WAIS Divide Snowpit Chemical and Isotope Measurements, Antarctica

Contacts and Acknowledgments
Detailed Data Description
Data Access and Tools
Data Acquisition and Processing
References and Related Publications
Document Information

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.

Kreutz, K. and B. Koffman. 2011. WAIS Divide Snowpit Chemical and Isotope Measurements, Antarctica. Boulder, Colorado USA: National Snow and Ice Data Center. http://dx.doi.org/10.7265/N5SJ1HHN.

Summary

Platform:	Snow pit data
Sensor:	Ion chromatograph Laser particle detector Stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer
Spatial Coverage:	Latitude: 79°26.353' S Longitude: 112°18.097' W
Spatial Resolution:	Ions and isotopes: 0.2 m Trace elements and dust: 0.07 m
Temporal Coverage:	2005 to 2008
Temporal Resolution:	N/A
Parameters:	Major Ions: Na, K, Mg, Ca, MS, Cl, NO3, S04, in μg/L (ppb) Trace elements: Sr88(LR), Cd111(LR), Cs133(LR), Ba138(LR), La139(LR), Ce140(LR), Pr141(LR), Pb208(LR), Bi209(LR), U238(LR), As75(LR), Li7(LR), Al27(MR), S32(MR), Ca44(MR), Ti47(MR), V51(MR), Cr52(MR), Mn55(MR), Fe56(MR), Co59(MR), Na23(MR), Mg24(MR), Cu63(MR), Zn66(MR) and K39(HR). Microparticles Oxygen Isotope: δ18O
Data Format:	Comma delimited ASCII text (.txt)
Metadata Access:	View Metadata
Data Access:	FTP

1. Contacts and Acknowledgments

Investigators

Dr. Karl Kreutz
Climate Change Institute
University of Maine
236 Sawyer Hall
Orono, Maine 04469
USA

Bess Koffman
University of Maine
236 Sawyer Hall
Orono, Maine 04469
USA

Technical Contact

NSIDC User Services
National Snow and Ice Data Center
CIRES, 449 UCB
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0449 USA
phone: +1 303.492.6199
fax: +1 303.492.2468
form: Contact NSIDC User Services
e-mail: nsidc@nsidc.org

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP) grant number 0636740.

2. Detailed Data Description

Format

This data set is provided in comma delimited ASCII text (.txt) format.

File and Directory Structure

Table 1 provides descriptions of the files in the data set.

**Table 1.** File Description
Directory	Description
Kreutz_ 2008_snowpit_Major_ions.txt	Ion chromatography data, samples analyzed on a Dionex ion chromatograph
Kreutz_2008_snowpit_Dust.txt	Particle concentration data, samples analyzed using a Micromeritics Elzone 5380 with a 30 um orifice tube at the University of Maine
Kreutz_2008_snowpit_ICPMS.txt	Trace element data, analyzed using a Thermo Electron Element2 Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS)
Kreutz_2008_snowpit_isotopes.txt	Isotope data, samples analyzed using a Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis (SIRA) mass spectrometer

File Size

Files are 4 KB each.

Spatial Coverage

These data were collected from a snow pit, dug approximately 4 km upwind of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core site.

Latitude: 79°26.353' S
Longitude: 112°18.097' W

Vertical Resolution:
Isotopes and ions: 0.02 m
Trace elements and dust: 0.07 m

Temporal Coverage

Data were collected between 2005 and 2008.

Parameter or Variable

Parameter Description

This dataset includes major ion, trace element, microparticle (dust), and δ18O data for a snowpit dug and sampled in December 2008 near the WAIS Divide ice core site.

Major Ions

Na, K, Mg, Ca, MS, Cl, NO3 and SO4, all in units of μg/L (ppb)

Trace Elements

Isotope and resolution mode indicated: (LR: Low Resolution, MR: Medium Resolution, HR: High Resolution)

Sr88(LR), Cd111(LR), Cs133(LR), Ba138(LR), La139(LR), Ce140(LR), Pr141(LR), Pb208(LR), Bi209(LR), U238(LR), As75(LR), Li7(LR), Al27(MR), S32(MR), Ca44(MR), Ti47(MR), V51(MR), Cr52(MR), Mn55(MR), Fe56(MR), Co59(MR), Na23(MR), Mg24(MR), Cu63(MR), Zn66(MR) and K39(HR). Units vary and are indicated in the text file.

Microparticle Concentration

Provided in particles/mL

Oxygen Isotope (δ18O)

Isotope data are in parts per mL with respect to Standard Mean Ocean Water (SMOW)

3. Data Access and Tools

Data Access

Data are available via FTP.

Volume

The entire data set is approximately 12 KB.

Software and Tools

Data are accessible using standard spreadsheet software.

4. Data Acquisition and Processing

Theory of Measurements

This dataset includes major ion, trace element, microparticle and δ18O data for a snowpit dug and sampled in December 2008 near the WAIS Divide ice core site (79.468° S, 112.086° W).

Researchers dug a snow pit approximately 4 km upwind from the deep ice core drilling arch in the clean air sector of camp. The pit was dug using metal handsaws and shovels to a depth of 1.3 m, then a wall was dug back using a plastic shovel cleaned with Citranox. Finally, the wall for sampling was scraped using Citranox cleaned scrapers (for major ions) and, on a separate surface and afterward, nitric acid cleaned scrapers (for trace elements). Sampling was performed in Tyvek clean suits and poly gloves. Snow was collected using a pure titanium sampling device and snow samples were collected into Citranox cleaned (for major ions and isotopes) or nitric acid cleaned (for trace elements) bottles.

All bottles were double-bagged in Ziploc bags and shipped frozen back to the University of Maine. Density was measured at 5 cm resolution and used to correct snow depths to water equivalents. Snow samples were melted in a class 1000 clean room and poured into analysis vials under a laminar flow hood. Major ions were measured using a Dionex ion chromatograph, all in units of μg/L (ppb). Trace elements were measured using a Thermo Electron Element II ICP-SMS. Units vary and are indicated in the text file. Microparticle data, collected using a Klotz Abakus laser particle detector, are given in particles/mL. Isotope data are in parts per mL with respect to SMOW.

5. References and Related Publications

Related Data Collections

Microparticle, Conductivity, and Density Measurements from the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core, Antarctica

Related Web Sites

West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core

6. Document Information

Acronyms and Abbreviations

The acronyms used in this document are listed in Table 3.

**Table 3.** Acronyms and Abbreviations
Acronym	Description
AGDC	Antarctic Glaciological Data Center
FTP	File Transfer Protocol
ICP-MS	Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer
SIRA	Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis
SMOW	Standard Mean Ocean Water
WAIS	West Antarctic Ice Sheet

Document Creation Date

December 2011

Document URL

http://nsidc.org/data/docs/agdc/nsidc0506-kreutz/index.html

Service Interruption

National Snow and Ice Data Center