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In recent decades, surface melting on the inland Greenland ice sheet has increased, leading to significant meltwater-refreezing in the snow and firn. Increased knowledge of the physical and chemical characteristics of these melt features (i.e., ice layers) is needed to help estimate future global sea-level rise. Here, using a combination of microscopy and spectroscopy, we investigate the size, shape, location, and chemical compositions of inclusions in 12 ice layers of the SIGMA-A ice core in the northwestern Greenland ice sheet (78°03′06″N, 67°37′42″W, 1490 m a.s.l.). In the ice layers, we found inclusions exceeding 30 μm diameter that could only be formed by melting–refreezing, which we classify into columnar-, particle-, and rod-like inclusions. We propose that the smaller columnar- and particle-like inclusions of solid Na2SO4⋅10H2O and CaSO4⋅2H2O form first, within the ice grains, followed by the larger rod-like inclusions of brines with mainly Na+ and Cl− in grain boundaries. Our results suggest a new proxy that may help identify past warm climates in deeper ice cores in Greenland and for studying future ice sheet melting behavior.

In situ meteorological data are essential to better understand ongoing environmental changes in the Arctic. Here, we present a dataset of quality-controlled meteorological observations by two automatic weather stations in northwest Greenland from July 2012 to the end of August 2020. The stations were installed in an accumulation area on the Greenland Ice Sheet (SIGMA-A site, 1490 m a.s.l.) and near the equilibrium line of the Qaanaaq Ice Cap (SIGMA-B site, 944 m a.s.l.). We describe the two-step sequence of quality-control procedures that we used to create increasingly reliable datasets by masking erroneous data records. We analyzed the resulting 2012–2020 time series of air temperature, positive degree-days, snow height, surface albedo, and histograms of longwave radiation (a proxy of cloud formation frequency). We found that snow height increased and albedo remained steady at the SIGMA-A site, whereas high air temperatures and clear-sky conditions prevailed while snow height and albedo decreased in the summers of 2015, 2019, and 2020 at the SIGMA-B site. Therefore, it appears that these weather conditions led to notable snow height degradation at the SIGMA-B site but not at the SIGMA-A site. We anticipate that this quality-control method and these datasets will aid in climate studies of northwest Greenland as well as contribute to the advancement of broader polar climate studies.

The 13th Symposium on Polar Science/Interdisciplinary sessions [IA] Arctic research, Fri. 18 Nov.

The 13th Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions [OM] Polar meteorology and glaciology, Wed. 16 Nov.

The 13th Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions [OM] Polar meteorology and glaciology, Wed. 16 Nov.

Low-cost PM

Atmospheric sea-salt and halogen cycles play important roles in atmospheric science and chemistry including cloud processes and oxidation capacity in the Antarctic troposphere. This paper presents a review and summarizes current knowledge related to sea-salt and halogen chemistry in the Antarctic. First, presented are the seasonal variations and size distribution of sea-salt aerosols (SSAs). Second, SSA origins and sea-salt fractionation on sea-ice and ice sheets on the Antarctic continent are presented and discussed. Third, we discuss SSA release from the cryosphere. Fourth, we present SSA dispersion in the Antarctic troposphere and transport into inland areas. Fifth, heterogeneous reactions on SSAs as a source of reactive halogen species and their relationship with atmospheric chemistry are shown and discussed. Finally, we attempt to propose an outlook for obtaining better knowledge related to sea-salt and halogen chemistry and their effects on the Antarctic and the Arctic.

Depositions of light-absorbing particles (LAPs), such as black carbon (BC) and dust, on the snow surface modulate the snow albedo; therefore, they are considered key factors of snow-atmosphere interaction in the present-day climate system. However, their detailed roles have not yet been fully elucidated, mainly due to the lack of in-situ measurements. Here, we develop a new model chain NHM-Chem-SMAP, which is composed of a detailed regional meteorology-chemistry model and a multilayered physical snowpack model, and evaluate it using LAPs concentrations data measured at Sapporo, Japan during the 2011-2012 winter. NHM-Chem-SMAP successfully reproduces the in-situ measured seasonal variations in the mass concentrations of BC and dust in the surface snowpack. Furthermore, we find that LAPs from domestic and foreign sources played a role in shortening the snow cover duration by 5 and 10 days, respectively, compared to the completely pure snow condition.

