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High resolution climatic information from short firn cores, western Dronning Maud Land, antarctica

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Abstract

Ten meter firn cores were collected during the Swedish Antarctic Expedition to Dronning Maud Land, in 1988/89. The oxygen isotope stratigraphy in the cores was used to obtain a proxy-temperature record and a surface accumulation record for the last 15–30 years. The δ18O record from cores on the ice shelf and the escarpment area, below 2000 m a.s.l., show high variability and little year-to-year correspondence to each other or with the temperature record from nearby Halley. A stacked firn core record was produced to avoid local variability and minor dating errors; this record shows more similarities to the Halley temperature record. The δ18O records from high altitude cores show a much better correspondence to the Halley temperature record over the last 30 years, implying that the source of precipitation is more stable compared to the coastal area. The welldeveloped δ18O stratigraphy in the cores from coastal Dronning Maud Land makes it promising for future work using ice cores as paleoclimatic records.

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Isaksson, E., Karlén, W. High resolution climatic information from short firn cores, western Dronning Maud Land, antarctica. Climatic Change 26, 421–434 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01094405

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01094405

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