Publications

Constraints on the major sources of dissolved organic carbon in Alpine ice cores from radiocarbon analysis over the bomb-peak period

Author(s)

B. May, D. Wagenbach, Hannah Hoffmann, M. Legrand, S. Preunkert, P. Steier

Abstract

[1] Radiocarbon (¹⁴C) has

proven to be a powerful tool in distinguishing modern and fossil fuel

sources contributing to organic aerosols. By applying this concept to

ice core records of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fraction, we

developed a setup dedicated to the extraction of DOC from Alpine ice

core samples for ¹⁴C microanalysis. With respect to the

difficulties and limitations of this analytical method, it is shown that

a total process blank mass of (6 ± 3) μgC with a ¹⁴C

signature of (0.71 ± 0.17) can be obtained, corresponding to a minimum

sample size between 200 g for industrial and 800 g for pre-industrial

ice. Radiocarbon analyses of eight DOC ice core samples from the high

accumulation glacier Col du Dôme (European Alps) were mainly performed

over the bomb-peak period. These data, being associated with snow

deposition over the summer half-years, show an overall mean fossil

contribution of (25 ± 9) %. Adaptation of the DO¹⁴C values to the atmospheric ¹⁴CO₂

record revealed that the biogenic input to ice core DOC is associated

with a fast recycling biospheric component, likely linked to a turnover

time of less than 3 years.

Organisation(s)

Isotope Physics

External organisation(s)

Scientific Software Center, Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement (LGGE) UMR 5183

Journal

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Volume

118

Pages

3319-3327

No. of pages

ISSN

2169-897X

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrd.50200

Publication date

04-2013

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

1030 Physics, Astronomy, 105205 Climate change, 104023 Environmental chemistry

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 13 - Climate Action

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