Multiple Isotope Analysis of Sulfate in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core

Summary

This data set contains measurements of multiple sulfur and oxygen isotopes from sulfates, from an ice core drilled at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide site in 2005. The initial sulfate measurements, analyzed in 2008 from the 70 meter WAIS 2005A core, are 12 meter averages and span the pre-industrial to industrial transition, from the late 1700s to 2005. This data set is part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core (WAISCORES) project.

Data are available via FTP in Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) format.

Citing These Data

The following example shows how to cite the use of this data set in a publication. For more information, see our Use and Copyright Web page.

The following example shows how to cite the use of this data set in a publication. List the principal investigators, year of data set release, data set title, publisher: NSIDC, and digital media.

Thiemens, M. H. 2010. Multiple Isotope Analysis of Sulfate in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core. Boulder, Colorado, USA: National Snow and Ice Data Center. http://dx.doi.org/10.7265/N5BG2KXH.

Overview Table

Category	Description
Data format	Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx) Microsoft Word document (.docx)
Spatial coverage and resolution	Southernmost Latitude: 78°55'S Northernmost Latitude: 78°55'S Westernmost Longitude: 114°13'W Easternmost Longitude: 114°13'W
Temporal coverage and resolution	Ice core was drilled in 2005. Data were analyzed in 2008.
File naming convention	WAISDataThiemens.xlsx
File size	Files range in size from 16 KB to 142 KB.
Parameter(s)	Sulfure Isotopes Oxygen Isotopes
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)

Dr. Mark H. Thiemens
University of California, San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive # 0356
La Jolla, CA 92093-0356
USA

Dr. Becky Alexander
University of Washington
408 ATG Building
Seattle, WA 98195-1640
USA

Technical Contact

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP) grant number 0538520.

2. Detailed Data Description

Format

Data are available in Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) format, along with a graph in Microsoft Word (.docx) format.

File and Directory Structure

Data are available on the FTP site in the ftp://sidads.colorado.edu/pub/DATASETS/AGDC/nsidc0479_thiemens_V01/ directory. The directory contains an Excel spreadsheet with sulfur and oxygen isotope data from the WAIS 2005A ice core. It also contains a readme file in ASCII text format.

File Size

Files range in size from 16 KB to 142 KB.

Spatial Coverage

These data are from the 70-meter WAIS 2005A ice core, drilled as part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core (WAISCORES) project.

Southernmost Latitude: 78°55'S
Northernmost Latitude: 78°55'S
Westernmost Longitude: 114°13'W
Easternmost Longitude: 114°13'W

Spatial Resolution

12 meters or 10 to 15 meters.

Temporal Coverage

Oxygen and sulfur isotope measurements of the WAIS 2005A ice core were made in 2008 and span approximately 300 years.

Parameter or Variable

The data set contains measurements of sulfur and oxygen isotopes in sulfates. Table 2 lists the isotopes and ratios analyzed in this data set.

Sulfure isotope data are reported as δS(‰) = (((^xS/³²S)_sample/(^xS/³²S)_standard) - 1) x 1000, where x = 33, 34, or 36 and Canyon Diablo Triolite (CDT) is the standard. For more information on the isotopes measured in this data set, see Kunasek et. al., 2010.

Parameter List

Table 2. Parameters

Parameter	Description
Sulfur Isotopes	δ33S δ34S Δ33(.515) δ36/34 S Δ36/32 S Δ36(1.91) umoles SF6 sigma
Oxygen Isotopes	δ17O δ18O Δ17O

 

Sample Data Record

SULFUR ISOTOPES
sample	depth (m)	years	d 33S	sigma	d 34S	sigma	D33(.515)	d 36/34 S	sigma	d 36/32 S	D36(1.91)	umoles SF6
WAIS 1S	0-12.16	1978-present	2.841	0.003	5.491	0.01	0.016	3.927	0.132	9.44	-1.08	6.2
WAIS 2S	12.16-21.16	19-51-1977	3.721	0.018	7.190	0.006	0.017	5.165	0.085	12.39	-1.39	4.7

 

OXYGEN ISOTOPES
ID	depth	years	d17O	d18O	D17O
WAIS 1S	0--12.16	1978--present	7.180	9.240	2.38
WAIS 2S	12.16--21.16	1951-1977	10.91	16.71	2.22

3. Data Access and Tools

Data Access

Data are available via FTP.

Volume

Total volume of the data set is approximately 142 KB.

Software and Tools

Data are accessible using standard spreadsheet software.

Related Data Collections

• Atmospheric Nitrate Isotopic Analysis at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, A Twenty-Five Year Record

4. Data Acquisition and Processing

Theory of Measurements

For more information on methods, see Kunasek et. al., 2010.

5. References and Related Publications

Kunasek, S. A., B. Alexander, E. J. Steig, E. D., Sofen, T. L. Jackson, M. H. Thiemens, J. R. McConnell, D. J. Gleason, and H. M. Amos. 2010. Sulfate Sources and Oxidation Chemistry Over the Past 230 Years from Sulfur and Oxygen Isotopes of Sulfate in a West Antarctic Ice Core. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 115, D18313, doi:10.1029/2010JD013846.

The following related documents are available on NSIDC's Web site.

Table 3. Related Documents

Document	Description	URL
West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core Project	Project Web site	http://www.waisdivide.unh.edu/about/site.html
NSIDC WAISCORES Data	Related data collections	http://nsidc.org/data/waiscores/

6. Document Information

Acronyms

The following acronyms are used in this document.

Table 4. Acronyms and Abbreviations

Acronym	Description
FTP	File Transfer Protocol
NSIDC	National Snow and Ice Data Center
URL	Uniform Resource Locator
WAISCORES	West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core

Document Creation Date

15 October 2010

Document URL

http://nsidc.org/data/docs/agdc/nsidc0479_thiemens/index.html