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A high input of lithogenic sediment from glaciers was assumed to be responsible for high Fe and Mn contents in the Antarctic soft shell clam Laternula elliptica at King George Island. Indeed, withdrawal experiments indicated a strong influence of environmental Fe concentrations on Fe contents in bivalve hemolymph, but no significant differences in hemolymph and tissue concentrations were found among two sites of high and lower input of lithogenic debris. Comparing Fe and Mn concentrations of porewater, bottom water, and hemolymph from sampling sites, Mn appears to be assimilated as dissolved species, whereas Fe apparently precipitates as ferrihydrite within the oxic sediment or bottom water layer prior to assimilation by the bivalve. Hence, we attribute the high variability of Fe and Mn accumulation in tissues of L. elliptica around Antarctica to differences in the geochemical environment of the sediment and the resulting Fe and Mn flux across the benthic boundary.

The monitoring of organisms’ health conditions by the assessment of their immunocompetence may serve as an important criterion for the achievement of the Good Environmental Status (GES) as defined in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (EU). In this context, the complex role of natural environmental stressors, e.g. salinity, and interfering or superimposing effects of anthropogenic chemicals, should be carefully considered, especially in scenarios of low to moderate contamination. Organisms from the Baltic Sea have adapted to the ambient salinity regime, however energetically costly osmoregulating processes may have an impact on the capability to respond to additional stress such as contamination. The assessment of multiple stressors, encompassing natural and anthropogenic factors, influencing an organisms’ health was the main aim of the present study. Immune responses of Mytilus edulis, collected and kept at natural salinities of 12‰ (LS) and 20‰ (MS), respectively, were compared after short-term exposure (1, 7 and 13 days) to low copper concentrations (5, 9 and 16 μg/L Cu). A significant interaction of salinity and copper exposure was observed in copper accumulation. LS mussels accumulated markedly more copper than MS mussels. No combined effects were detected in cellular responses. Bacterial clearance was mostly achieved by phagocytosis, as revealed by a strong positive correlation between bacterial counts and phagocytic activity, which was particularly pronounced in LS mussels. MS mussels, on the other hand, seemingly accomplished bacterial clearance by employing additional humoral factors (16 μg/L Cu). The greatest separating factor in the PCA biplot between LS and MS mussels was the proportion of granulocytes and hyalinocytes while functional parameters (phagocytic activity and bacterial clearance) were hardly affected by salinity, but rather by copper exposure. In conclusion, immune responses of the blue mussel may be suitable and sensitive biomarkers for the assessment of ecosystem health in brackish waters (10–20‰ S).

Recent rapid climate warming at the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) results in elevated glacial melting, enhanced sedimentary run-off, increased turbidity and impact of ice-scouring in shallow coastal areas. Discharge of mineral suspension from volcanic bedrock ablation and chronic physical disturbance are anticipated to influence sessile filter feeders such as the Antarctic soft shell clam Laternula elliptica (King and Broderip 1831). We investigated effects of sedimentary run-off on the accumulation of trace metals, and together with physical disturbance, the cumulative effect on oxidative stress parameters in younger and older L. elliptica from two stations in Potter Cove (King George Island, Antarctica) which are distinctly impacted by turbidity and ice-scouring. Fe, Mn, Sr, V and Zn concentrations were slightly higher in sediments of the station receiving more sediment run-off, but not enriched in bivalves of this station. The only element that increased in bivalves experimentally exposed to sediment suspension for 28 days was Mn. Concentration of the waste accumulation biomarker lipofuscin in nervous tissue was higher in L. elliptica from the “exposed” compared to the “less exposed” site, whereas protein carbonyl levels in bivalve mantle tissue were higher at the less sediment impacted site. Tissue metal content and lipofuscin in nervous tissue was generally higher in older compared to younger individuals from both field stations. We conclude that elevated sediment ablation does not per se result in higher metal accumulation in L. elliptica. Instead of direct absorbance from sediment particles, metal accumulation in gills seems to indicate uptake of compounds dissolved in the water column whereas metals in digestive gland appear to originate from enriched planktonic or detritic food. Accumulation of cellular waste products and potentially reactive metals over lifetime presumably alters Laternula elliptica physiological performance with age and may contribute to higher stress susceptibility in older animals.

