Combining traditional and novel techniques to increase our understanding of the lock-in depth of atmospheric gases in polar ice cores – results from the EastGRIP region
Abstract. We investigate the lock-in zone (LIZ) of the East Greenland Ice Core Project (EastGRIP) region, northeastern Greenland, in detail. We present results from the firn air-pumping campaign of the S6 borehole, forward modeling, and a novel technique for finding the lock-in depth (LID, the top of the LIZ) based on the visual stratigraphy of the EastGRIP ice core. The findings in this work help to deepen our knowledge of how atmospheric gases are trapped in ice cores. CO2, δ15N, and CH4 data suggest that the LID lies around 58 to 61 m depth. With the pixel value intensity and bright-spot analysis based on visual stratigraphy, we can pinpoint a change in ice properties to exactly 58.3 m depth, which we define as the optical lock-in depth (OLID). This visual change in ice properties is caused by the formation of rounded and enclosed air bubbles that alter the measured refraction of the light pathways. The results for the LID and OLID agree accurately on the depth. We furthermore use the visual stratigraphy images to obtain information on the sharpness of the open- to closed-porosity transition. Combining traditional methods with the independent optical method presented here, we can now better constrain the bubble closure processes in polar firn.
Authors
- Julien Westhoff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7818-1786)
- Xavier Faïn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4119-6025)
- Johannes Freitag (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2654-9440)
- Anaïs Orsi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5511-3940)
- Kévin Fourteau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9905-2446)
- Thomas Blunier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6065-7747)
- Ilka Weikusat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3023-6036)
- Michael Dyonisius (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8412-6724)
- Patricia Martinerie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6820-2296)
Institutions
- Institut polytechnique de Grenoble (FR)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (DE)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FR)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
- Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (FR)
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (FR)
- CEA Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR)
- University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus (CA)
- University of Tübingen (DE)
- Okanagan University College (CA)
- Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The cryosphere
- Published
- 2024-09-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4379-2024
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.75
Funders
- Villum Fonden