On the possibility to restore the climatic signal in the disturbed record of stable water isotope content in the old (0.4–1.2 Ma) Vostok ice (Central Antarctica)

A. A. Ekaykin; V. Ya. Lipenkov; A. N. Veres; A. V. Kozachek; A. A. Skakun

doi:10.15356/2076-6734-2019-4-463

On the possibility to restore the climatic signal in the disturbed record of stable water isotope content in the old (0.4–1.2 Ma) Vostok ice (Central Antarctica)

A. A. Ekaykin, V. Ya. Lipenkov, A. N. Veres, A. V. Kozachek, A. A. Skakun

https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2019-4-463

Full Text:

Abstract

In this work we have presented new detailed (with the resolution of 10 cm) stable water isotope (δD and δ¹⁸O) profile measured in the central Antarctic Vostok ice core section that contains old ice with the age from 0.4 to 1.2 million years. To interpret these data we have developed a model of molecular diffusion in ice and determined the value of so-called «diffusion length». We have demonstrated that the climatic signal in this ice interval is disturbed by a combination of two processes, ice layer folding (that is accompanied by layer overturning and mixing) and molecular diffusion. The whole old ice interval can be divided in 5 zones that differ in terms of character and intensity of these two processes. In three of these zones the climatic signal is partly preserved and could be restored to some extent. However, in the most interesting and old zone 5 (0.75–1.2 Ma) the climatic signal is nearly completely erased and could hardly be reconstructed. At the same time, the isotopic records obtained from the Vostok old ice have preserved the information on the mean level of the isotopic content of ice in glacial and interglacial stages. This gives an opportunity to reveal and study long-term climatic trends with typical duration longer than main climatic cycles (40–100 ka).

Keywords

Antarctica, ice cores, Mid-Pleistocene Transition, old ice, paleoclimate, stable water isotopes, Vostok station,

About the Authors

A. A. Ekaykin

Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute; Institute of Earth Sciences, Saint Petersburg State University
Russian Federation

V. Ya. Lipenkov

Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Russian Federation

A. N. Veres

Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute; Institute of Earth Sciences, Saint Petersburg State University
Russian Federation

A. V. Kozachek

Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Russian Federation

A. A. Skakun

Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute; Central Astronomic (Pulkovo) Observatory
Russian Federation

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Supplementary files

For citation: Ekaykin A.A., Lipenkov V.Y., Veres A.N., Kozachek A.V., Skakun A.A. On the possibility to restore the climatic signal in the disturbed record of stable water isotope content in the old (0.4–1.2 Ma) Vostok ice (Central Antarctica). Ice and Snow. 2019;59(4):437-451. https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2019-4-463

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