During the austral spring and summer months, the Antarctic limpet Nacella concinna colonizes intertidal environments in the Western Antarctica Peninsula region. The species is divided into a permanently sub-littoral and a seasonally intertidal, migratory subpopulation. We investigate the physiological differentiation between the two limpet groups to identify cellular and molecular changes that accompany adaptation of stenothermal Antarctic invertebrates to life under more stressful intertidal habitat conditions. A major difference between the two groups is the significantly higher concentrations of heavy metals (Fe, Al, Zn) from ingested sediments in sub-littoral limpet digestive glands (DG), associated with higher rates of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in this organ. ROS formation is accompanied by significantly higher SOD activity in sub-littoral limpet DG. These high SOD activities are, however, not conserved during either air exposure or hypoxic stress exposure of the sub-littoral limpets, when ROS production is slowed due to the absence of oxygen. The intertidal animals maintain higher levels of SOD and also conserve catalase activity at higher levels during hypoxia or air exposure compared to sub-littoral individuals under the same exposure conditions. More oxidized redox potential in gills and foot muscle and higher antioxidant enzyme activities in gills indicate that intertidal limpets maintain more oxygenated tissues during air exposure, in keeping with shell-lifting for oxygen up-take by the gills of intertidal limpets which migrate up the shore in the spring and down in the autumn. An increase of the redox ratio (GSSG/GSH) and accumulation of the lipid oxidation derived malonedialdehyde in intertidal limpet foot muscle during 12 h of exposure to air shows that indeed this tissue becomes more oxidized before the limpets eventually contract their shells tightly to minimize water loss and eventually become anaerobic. Intertidal limpets obviously avoid early onset of anaerobic energy production seen in their sub-littoral congeners when exposed to air and are still able to maintain tissue redox ratio balance when exposed to air.

Studies of element composition in small atmospheric particles aid the clarification of processes such as long-range transport, deposition and transformation of particles and quantification of emission from natural and anthropogenic sources. For this purpose, a highly sensitive method was developed for the trace analysis of atmospheric particles. The particles were sampled and separated according to size, directly on separate small graphite discs arranged behind the jet-nozzles of an eight-stage cascade impactor. To determine the elemental composition of the particles, the ETV-ICP-MS technique was applied. In an appropriately sealed electrothermal vaporizer, linked to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, the targets were heated and the sample vapour was swept by argon into the plasma. The system described was used for the analysis of long-range transported particles from Arctic air sampled at the German Arctic research station at Spitsbergen, Norway, in spring 1998. For the elements Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb and Pb the trace element content per cubic metre of air was measured as a function of the aerodynamic particle diameter. Air masses of different origin cause characteristic particle distributions at low changes in total dust burden. The relative detection limits for the elements measured in an air volume of 0.275 m3 were determined to be within 0.3–10 pg m–3; the overall analytical precision was around 20% for all trace metals.

Biofilms can provide a number of different ecological niches for microorganisms. Here, a multispecies biofilm was studied in which pyrite-oxidizing microbes are the primary producers. Its stability allowed not only detailed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-based characterization of the microbial population in different areas of the biofilm but also to integrate these results with oxygen and pH microsensor measurements conducted before. The O2 concentration declined rapidly from the outside to the inside of the biofilm. Hence, part of the population lives under microoxic or anoxic conditions. Leptospirillum ferrooxidans strains dominate the microbial population but are only located in the oxic periphery of the snottite structure. Interestingly, archaea were identified only in the anoxic parts of the biofilm. The archaeal community consists mainly of so far uncultured Thermoplasmatales as well as novel ARMAN (Archaeal Richmond Mine Acidophilic Nanoorganism) species. Inductively coupled plasma analysis and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectra provide further insight in the biofilm characteristics but revealed no other major factors than oxygen affecting the distribution of bacteria and archaea. In addition to catalyzed reporter deposition FISH and oxygen microsensor measurements, microautoradiographic FISH was used to identify areas in which active CO2 fixation takes place. Leptospirilla as well as acidithiobacilli were identified as primary producers. Fixation of gaseous CO2 seems to proceed only in the outer rim of the snottite. Archaea inhabiting the snottite core do not seem to contribute to the primary production. This work gives insight in the ecological niches of acidophilic microorganisms and their role in a consortium. The data provided the basis for the enrichment of uncultured archaea.

