Identification of Some Global Volcanic Horizons by Major Element Analysis of Fine Ash in Antarctic Ice

Abstract

Acid fallout from volcanic eruptions is well documented in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets (Hammer and others, 1980; Hammer, 1984; Legrand and Delmas, 1987). However, to date, no volcanic ash (tephra) layers have been positively identified in association with any of the high electrical conductivity layers that mark the volcanic acid deposition. In this paper we report the results of a study of the chemical composition of insoluble microparticles filtered from five intervals of a core from the South Pole. These five intervals were identified by Kirchner (1988) as being due to volcanic fallout, on the basis of electrical conductivity and sulfuric acid measurements.The major element composition of tiny (<5µm) glass shards found in these layers was determined and compared with analyses of volcanic ash from known eruptions or from volcanic sources suspected of having produced the fallout. Glass shards from volcanic eruptions of both local (Antarctic and sub-Antarctic) and of global (Indonesian/South American) importance have been identified in this study.

Ice core and palaeoclimatic evidence for the timing and nature of the great mid‐13th century volcanic eruption

“…Data provided by the National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado at Boulder, and the WDC-A for Paleoclimatology, NGDC, Boulder, CO, USA both Arctic (Figure 1; Zielinski, 1995;Clausen et al, 1997) and Antarctic ice cores (Langway et al, 1988;Moore et al, 1991;Delmas et al, 1992). Rhyolitic-composition (SiO 2 ≈ 70 wt%; Na 2 O + K 2 O ≈ 8 wt%) glass shards have been filtered out of the acid horizon from Greenland and South Pole cores (Palais et al, 1990. Dating accuracy is reported variously as ±1 year, ±2 years, or 0.5%.…”

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: a new tool for trace element analysis in ice cores

“…The distribution and composition of trace elements in annual layers of ice cores can, for example, provide information about the changes from cold to warm periods [e.g., increase of mineral dust (Al, Fe, REE) or sea salt (Na, Mg)], special events in Earth history, such as volcanic eruptions (dust horizons in ice core layers), or point to sources of mineral dust [5,6,7]. The detection of seasonal variations of mineral dust and sea salt concentrations can give valuable hints for the dating of the ice cores.…”

Volcanic eruptions recorded in the Illimani ice core (Bolivia): 1918–1998 and Tambora periods

“…Several continuous longterm records of past volcanic activity have been deduced from acidity measurements along deep ice cores recently recovered in both polar regions (Zielinski et al, 1996;Clausen et al, 1997). Large volcanic eruptions of global significance may sometimes also be detected in polar ice cores by their glass or silicate grain deposits (de Angelis et al 1985;Palais et al, 1990;Silva and Zielinski, 1998;Zielinski et al, 1997). However, even in the case of very large halogen-rich volcanic eruptions, significant amounts of halogens have been detected in polar ice layers only when the eruption occurred at a high latitude in the same hemisphere, allowing rapid tropospheric transport .…”