Sources of low-frequency δ18O variability in coastal ice cores from Dronning Maud Land (Antarctica)

The low-frequency variability of the $$\delta ^{18}$$ O recorded in ice cores (FK17 and TIR18) recently drilled at two different locations in Dronning Maud Land (Antarctica), is investigated using multi-taper spectral method and singular spectrum analysis. Multiple dominant peaks emerge in these records with periods between 3 and 20 years. The two sites show distinct spectral signatures, despite their relative proximity in space (about 100 km apart), suggesting that different processes are involved in generating the variability at these two sites. In order to clarify which processes are acting on $$\delta ^{18}$$ O at these two locations, the impact of several climate indices as well as sea ice area is investigated using a causal method, known as the Liang-Kleeman rate of information transfer. The analysis of the origin of this low-frequency variability from external sources reveals that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), the Dipole Mode Index (DMI) and the sea ice area display important causal influences on $$\delta ^{18}$$ O at FK17. For TIR18, the main influences are from ENSO, PDO, DMI, the sea ice area, and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), revealing the complexity of the interactions in Dronning Maud Land. The two locations share several drivers, but also show local specificities potentially linked to ocean proximity and differences in air mass trajectories.