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Ice age aerosol content from East Antarctic ice core samples and past wind strength

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Abstract

Isotopic analysis of Antarctic deep cores provides valuable information on the Earth's past climate. Past atmospheric trace element contents of continental, volcanic, marine or other origins can also be reconstructed assuming that the chemical concentrations in the air and in the snow are well correlated1,2. These atmospheric trace element contents, as well as atmospheric gas contents3, are important for climate reconstruction models because they influence the Earth's radiation balance4,5. We consider here the possible link between aerosol content and climate which was investigated from the 905 deep Dome C ice core (East Antarctica) spanning some 32,000 yr (ref. 6). No evidence of major global or local volcanic activity was found, however, large marine and continental inputs (respectively 5 and 20 times higher than present) were observed at the end of the last glacial stage. We consider they reflect glacial age climate with stronger atmospheric circulation, enhanced aridity and faster aerosol transport towards the Antarctic continent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, 2, rue Très Cloitres, 38031, Grenoble Cédex, France

    Jean-Robert Petit, Martine Briat & Alain Royer

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  1. Jean-Robert Petit
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  2. Martine Briat
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  3. Alain Royer
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Petit, JR., Briat, M. & Royer, A. Ice age aerosol content from East Antarctic ice core samples and past wind strength. Nature 293, 391–394 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/293391a0

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