Geringste Elementgehalte in tiefen polaren Eisschichten sind mit einem Analyseverfahren erfassbar, das Laserablation und induktiv gekoppelte Plasma-Massenspektrometrie verbindet. bie Elementsignaturen lassen Ruckschlusse auf das Erdklima der Vorzeit zu.

Fish gills are target organs for waterborne metal ions and this work aimed to investigate the effects of waterborne Ni(2+) (10, 25 and 50 mg L(-1)) on goldfish gills. A special focus was on the relationship between Ni uptake and the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the gills, the tissue, in direct contact with the metal pollutant. Ni-accumulation in the gills occurred as a function of exposure concentration (R(2)=0.98). The main indices of oxidative stress, namely carbonyl proteins (CP) and lipid peroxides (LOOH), decreased by 21-33% and 21-24%, as well as the activities of principal antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione-dependent peroxidase, by 29-47% and 41-46%, respectively, in gills of Ni-exposed fish. One of the main players in the antioxidant defense of gills seems to be catalase, which increased by 23-53% in Ni-treated fish, and low molecular mass thiol-containing compounds (L-SH), exceeding untreated controls by 73-105% after fish exposure to 10-50 mg L(-1) of Ni(2+). The increased level of L-SH, mainly represented by reduced glutathione, was supported by enhanced activities of glutathione reductase (by 27-38%), glutathione-S-transferase (56-141%) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (by 96-117%) and demonstrates the ability of the antioxidant system of gills to resist Ni-induced oxidative stress.

Toxic and carcinogenic effects of nickel compounds are suggested to result from nickel-mediated oxidative damage to macromolecules and/or inhibition of cellular antioxidant defenses. We investigated the effects of waterborne Ni(2+) (10, 25 and 50 mg/L) on the blood and blood-producing tissues (kidney and spleen) of goldfish to identify relationships between Ni accumulation and oxidative stress. Whereas the main hematological parameters (total hemoglobin and hematocrit) were unaffected, Ni(2+) exposure had substantial influence on goldfish immune system, causing lymphopenia. Ni accumulation increased renal iron content (by 49-78%) and resulted in elevated lipid peroxide (by 29%) and protein carbonyl content (by 274-278%), accompanied by suppression of the activities of superoxide dismutase (by 50-53%), glutathione peroxidase (15-45%), glutathione reductase (31-37%) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (20-44%), indicating development of oxidative stress in kidney. In contrast to kidney, in spleen the activation of glutathione peroxidase (by 34-118%), glutathione-S-transferase (by 41-216%) and glutathione reductase (by 47%), as well as constant levels of low molecular mass thiols and metals together with enhanced activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (by 41-94%) speaks for a powerful antioxidant potential that counteracts Ni-induced ROS production. Further, as Ni accumulation in this organ was negligible, Ni-toxicity in spleen may be minimized by efficient exclusion of this otherwise toxic metal.

