Fluctuations of snow accumulation in the Antarctic and sea level pressure in the Southern Hemisphere in the last 100 years

Abstract

This paper summarizes the long-term fluctuations of snow accumulation in the Antarctic and analyzes its correlation with the sea level pressure (SLP) in the middle latitude (40~ ~ S) of the Southern Hemisphere. Stratigraphic data which were compiled from studies on ice cores and snow-pits at eight stations in the Antarctic were used in the present study. It was found that the data concerning fluctuations in snow accumulation for East Antarctica showed correlations, whereas no such correlation was observed for the data from West Antarctica.This study shows possible relationships between snow accumulation in the Antarctic and SLP in the middle latitudes. The fluctuations of accumulation at South Pole, Dome C, Wilkes and South Ice Point show correlations with SLP over a large area in the 400-50 ~ S latitudinal zone. For the long-term fluctuations of SLP in the 40~ ~ S latitudinal zone, a zonal fluctuation with wave number zero structure and a longitudinal variation of SLP anomalies due to their out-of-phasefluctuation between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans were observed. The temporal scales for these fluctuations were found to be in the order of 20-30 years and 40-60 years, respectively. The influences of these two modes on the behaviour of snow accumulation in the Antarctic is also discussed.

Sea level pressure variability over the southern Indian Ocean inferred from a glaciochemical record in Princess Elizabeth Land, east Antarctica

“…Both deepenings and weakenings exhibit an approximately 20-to 30-year periodicity, except a missing trough around 1920 and two peaks around 1770 and 1930. The results of our spectral analysis agree with the findings of Law Dome sea-salt record [Souney et al, 2002], and also with the 20-to 30-year oscillation of instrumental SLP between 40°S and 50°S identified by Enomoto [1991]. This supports the use of sea-salt records from PEL as a proxy for MSLP over the SIO, and probably for the shifting of the polar vortex as well.…”

“…Hence it may be associated with long term variability of SH circulation. (KI, 1952(KI, -1988, New Amsterdam Island (NAI, 1951-1988), and Davis (1958-1991 1956, 1957 1956, 1957 1956, 1957, 1959 1960 1963 1963 1963 -1966, 1967 1966, 1967 1966, 1967 -1976, 1977 1976, 1977 1977, 1978 1979 1983, 1984 1983, 1984 1983, 1984 -1988 1988 1988 1989 Low Na KI, High SLP NAI, High SLP Davis, High SLP 1954, 19551954, 19551955-1958, 19591958, 1959195819591964, 19651964, 19651964, 1965-1971197119711971, 19721981, 19821981, 19821981, 19821980198619861986 LGB65 sodium record shown with instrumentally reconstructed transpolar index (TPI) (for method, see Villalba et al [1997]), (b) correlation of the STPI series inferred from sub-Antarctic tree rings [Villalba et al, 1997] with 252-year sodium records (reversed here), and (c) EOF1 series (reversed here) of LGB65. All lines represent 10-year smoothed variations.…”

Climate Change During the Last Deglaciation in Antarctica

“…The reference electrode (Ag/AgCI) was installed by a method similar to that described in (10). 16. The sensing electrodes were installed next to the reactor outlet, which helped ensure correspondence between sensor response and fluid samples.…”

“…Boch seasalt and dust are incorporated into this circulation in regions of strong cyclogenesis that form along marine and atmospheric thermal gradients. In the Southern Hemisphere, flu ctuat ions in the size of polar atmospheric ci rculation have been documented by examination of recent trends in the Antarctic snow accumulation rate (16) and in T asman ian tree ring records ( 17). As of yet, associations between the histories of northern and southern polar atmospheric circulation systems have not been investigated.…”

Southern hemisphere atmospheric circulation: impacts on Antarctic climate and reconstructions from Antarctic ice core data

“…Despite this, the work still represents an important methodological advance. Enomoto (1991), on the other hand, discovered significant correlations between accumulation data from South Pole, Dome C and Law Dome and SLP observations from stations located between [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50] • S. This allowed a reconstruction of SLP for this region to be created for a 100 year window. Spectral analysis of this reconstruction shows a 20-30 year period, which, it was proposed, is due to an oscillation feature of the wave-number zero SLP variation but this could equally be related to the sparseness of the input observations.…”