Previous reconstructions of summer temperatures from ice cores have relied on a statistical relationship between a melt layer and temperature observed at nearby stations. This study presents a novel method for reconstructing summer temperatures from melt layers in ice cores using an energy balance model that incorporates heat conduction and meltwater refreezing in the firn. We use the seasonal patterns in the ERA‐Interim reanalysis data set for an ice core site to calculate the amounts of refreezing water within the firn under various summer mean temperature (SMT) and annual precipitation conditions, and prepared calibration tables containing these three variables. We then estimate the SMTs from the refreezing amount and annual accumulation, both of which can be obtained from an ice core. We apply this method to four ice cores that were recovered from sites with different climates: two sites on the Greenland Ice Sheet, one in Alaska, and one in Russian Altai. The reconstructed SMTs show comparable variations with those of observed temperatures at nearby stations. The nonlinear relationship between SMT and melt layer thickness differs between sites, indicating that a single linear approximation cannot be employed to estimate SMT. Sensitivity analyses suggest that the annual temperature range, amount of annual precipitation, and firn albedo (which is a time‐invariant value in the model) significantly affect the relationship between SMT and melt layer thickness. This new method provides an alternative to existing approaches and yields an independent estimate of SMT from ice cores that have been affected by melting.

After the 1980s, atmospheric sulfate reduction is slower than the dramatic reductions in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. However, a lack of observational evidence has hindered the identification of causal feedback mechanisms. Here, we report an increase in the oxygen isotopic composition of sulfate ([Formula: see text]) in a Greenland ice core, implying an enhanced role of acidity-dependent in-cloud oxidation by ozone (up to 17 to 27%) in sulfate production since the 1960s. A global chemical transport model reproduces the magnitude of the increase in observed [Formula: see text] with a 10 to 15% enhancement in the conversion efficiency from SO2 to sulfate in Eastern North America and Western Europe. With an expected continued decrease in atmospheric acidity, this feedback will continue in the future and partially hinder air quality improvements.

Low-cost PM2.5 sensors are now used worldwide to assess air pollution. However, their operation is generally challenging in severely cold regions like Siberia, Alaska, the Arctic, and Antarctica. We made an insulation box with automatic internal temperature control developed for a low-cost PM2.5 sensor to maintain a warm operational environment with four light-bulb heaters when the air temperature inside of the insulation box falls slightly below 5 ? under the current preset temperature setting. We confirmed the performance of the temperature controller with four light-bulb heaters in a-25 ?& nbsp;cold temperature room. In addition, we found that the insulation box must be attached to a small electric fan to forcibly ventilate the box to accurately reflect the external ambient air conditions into the insulating box. Our observations with the data from our low-cost PM2.5 sensor fitted with the insulation box were validated against the Sapporo National Ambient Air Monitoring Station (NAAMS) data in Sapporo, Japan, showing good correspondence with the hourly station-measured data. Then, we installed our PM2.5 measurement system on the roof of the International Arctic Research Center (IARC), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, in June 2019. The sensor sufficiently captured two instances of significant increases in PM2.5 mass concentrations during the Alaskan wildfires in the summer of 2019. Our developed insulation box for low-cost PM2.5 sensors, called the portable PM2.5 measurement system for cold regions , will help assess air quality in many cold regions in future studies.

Temporal variability in surface mass balance (SMB) on the Greenland ice sheet is important for understanding the mass balance of the ice sheet. Additionally, knowledge of the spatial variability in SMB at ice core drilling sites helps to interpret the spatial representativeness of SMB data obtained from a single ice core. In this study, to investigate the spatiotemporal variability in recent SMB in the East Greenland Ice Core Project (EGRIP) area in the northeastern Greenland ice sheet, pit observations were made at six sites in the summers of 2016–2018. In all pits, depth profiles of water isotope ratios showed clear seasonal variations. The annual SMB differed from site to site, which is probably due to post-depositional redistribution of snow caused by wind erosion and snowdrift. However, the multiple-site averages of annual SMBs, which ranged from 134 to 157 mm w. e. yr−1 (average 146 mm w. e. yr−1) during 2009–2017, were very similar. This indicates that annual SMBs in the EGRIP area were nearly constant in this period. The seasonal SMBs in the EGRIP area tended to be larger in the summer–winter period than in the winter–summer period.

For atmospheric gases and aerosols, snow and ice provide a useful archive of paleoenvironmental history. In the northern hemisphere, this archive has been largely limited to Greenland ice, but promising pioneering work has been done recently using chronology of an ice wedge in Barrow, northern Alaska. Here, we investigate past aerosols at the same ice-wedge sampling site, reconstructing the sea-ice fluctuations in the adjacent Beaufort Sea during the Bolling/Allerod (BA) and Younger Dryas (YD) periods. We confirm the integrity of methanesulfonate ion (MS−) concentrations in the BIWS as marine proxies, and then find that the ice wedge has a high MS− concentration through the beginning (coldest) YD periods. The high MS− concentration indicates that even during the coldest YD periods (12,900–12,700 yrBP), the near-shore region in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea near Barrow may not have been completely filled by permanent sea ice.

We provide continuous records of biomass burning molecular tracers (levoglucosan and dehydroabietic acid) in a Greenland ice core collected from the Southeastern Dome (the SE-Dome ice core) over the past several decades to assess the paleoclimatic utility of these tracers in Greenland ice cores. An air mass backward-trajectory analysis indicates that eastern Canada is likely the primary source region of the biomass burning tracers. Comparisons of levoglucosan and dehydroabietic acid data in the SE-Dome ice core and area burned (vegetation fire) events in Canada suggests that the biomass burning tracers in the ice core document most of the pronounced biomass burning events in eastern Canada over the past several decades, confirming that analyses of biomass burning molecular tracers in Greenland ice cores are useful to reconstruct the frequency of significant biomass burning events in a local region. However, our study also highlights that the wind pattern when the biomass burning occurs is decisive for the registration of a biomass burning event in an ice core even though long-term changes in the wind regime associated with decadal-scale climate oscillations do not significantly influence the transport and deposition of biomass burning tracers on the Greenland ice sheet.

The 11th Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Thu. 3 Dec.

Our study is the first to demonstrate a high-temporal-resolution record of mineral composition in a Greenland ice core over the past 100 years. To reconstruct the past variations in the sources and transportation processes of mineral dust in northwestern Greenland, we analyzed the morphology and mineralogical composition of dust in an ice core from 1915 to 2013 using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). Analysis of the SEM-EDS reveals that the ice core dust mainly consisted of silicate minerals and the composition varied substantially on multi-decadal and inter-decadal scales, suggesting that the geological origin of the ice core minerals changed periodically during the past 100 years. The multi-decadal variation trend differed among mineral types: kaolinite generally formed in low- or middle-latitude areas were abundant in the colder periods (1950 to 2000), whereas mica, chlorite, feldspars, mafic minerals, and quartzes formed in arid, high-latitude, and local areas were abundant in the warmer periods (1915 to 1949 and 2005 to 2013). This indicates that the multi-decadal variation of the relative abundance of the minerals can be attributed to the local temperature changes in Greenland. The trajectory analysis shows that the minerals were mainly transported from the western coast of Greenland in the two warming periods, which was likely due to an increase of dust sourced from local ice-free areas. On the other hand, the abundant kaolinite was likely derived from old sediments at higher latitudes in North America, rather than from low and middle latitudes.

The 11th Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Thu. 3 Dec.

The 11th Symposium on Polar Science/Special session: [S] Accelerating Arctic research: Recent progress and future prospect of Arctic research, Poster presentations, Mon. 16 Nov. - Fri. 18 Dec.

The 11th Symposium on Polar Science/Special session: [S] Accelerating Arctic research: Recent progress and future prospect of Arctic research, Poster presentations, Mon. 16 Nov. - Fri. 18 Dec.

The 11th Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Poster presentations, Mon. 16 Nov. - Fri. 18 Dec.

The 11th Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Poster presentations, Mon. 16 Nov. - Fri. 18 Dec.

After the 1980s, atmospheric sulfate reduction is slower than the dramatic reductions in sulfur dioxide (SO

Possible albedo reduction due to light absorbing impurities (LAI) in snowpack observed at various sites in the world are investigated. Reviewing previously measured black carbon (BC) concentrations, their values distribute in a range of 0.07-0.25 ppbw (ng of BC in g of snow) in Antarctica, 0.55-20 ppbw in Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), 4.4-87.6 ppbw for the other Arctic except GrIS, and 4-1221 ppbw for mid-latitudes. As albedo reduction rate by LAI depends on snow grain size, it is more enhanced by larger grain snow such as melt form (melting snow) than smaller grain snow such as precipitation particles (new snow). By assuming two typical snow grain radii rs = 1000 and 50 µm, respectively for those snow grain shapes, the albedo reduction as a function of BC concentration can be calculated with physically based snow albedo model. The result indicates that albedo in Antarctic snow is not affected by BC in any case of snow grain radius. In GrIS albedo reduction due to BC is small around 0.006 for rs = 50 µm (new snow) but it rises to 0.026 for rs = 1000 µm (melting snow), suggesting a few percent of albedo reduction could occur under warmer climate condition due to enhanced snow metamorphism. In the other Arctic except GrIS, the maximum albedo reductions for rs = 50 µm (1000 µm) are 0.015 (0.064) at the maximum BC concentration (87.6 ppbw). For. mid-latitudes, it is 0.070 (0.24) for rs = 50 µm (1000 µm) at the maximum BC concentration (1221 ppbw). These results mean albedo reduction in highly polluted area of mid-latitudes cannot be ignored even in case of new snow and is more serious for melting snow.We have conducted energy budget and snow pit observations at Sapporo (43°N, 141°E, 15 m a.s.l), Japan since 2005. In addition, elemental carbon (EC~BC) and mineral dust concentrations in snowpack were also monitored for snow samples collected twice a week from 2007 by the thermal optical reflectance (TOT) method and gravimetric measurement of a filter. During 10 years from 2007 to 2017, the medians of EC and dust concentrations are 196 ppbw and 2700 ppbw, respectively. Using those data, contribution of LAI to albedo reduction and the radiative forcing (RF) were estimated. The 10-year-mean albedo reduction and RF due to BC+dust are 0.053 and +6.7 Wm-2, respectively, in which BC effect on albedo reduction is 5.6 times larger than dust. The albedo reduction by BC+dust for only melting period is 0.151, that is 4.8 times larger than that for accumulation period. The effect of LAI on albedo reduction is enhanced by snow grain growth as well as an increase of LAI in melting period compared to that for accumulation season.

Ice in polar ice sheets once experience a state of firn at near-surface depths. Therefore, it is important to understand physical processes of firn formation, metamorphism and deformation for ice core studies. We investigated firn through measurement of tensorial values of the dielectric permittivity at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. This method can detect presence and strength of anisotropic structure in the geometry of pore spaces and ice matrix. We applied the method to many firn cores drilled at both ice sheets. We find that firn that have shorter residence time at the near-surface depths does not form strong vertical anisotropy that is caused by vertical movement of moistures. In contrast, firn that have longer residence time at the near-surface depths tend to form vertical anisotropy. When density exceeds ~600 kg/m3, a common feature of firn at many polar sites is that there are evolution of vertically elongated features of pore spaces in firn despite growth of vertical compression. We hypothesize an explanation as follows. As firn becomes denser, air within firn needs escape paths to upward directions as compared to sinking firn. In firn, porous structure tend to have vertically elongated structure because of this vertical escape movement of air. The observed phenomena of the grow th of the vertical dielectric anisotropycan be understood by this vertical movement of the air w ithin firn.

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Wed. 4 Dec. / 2F Auditorium, National Institute of Polar Research

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Wed. 4 Dec. / Entrance Hall (1st floor) , National Institute of Polar Research

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Special session: [S] Future plan of Antarctic research: Towards phase X of the Japanese Antarctic Research Project (2022-2028) and beyond, Tue. 3 Dec. / Entrance Hall (1st floor) at National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR)

During spring 2017, we conducted research expeditions to the SIGMA-A site, which is located on the northwestern Greenland Ice Sheet. We maintained an automated weather station (AWS) to enable continuous meteorological observations. We extended 1.5-m long poles of the AWS and replaced two aerovane sensors, two thermo-hydrometers and an ultrasonic snow gauge. We also drilled an ice core and recovered a core with a total length of 60.06 m, conducted stratigraphic observations, and measured the density of the ice core. In addition, we conducted snow-pit observations and snow sampling, measured the specific surface area of snow using near-infrared reflectance, performed sunphotometry observations, and measured the spectral albedo. To schedule research activities in the field camp and helicopter pick-up flights, we received weather forecasts from the Meteorological Research Institute of Japan through the Internet using a satellite phone every day. We took a male dog to the field camp to alert us to approaching animals.

Previous studies reconstructing summer temperature from an ice core relied on statistical relationship between melt feature and instrumental temperature observed at a nearby station. This study demonstrates a novel method to reconstruct summer temperature from ice layer thickness in an ice core using an energy balance model, in which heat conduction and refreezing of meltwater in firn are taken into account. Using seasonal patterns of the ERA-Interim reanalysis dataset for an ice core site, we calculated amounts of refreezing water within firn under various settings of summer mean temperature (SMT) and annual precipitation, and prepared lookup tables containing these three variables. We then estimated SMT from the refreezing amount and annual accumulation, both available in an ice core. We applied this method to four ice cores drilled in the sites of different climates; two sites on the Greenland Ice Sheet, one in Alaska, and one in Russian Altai Mountains. Reconstructed SMTs show comparable variations to the temperatures observed at nearby stations. Relationships between SMT and ice layer thickness differ site by site, indicating that a single approximation cannot be applicable to estimate SMT. Sensitivity analyses suggest that annual temperature range, amount of annual precipitation and firn albedo setting significantly affect the relationship between SMT and ice layer thickness. This new method provides alternative and independent estimation of SMT from ice cores affected by melting.

The Southeastern Greenland Dome (SE-Dome) has both a high elevation and a high accumulation rate (1.01 m w.e. yr-1), which are suitable properties for reconstructing past environmental changes with a high time resolution. For this study, we measured the major ion fluxes in a 90-m ice core drilled from the SE-Dome region in 2015, and present the records of annual ion fluxes from 1957 to 2014. From 1970 to 2010, the trend of non-sea-salt (nss) SO42- flux decreases, whereas that for NH4+ increases, tracking well with the anthropogenic SOx and NH3 emissions mainly from North America. The result suggests that these fluxes reflect histories of the anthropogenic SOx and NH3 emissions. In contrast, the decadal trend of NO3- flux differs from the decreasing trend of anthropogenic NOx emissions. Although the cause of this discrepancy remains unclear, it may be related to changes in particle formation processes and chemical scavenging rates caused by an increase in sea-salt and dust and/or a decrease in nssSO42-. We also find a high average NO3- flux (1.13 mmol m-2 yr-1) in the ice core, which suggests a negligible effect from post-depositional NO3- loss. Thus, the SE-Dome region is an excellent location for reconstructing nitrate fluxes. Over a decadal timescale, our NO3- flux record is similar to those from other ice cores in Greenland high-elevation sites, suggesting that NO3- concentrations records from these ice cores are reliable.

Environments along the coast of Greenland are rapidly changing under the influence of a warming climate in the Arctic. To better understand the changes in the coastal environments, we performed researches in the Qaanaaq region in northwestern Greenland as a part of the ArCS (Arctic Challenge for Sustainability) Project. Mass loss of ice caps and marine-terminating outlet glaciers were quantified by field and satellite observations. Measurements and sampling in fjords revealed the important role of glacial meltwater discharge in marine ecosystems. Flooding of a glacial stream in Qaanaaq and landslides in a nearby settlement were investigated to identify the drivers of the incidents. Our study observed rapid changes in the coastal environments, and their critical impact on the society in Qaanaaq. We organized workshops with the residents to absorb local and indigenous knowledge, as well as to share the results and data obtained in the project. Continuous effort towards obtaining long-term observations requiring involvement of local communities is crucial to contribute to a sustainable future in Greenland.

Mineral dust plays a key role in both local and global climates. At high latitudes, atmospheric dust can affect ice-nuclei formation, and surface dust can reduce the albedo as well as increase subsequent ice melting. As a proxy for past climate, mineral dust is preserved in ice cores, but few studies have examined deposited dust in ice cores during the Anthropocene, especially after 2000. We measured dust concentrations in an ice core at the southeastern dome in Greenland (SE-Dome), and reconstructed the annual and seasonal dust fluxes during 1960–2014. We find the annual average flux during 1960–2014 to be 34.8 ± 13.5 mg m−2 yr−1, a value about twice that of ice cores further inland. The more recent part of that period, 2000–2014, has the higher annual flux of 46.6 ± 16.2 mg m−2 yr−1. The annual and autumn dust fluxes highly correlate with air temperature in Tasiilaq (r = 0.61 and 0.50, respectively), a coastal location in southeastern Greenland. Our results suggest that the local dust emissions at the coastal region are increasing due to a decreasing seasonal snow-cover area arising from coastal Greenland warming after 2000.

We estimate the response of snowpack to global warming along with the uncertainty of the snowpack change by using a combination of multiple general-circulation models (GCMs), a single regional atmospheric model, and a one-dimensional multi-layered snowpack model. The target site is Mt. Annupuri in Kutchan, Hokkaido, Japan. The forcing of the snowpack model is taken from dynamically downscaled data from GCMs for the present climate and GCMs in a decade when the global-mean temperature has increased by 2 K from present conditions. The results show that global warming would decrease the monthly-mean snow depth throughout the winter season. Other salient features are the decrease of snow depth by 60 cm with maximum uncertainty of 20 cm at the beginning of the snow ablation period, the occurrence of the snow-depth peak a month earlier, and the dominance of melt forms in an earlier season. The ratio of melt forms for all snowpack layers increases with little uncertainty before the snow ablation period. The ratio of hoar does not change much, even though the air temperature increases. The uncertainty in snowpack evaluation is also discussed. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.