The ASTAR 2000 (Arctic Study of Tropospheric Aerosol and Radiation) campaign ran from 12 March until 25 April 2000 with extensive flight operations in the vicinity of Svalbard (Norway) from Longyearbyen airport (78.25°N, 15.49°E). It was a joint Japanese (NIPR Tokyo)–German (AWI Bremerhaven/Potsdam) airborne measurement campaign using AWI aircraft POLAR 4 (Dornier 228-101). Simultaneous ground-based measurements were done at the international research site Ny-Alesund (78.95°N, 11.93°E) in Svalbard, at the German Koldewey station, at the Japanese Rabben station and at the Scandinavian station at Zeppelin Mountain (475 m above sea level). During the campaign 19 profiles of various aerosol properties were measured. In general, the Arctic spring aerosol in the vicinity of Svalbard had significant temporal and vertical variability. A strong haze event occurred between 21 and 25 March in which the optical depth from ground-based observation was 0.18, which was significantly greater than the background value of 0.06. Airborne measurements on 23 March during this haze event showed a high aerosol layer with an extinction coefficient of 0.03 km −1 or more up to 3 km and a scattering coefficient from 0.02 in the same altitude range. From the chemical analyses of airborne measurements, sulfate, soot and sea salt particles were dominant, and there was a high mixing ratio of external soot particles in some layers during the haze event, whereas internal mixing of soot in sulfate was noticeable in some layers for the background condition. We argue that the high aerosol loading is due to direct transport from anthropogenic source regions. In this paper we focus on the course of the haze event in detail through analyses of the airborne and ground-based results. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2005.00140.x

We present a Rare Earth Elements (REE) record at decadal resolution determined in the EPICA ice core drilled in Dronning Maud Land (EDML) in the Atlantic Sector of the East Antarctic Plateau, covering the transition from the last glacial age (LGA) to the early Holocene (26 600–7500 yr BP). Additionally, samples from potential source areas (PSAs) for Antarctic dust were analysed for their REE characteristics. The dust provenance is discussed by comparing the REE fingerprints in the ice core and the PSAs samples. We find a shift in REE composition at 15 200 yr BP in the ice core samples. Before 15 200 yr BP, the dust composition is very uniform and its provenance was likely to be dominated by a South American source. After 15 200 yr BP, multiple sources such as Australia and New Zealand become relatively more important, albeit South America is possibly still an important dust supplier. A similar change in the dust characteristics was observed in the EPICA Dome C ice core at around ~15 000 yr BP. A return to more glacial dust characteristics between ~8300 and ~7500 yr BP, as observed in the EPICA Dome C core, could not be observed in the EDML core. Consequently, the dust provenance at the two sites must have been different at that time.

International audience; We present the first Rare Earth Elements (REE) concentration record determined in 294 sections of an Antarctic ice core (EPICA Dome C), covering a period from 2.9 to 33.7 kyr BP. REE allow a detailed quantitative evaluation of aeolian dust composition because of the large number of variables (i.e. 14 elements). REE concentrations match the particulate dust concentration profile over this period and show a homogeneous crustal-like composition during the last glacial stage (LGS), with only a slight enrichment in medium REE. This signature is consistent with the persistent fallout of a mixture of dust from heterogeneous sources located in different areas or within the same region (e.g. South America). Starting at not, vert, similar15 kyr BP, there was a major change in dust composition, the variable character of which persisted throughout the Holocene. This varying signature may highlight the alternation of single dust contributions from different sources during the Holocene. We observe that the frequent changes in REE composition at the onset of the Holocene (10-13.5 kyr BP) are linked to dust size and in turn to wind strength and/or the path of the atmospheric trajectory. This may indicate that atmospheric circulation dictated the composition of the dust fallout to East Antarctica at that time. Although the dust concentrations remained fairly low, a notable return towards more glacial dust characteristics is recorded between 7.5 and 8.3 kyr BP. This happened concomitantly with a widespread cold event around 8 kyr BP that was 400-600 years long and suggests a moderate reactivation of the dust emission from the same potential source areas of the LGS.

Die Wissenschaft fuhrt den Forscher manchmal an die unwirtlichsten Orte: Heftige Schneesturme, Dunkelheit rund um die Uhr und −30°C. Fur die Forscher vom Alfred-Wegener-Institut fur Polar-und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, ist die Entnahme und Vorbereitung von Proben unter diesen Bedingungen nichts Ungewohnliches-hier der Bericht einer Expedition im Fruhjahr 2000.

