HR: 16:45h
AN: C44A-04 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Paleo Environmental Records from Mid-Latitude Ice Cores
AU: * Schwikowski, M
EM: margit.schwikowski@psi.ch
AF: Paul Scherrer Institute, Laboratory of Radio- and Environmental Chemistry, Villigen, 5232 Switzerland
AB: Ice core records from mid-latitude glaciers give insight into the atmospheric composition history. One example is the reconstruction of air pollution levels in Europe from Alpine ice cores, showing dramatic increases of anthropogenic emissions starting with the onset of industrialisation in the middle of the 19th century and the reduction in emissions of certain pollutants since regulatory measures were put into effect in the 1970ies. Anthropogenic emissions had a strong impact particularly on the concentrations of various aerosol-related species such as sulphate, nitrate, ammonium, copper, lead, and zinc as well as of carbonaceous particles and radionuclides. Thus, ice core records from mid-latitude glaciers contribute to our understanding of anthropogenic perturbations upon the composition of the atmosphere. This is particularly important in context of aerosol particles with significant climate-forcing potential e.g. sulphate, mineral dust, and carbonaceous particles (including black carbon and organic matter). Because aerosol lifetimes are typically only several days, the global distribution is very inhomogeneous, thus requiring data from many locations to assess the effect on climate.
DE: 1863 Snow and ice (1827)
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting