Law Dome Annual Ice Core Oxygen Isotope Record 1800-1999

LD2000 stacks fine-resolution isotope measurements from five ice cores near the DSS drill site on Law Dome, Antarctica. The record provides annual averages of oxygen isotope (δ¹⁸O) data from 1800 to 1999 AD, calibrated as a paleothermometer. It was created by researchers including Schneider, Steig, and van Ommen for reconstructing Antarctic surface temperatures.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct annual Antarctic surface temperatures from the δ¹⁸O isotope values.
• Analyze interannual to decadal climate variability by examining the time-series of isotope anomalies.
• Calibrate the ice core paleothermometer using the documented seasonal timing of isotope maxima.
• Compare long-term temperature trends, such as the reported ~0.2°C increase since the late 19th century, with other hemispheric records.
• Validate climate model simulations of Antarctic climate using the precisely dated, high-resolution proxy record.

Strengths

• High-resolution data derived from ~10-20 samples per year before annual averaging.
• Precise dating based on absolute year counting in isotope and trace ion data.
• Record spans two centuries (1800-1999 AD), covering the industrial era.
• Data is a stack from five different ice cores, improving signal robustness.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage ends in 1999, lacking data for the 21st century.
• Spatial coverage is limited to a single region (Law Dome, Wilkes Land, Antarctica).
• The core annual dating method defines a 'year' from isotope maximum to maximum, which may not align perfectly with calendar years.

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC), based on work by Schneider et al. (2006).

Collection Method

Ice core drilling and analysis; δ¹⁸O measurements averaged to annual values from ~10-20 samples/year.

Time Range

1800 AD - 1999 AD

Freshness

Data reflects conditions up to 1999; the record is not updated.

Geography

Law Dome, Wilkes Land, Antarctica (near the main DSS drill site).