Atmospheric trace element concentrations were measured from March 1999 to December 2003 at the Air Chemistry Observatory of the German Antarctic station Neumayer, by inductively coupled plasma–quadrupol mass spectrometry (ICP–QMS) and ion chromatography (IC). This continuous five-year long record derived from weekly aerosol sampling revealed a distinct seasonal summer maximum for elements linked with mineral dust entry (Al, La, Ce, Nd) and a winter maximum for the mostly sea salt derived elements Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca and Sr. The relative seasonal amplitude was around 1.7 and 1.4 for mineral dust (La) and sea salt aerosol (Na), respectively. On average, a significant deviation regarding mean ocean water composition was apparent for Li, Mg and Sr, which could hardly be explained by mirabilite precipitation on freshly formed sea ice. In addition, we observed all over the year, a not clarified high variability of element ratios Li/Na, K/Na, Mg/Na, Ca/Na and Sr/Na. We found an intriguing co-variation of Se concentrations with biogenic sulphur aerosols (methane sulphonate and non-sea salt sulphate), indicating a dominant marine biogenic source for this element, linked with the marine biogenic sulphur source. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00372.x

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a suitable tool for multi-element analysis at low concentration levels. Rare earth element (REE) determinations in standard reference materials and small volumes of molten ice core samples from Antarctica have been performed with an ICP-time of flight-MS (ICP-TOF-MS) system. Recovery rates for REE in e.g. SPS-SW1 amounted to ∼103%, and the relative standard deviations were 3.4% for replicate analysis at REE concentrations in the lower ng L −1 range. Analyses of REE concentrations in Antarctic ice core samples showed that the ICP-TOF-MS technique meets the demands of restricted sample mass. The data obtained are in good agreement with ICP-Quadrupole-MS (ICP-Q-MS) and ICP-Sector Field-MS (ICP-SF-MS) results. The ICP-TOF-MS system determines accurately and precisely REE concentrations exceeding 5 ng L −1 while between 0.5 and 5 ng L −1 accuracy and precision are element dependent.

Heavy metal accumulation into bivalve soft tissues has received increasing interest in recent years with respect to biomonitoring of environmental change including pollution. To a lesser extent, accretion of elements from the environment into bivalve hard structures (shells) has been investigated, although the importance of the shells as environmental archives has been acknowledged. Here we report element distribution within consecutive growth bands in the shells of the Antarctic soft shell clam Laternula elliptica, which is currently exposed to vast environmental change in Antarctic Peninsula coastal environments that undergo rapid climate warming. We performed a high spatial resolution analysis for Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb and U in the shell umbo, by means of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Element ratios within the umbo did not resemble either the ratios in the surrounding seawater, the sedimenting material in Potter Cove, or even the Earth's crust basal composition. Mn and Cu were preferentially incorporated into the umbo. A strong decrease of element accretion with time could be related to lifetime respiration mass (R) of the animals. This indicates element accretion into the umbo and shell matrix to be largely a function of animal ecophysiology and life history, and these effects need to be considered in the context of potential usefulness of L. elliptica shells as environmental archives.

The snow and iceshields of the polar regions serve as a climate archiveand deliver a useful insight back to about 250.000 years of earth climatehistory1,2. The aim of our investigation reported here was to establisha new method for the determination of trace elements in ice cores frompolar regions with Laserablation Inductively Coupled Plasma MassSpectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)3. Primarily, the construction of a cryogeniclaserablation chamber and the optimization of the analysis system forthe sample matrix were the main goals. This paper reports preliminaryresults from measurements of frozen ice samples, the achievable signalintensities, standard deviations and calibration graphs as well as the firstsignal progression of 208Pb in an 8000 years old ice core sample fromGreenland.

