A continuous analysis technique for trace species in ice cores

Sigg, Andreas; Führer, Katrin; Anklin, Martin; Staffelbach, T.; Zurmuehle, Daniel.

doi:10.1021/es00051a004

Cited by 80 publications

(116 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…For example, mean concentrations of Na, Mg, and K ions for the GISP2 B core for ice dated (Figure 2). The reliability of CFA measurements for Ca 2+ , NH4 + , NO3 -, and H2O2 are well established (21). One challenge in determining trace element concentrations with the ICP-MS in the ppt range is isobaric interference between two different elements or molecular species with the same mass-to-charge ratio.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Continuous Ice-Core Chemical Analyses Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

McConnell

Lamorey

Lambert

et al. 2001

Environ. Sci. Technol.

209

219

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Impurities trapped in ice sheets and glaciers have the potential to provide detailed, high temporal resolution proxy information on paleo-environments, atmospheric circulation, and environmental pollution through the use of chemical, isotopic, and elemental tracers. We present a novel approach to ice-core chemical analyses in which an ice-core melter is coupled directly with both an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer and a traditional continuous flow analysis system. We demonstrate this new approach using replicated measurements of ice-core samples from Summit, Greenland. With this method, it is possible to readily obtain continuous, exactly coregistered concentration records for a large number of elements and chemical species at ppb and ppt levels and at unprecedented depth resolution. Such very-high depth resolution, multiparameter measurements will significantly expand the use of ice-core records for environmental proxies.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Continuous Ice-Core Chemical Analyses Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

McConnell

Lamorey

Lambert

et al. 2001

Environ. Sci. Technol.

209

219

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“…The errors of the pipetting and dispensing water volume in concentration values c have been calculated using Gaussian error propagation and applied to the weights w in the fits as w = 1 c . Note that during field seasons it is of high priority to be able to perform measurements fast, therefore one-point calibrations were performed for those species, whose response had been proven previously to be highly linear, such as for NH + 4 and H 2 O 2 (Sigg et al, 1994). However, to give an error approximation for those species, an additional extended calibration series has been performed.…”

Section: Concentration Error Estimation and Detection Limitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Representativeness and seasonality of major ion records derived from NEEM firn cores

et al. 2014

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Abstract. The seasonal and annual representativeness of ionic aerosol proxies (among others, calcium, sodium, ammonium and nitrate) in various firn cores in the vicinity of the NEEM drill site in northwest Greenland have been assessed. Seasonal representativeness is very high as one core explains more than 60 % of the variability within the area. The inter-annual representativeness, however, can be substantially lower (depending on the species) making replicate coring indispensable to derive the atmospheric variability of aerosol species. A single core at the NEEM site records only 30 % of the inter-annual atmospheric variability in some species, while five replicate cores are already needed to cover approximately 70 % of the inter-annual atmospheric variability in all species.The spatial representativeness is very high within 60 cm, rapidly decorrelates within 10 m but does not diminish further within 3 km. We attribute this to wind reworking of the snow pack leading to sastrugi formation.Due to the high resolution and seasonal representativeness of the records we can derive accurate seasonalities of the measured species for modern (AD 1990(AD -2010 times as well as for pre-industrial (AD 1623-1750) times. Sodium and calcium show similar seasonality (peaking in February and March respectively) for modern and pre-industrial times, whereas ammonium and nitrate are influenced by anthropogenic activities. Nitrate and ammonium both peak in May during modern times, whereas during pre-industrial times ammonium peaked during July-August and nitrate during June-July.

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“…Sample decontamination, traditionally done with the mechanical removal (e.g., bandsaw cutting) of contaminated surfaces resulting in discretely prepared samples (9,10), is time-consuming and therefore significantly limits the number of samples analyzed and the analysis speed. To solve this problem, Sigg et al (11) used an electrically heated melting device to generate uncontaminated flowing meltwater streams to be analyzed with instrumental techniques. The ice core melter, with subsequent improvements (e.g., ref 12), has significantly improved the speed and reliability of ice core sample preparation for chemical analysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Speed, High Resolution, and Continuous Chemical Analysis of Ice Cores Using a Melter and Ion Chromatography

Cole‐Dai

Budner

Ferris

2006

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Measurement of trace chemical impurities in ice cores contributes to the reconstruction of records of the atmospheric environment and of the climate system. Ion chromatography (IC) is an effective analytical technique for ionic species in ice cores but has been used on discretely prepared ice samples, resulting in extensive and slow sample preparation and potential for contamination. A new technique has been developed that utilizes IC as the online detection technique in a melter-based continuous flow system for quantitative determination of major ionic chemical impurities. The system, called CFA-IC for continuous flow analysis with ion chromatography detection, consists of an ice core melter, several ion chromatographs, and an interface that distributes meltwater to the IC instruments. The CFA-IC technique combines the accuracy, precision, and ease of use of IC measurement with the enhanced speed and depth resolution of continuous melting systems and is capable of virtually continuous, high-speed and high-resolution chemical analysis of long ice cores. The new technique and operating procedures have been tested and validated with the analysis of over 100 m of ice cores from Antarctica. The current CFA-IC system provides an all-major-ion analysis speed of up to 8 m a day at a depth resolution of approximately 2 cm.

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A continuous analysis technique for trace species in ice cores

Cited by 80 publications

References 14 publications

Continuous Ice-Core Chemical Analyses Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Continuous Ice-Core Chemical Analyses Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Representativeness and seasonality of major ion records derived from NEEM firn cores

High Speed, High Resolution, and Continuous Chemical Analysis of Ice Cores Using a Melter and Ion Chromatography

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