Sulfate-Based Volcanic Record from South Pole Ice Cores

Summary

This data set contains concentrations of soluble chemical species (ions) of a 120 m ice core retrieved at the South Pole station in 2001. The ice core was dated with annual resolution using annual layer counting. Investigators measured chemical species, ions, and volcanic deposits found in the cores. The analysis was conducted at South Dakota State University between 2001 and 2003. Data are available in Microsoft Excel or ASCII text format via FTP from NSIDC.

Citing These Data

Cole-Dai, J. 2004. Sulfate-Based Volcanic Record from South Pole Ice Cores National Snow and Ice Data Center; Boulder, CO.

Overview Table

Category	Description
Data format	Microsoft Excel file and ASCII text file
Spatial coverage and resolution	90°S
Temporal coverage and resolution	Temporal coverage is from 905 A.D. to 2000 A.D. Data are given in yearly increments.
File size	739 KB
Parameter(s)	Chemical species, ions, and volcanic deposits
Procedures for obtaining data	Data are available via FTP.

Table of Contents

1. Contacts and Acknowledgments
2. Detailed Data Description
3. Data Access and Tools
4. Data Acquisition and Processing
5. References and Related Publications
6. Document Information

1. Contacts and Acknowledgments

Investigator(s) Name and Title

Jihong Cole-Dai
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
South Dakota State University

Technical Contact

Acknowledgements

This work was accomplished under the National Science Federation (NSF) grant # 0087151.

2. Detailed Data Description

The goal of this project was to analyze shallow (~150 m) ice cores from South Pole to construct an annually resolved, sulfate-based volcanic record covering the last 1400 years. Two shallow ice cores were recovered at the South Pole during the 2000/2001 field season.

Volcanic records from polar ice cores provide valuable information for studies of the connection between volcanism and climate. The information from these records can verify the volcanic events found in the few existing Antarctic records and resolve discrepancies in the timing and magnitude of major explosive eruptions determined from those earlier records.

Format

Data are provided in a Microsoft Excel file and as an ASCII text file.

Spatial Coverage

90°S

Temporal Coverage

Temporal coverage is from 905 A.D. to 2000 A.D.

Temporal Resolution

Data are given in yearly increments.

Parameter or Variable

This study measures the chemical species, ions, and volcanic deposits in the ice cores.

Parameter Description

Unit of Measurement

Concentrations are given in both microequivalent per liter (ueq/l) and microgram per liter (ug/l) or ppb.

Parameter Range

Information (identification, depth) and data for each sample are presented in the same row.

The following table describes the columns in the data file. Note that concentrations for each element are given first in microequivalent per liter (ueq/l) and then in microgram per liter (ug/l) or ppb.

Column	Description
Sample#	The number assigned to a sample.
Year Start	The start of the year sampled.
Year-#	Where there are multiple samples in a year, this is the number of sample within the given year.
Depth WEQ M (TOP)	Water equivalent at the top of the sample
Depth WEQ M (Mid)	Water equivalent at the midpoint of the sample
Size cm	Size (in cm) of the sample.
Depth (TOP) M	Depth at the top of the sample in meters
Depth (MIDDLE) M	Depth at the middle of the sample in meters
Density (MIDDLE) kg/cm3
MSA	Methane sulfonic acid or Methanesulphonate
Cl	Chlorine
NO3	Nitrate
SO4	Sulfate ion
Na	Sodium
NH4	Ammonium chloride
K	Potassium
Mg	Magnesium
Ca	Calcium
Na/Cl	Sodium chloride

Sample Data Record

The following sample is taken from the data file:

Sample#	Year Start	Year-#	Depth WEQ M (TOP)	Depth WEQ M (Mid)	Size cm	Depth (TOP) M	Depth (MIDDLE) M	Density (MIDDLE) kg/cm3	MSA ueq/l	Cl ueq/l	NO3 ueq/l	SO4 ueq/l	Na ueq/l	NH4 ueq/l	K ueq/l	Mg ueq/l	Ca ueq/l	Na/Cl ueq/l	MSA ug/l	NO3 ug/l
T001-1	2000	2000-1	0.0000	0.0185	11.00	0.57	0.63	3.36E-04	0.072	0.860	4.797	0.900	0.502	0.230	0.120	0.232	0.567	0.584	6.81	297.44
T001-2		2000-2	0.0369	0.0504	8.00	0.68	0.72	3.37E-04	0.173	1.043	1.878	0.551	0.445	0.118	0.040	0.270	0.327	0.427	16.42	116.43
T001-3		2000-3	0.0639	0.0775	8.00	0.76	0.80	3.39E-04	0.251	0.584	1.801	0.492	0.320	0.055	0.019	0.238	0.370	0.548	23.84	111.64
T001-4		2000-4	0.0910	0.1016	6.25	0.84	0.87	3.40E-04	0.112	1.296	1.870	0.669	0.505	0.171	0.021	0.291	0.328	0.390	10.69	115.97
T001-5		2000-5	0.1122	0.1229	6.25	0.90	0.93	3.41E-04	0.102	0.932	1.975	0.722	0.864	0.324	0.269	0.363	0.595	0.927	9.69	122.44
T001-6	1999	1999-1	0.1335	0.1442	6.25	0.97	1.00	3.42E-04	0.593	0.829	2.111	0.646	0.209	0.530	0.017	0.328	0.239	0.253	56.41	130.87

Error Sources

A few samples were contaminated. Concentration data fields are left blank for contaminated samples.

3. Data Access and Tools

Data Access

Data are available via FTP.

Related Data Collections

• Antarctic Glaciological Data Center
• WAISCORES Data

4. Data Acquisition and Processing

Data Acquisition Methods

Discrete or individual ice core samples were cut lengthwise from the 120 m core and analyzed for ion concentrations by ion chromatography.

5. References and Related Publications

Budner, D., and J. Cole-Dai. 2003. The number and magnitude of explosive volcanic eruptions between 904 and 1865 A.D.: Quantitative evidence from a new South Pole ice core, in Volcanism and the Earth's Atmosphere. Geophysical Monograph 139. Edited by A. Robock and C. Oppenheimer, 10.1029/139GM10, pp 165-176. American Geophysical Union.

6. Document Information

Acronyms and Abbreviations

The following acronyms and abbreviations are used in this document.

FTP	File Transfer Protocol
NSF	National Science Federation
ppb	parts per billion
ueq/l	microequivalent per liter
ug/1	microgram per liter
WEQ	water equivalent

Document Creation Date

January 2004

Document URL

http://nsidc.org/data/docs/agdc/nsidc0215_cole_dai/index.html