Two newly developed instruments were combined to analyze the trace metal content in size separated arctic aerosols during the measurement campaign ASTAR 2004 (Arctic Study of Tropospheric Aerosols, Clouds and Radiation 2004) at Spitsbergen in May–June 2004. The aim of this extensive aerosol measurement campaign was to obtain a database for model-calculations of arctic aerosol, which play an important role in the global climate change. The ASTAR project was centered on two aircraft measurement campaigns, scheduled from 2004 to 2005, addressing both aerosol and cloud measurements, combined with ground-based and satellite observations. In the present paper one example for the analysis of ground-based aerosol particles is described. The sampling of aerosol particles was performed in a well-known manner by impaction of the particles on cleaned graphite targets. By means of a cascade impactor eight size classes between 0.35 and 16.6 Am aerodynamic diameters were separated. To analyze the metal content in the aerosol particles the targets were rapidly heated up to 2700 -C in an inductively heated vaporizer system (IHVS). An argon flow transports the vaporized sample material into the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) used as ionization source for the time of flight-mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). The simultaneous extraction of the ions from the plasma, as realized in the TOF instrument, allows to obtain the full mass spectrum of the sample during the vaporization pulse without any limitation in the number of elements detected. With optimized experimental parameters the element content in arctic aerosol particles was determined in a mass range between 7 Li and 209 Bi. Comparing the size distribution of the elemental content of the aerosol particles, two different meteorological situations were verified. For calibration acidified reference solutions were placed on the cleaned target inside the IHVS. The limits of detection (LOD) for the element mass on the target range between 2 and 200 pg for the elements studied, except Na, Mg, and Cr, which are influenced by high background. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The direct determination of element signatures in polar ice core samples from Greenland by laser ablation with subsequent inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis has been investigated. A cryogenic sample chamber enables the element determination in ice directly from the solid (frozen) state. A procedure was developed to analyse up to 38 elements (traces: Mg, Al, Fe, Zn, Cd, Pb and rare earth elements; minor constituents: Na) in ice samples from Greenland with a previously unachievable spatial resolution of 4 mm along the core axis. This resolution is helpful to detect seasonal variations of element concentration in thin annual layers of deep ice. We report operating conditions and analytical performance of the experimental set up, the improvement of signal stability by (17)OH internal standardisation and application of a desolvation unit. Calibration of the system was performed with frozen multielement standard solutions along a special preparation procedure. Detection limits for the tracers Na, Mg (sea salt), Al (mineral dust) and Zn (anthropogenic source) are 0.1-1 microg kg(-1). Best detection limits in the range of 0.001-0.01 microg kg(-1 )were reached for Co, Pb and all rare earth elements. To validate the method, frozen standard reference materials were measured. The recovery is about +/-10%. Greenland ice core samples from different ages were analysed with the new technique. The results obtained by laser ablation were compared with values from solution analysis, available published data and the particle content. Most elements have shown good correlation with the particle content in the Greenland samples; however, differences could be seen between the values obtained by laser ablation and solution bulk analysis after a tri-acid digestion. The influence of particles is discussed. The high spatially resolved 2D mapping of element concentrations shows strong inhomogeneities along the core axis most probably due to seasonal variations of element deposition.

A new method for the detection of trace elements in polar ice cores using laser ablation with subsequent inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis is described. To enable direct analysis of frozen ice samples a special laser ablation chamber was constructed. Direct analysis reduces the risk of contamination. The defined removal of material from the ice surface by means of a laser beam leads to higher spatial resolution (300-1000 microm) in comparison to investigations with molten ice samples. This is helpful for the detection of element signatures in annual layers of ice cores. The method was applied to the successful determination of traces for the elements Mg, Al, Fe, Zn, Cd, Pb, some rare-earth elements (REE) and minor constituents such as Ca and Na in ice cores. These selected elements serve as tracer elements for certain sources and their element signatures detected in polar ice cores can give hints to climate changes in the past. We report results from measurements of frozen ice samples, the achievable signal intensities, standard deviations and calibration graphs as well as the first signal progression of 205Pb in an 8,000-year-old ice core sample from Greenland. In addition, the first picture of a crater on an ice surface burnt by an IR laser made by cryogenic scanning electron microscopy is presented.

A new method for detection of trace metals in saline samples is described using batch preconcentration with subsequent ICP-MS analyses after direct sample insertion of the analyte loaded chelating resin. The samples were prepared using a CETAC DSX-100 system, which preconcentrates analytes and removes matrix components by a suspended particulate reagent (SPR). The SPR is consisting of polymeric beads of 0.2 mu m size that selectively binds the trace metals by iminodiacetic chelating groups. The beads with bound analytes are then nebulized directly into the ICP-MS. The enrichment factors lay between 40 and 48 due to the enrichment of 120 mL suspension to 2.5-3.0 mL eluate. The method was applied and validated to the successful determination of traces of the transition metals Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in the Open Ocean Seawater certified reference material NASS-4 and the Coastal Seawater certified reference material CASS-3. In addition to the certified constituents the rare earth elements La, Ce, Eu, Gd, Yb, and Lu were determined.

Laminated sediment records from the oxygen minimum zone in the Arabian Sea offer unique ultrahigh-resolution archives for deciphering climate variability in the Arabian Sea region. Although numerous analytical techniques are available it has become increasingly popular during the past decade to analyze relative variations of sediment cores' chemical signature by non-destructive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning. We carefully selected an approximately 5 m long sediment core from the northern Arabian Sea (GeoB12309-5: 24:52.3°N; 62:59.9°E, 956 m water depth) for a detailed, comparative study of high-resolution techniques, namely non-destructive XRF core scanning (0.8 mm resolution) and ICP-MS/OES analysis on carefully selected, discrete samples (1 mm resolution). The aim of our study was to more precisely define suitable chemical elements that can be accurately analyzed and to determine which elemental ratios can be interpretated down to sub-millimeter-scale resolutions. Applying the Student's t-test our results show significantly correlating (1% significance level) elemental patterns for all S, Ca, Fe, Zr, Rb, and Sr, as well as the K/Ca, Fe/Ti and Ti/Al ratios that are all related to distinct lithological changes. After careful consideration of all errors for the ICP analysis we further provide respective factors of XRF Core Scanner software error's underestimation by applying χ2-tests, which is especially relevant for elements with high count rates. As demonstrated by these new, ultra-high resolution data core scanning has major advantages (high-speed, low costs, few sample preparation steps) and represents an increasingly required alternative over the time consuming, expensive, elaborative, and destructive wet chemical analyses (e.g., by ICP-MS/OES after acid digestions), and meanwhile also provides high-quality data in unprecedented resolution.

Atmospheric aerosols play an important role in global climate change, directly through radiative forcing and indirectlythrough their effect on cloud properties. Numerous measurements have been performed in the last three decades inorder to characterize polar aerosols. Information about aerosol characteristics is needed to calculate induced changes inthe Earth’s heat balance. However, this forcing is highly variable in space and time. Accurate quantification of forcingby aerosols will require combined efforts, assimilating information from different sources such as satellite, aircraft andsurface-based observations. Adding to the complexity of the problem is that the measurements themselves are oftennot directly comparable as they vary in spatial/temporal resolution and in the basic properties of the aerosol that theymeasure. Therefore it is desirable to close the gap between the differences in temporal and spatial resolution and coverageamong the observational approaches. In order to keep the entire information content and to treat aerosol variability ina consistent and manageable way an approach has to be achieved which enables one to combine these data. This studypresents one possibility for linking together a complex Arctic aerosol data set in terms of parameters, timescale and placeof measurement as well as meteorological parameters. A cluster analysis was applied as a pattern recognition technique.The data set is classified in clusters and expressed in terms of mean statistical values, which represent the entire databaseand its variation. For this study, different time-series of microphysical, optical and chemical aerosol parameters aswell as meteorological parameters were analysed. The database was obtained during an extensive aerosol measurementcampaign, the ASTAR 2000 (Arctic Study of Tropospheric Aerosol and Radiation) field campaign, with coordinatedsimultaneous ground-based and airborne measurements in the vicinity of Spitsbergen (Svalbard). Furthermore, longtermmeasurements at two ground-based sites situated at different altitudes were incorporated into the analysis. Theapproach presented in this study allows the necessary linking of routine long-term measurements with short-termextensive observations. It also involves integration of intermittent vertical aerosol profile measurements. This is usefulfor many applications, especially in climate research where the required data coverage is large. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2004.00128.x