law Dome ice cores provide five high-resolution records of cosmogenic isotope Beryllium-10 (10Be) concentration in snow. A composite monthly time-series from three core and pit records spans the decade from 1999 to 2009. The data was produced by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC) under specific project grants, with an update provided in December 2012.

Use Cases

• Correlate 10Be concentration time-series with solar cycle activity records to study historical cosmic ray modulation.
• Analyze seasonal and interannual variability in 10Be deposition across the DSS0506-core, DSS0809-core, and DSS0102-pit composite series.
• Compare 10Be flux between different ice core and pit records (DSS0102-pit, DSS0506-pit, DSS0506-core, DSS0809-core, DSS0910-core) to assess local deposition patterns.
• Reconstruct past atmospheric circulation by using 10Be concentrations as a tracer for stratosphere-troposphere exchange over Antarctica.

Strengths

• Monthly temporal resolution for the composite 10Be record over a 10-year period (1999-2009).
• Five distinct high-resolution records from specific ice cores and snow pits at Law Dome.

Limitations

• Limited temporal coverage of only one decade, restricting long-term trend analysis.
• Geographic scope is restricted to a single site (Law Dome, East Antarctica), limiting spatial representativeness.

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC) via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Measured from ice core and snow pit samples collected at Law Dome.

Time Range

1999 to 2009.

Freshness

Data covers up to 2009, with a metadata update in 2012; no recent updates indicated.

Geography

Law Dome, East Antarctica.