Snow Antarctic Mean Isotopic Record

Introduction

The impact of climate change is the largest in polar regions, due to multiple feedback loops leading to polar amplification. In Antarctica, short meteorological time series hamper our ability to evaluate the climate variability at interannual and decadal scales, and in particular the one linked with anthropogenic climate change.

Climate Variability Concerns

It is also not clear whether climate variability in polar regions will increase, despite significant consequences on the global climate system. In this proposal, I will evaluate how climate variability in Antarctica varies for changing climatic conditions, using ice core isotopic composition (δ18O, d-excess, and 17O-excess).

Project Objectives

The objectives of this project are to study the climate variability thanks to a large network of ice core records at high resolution and high precision.

1. A large number of ice cores are available through large European projects (Beyond EPICA – Oldest Ice (BE-OI), EAIIST, …).
2. However, the analytical platform to measure all this ice at high precision is missing.

Methodology

By implementing the new generation of infrared spectrometer in an ice core measuring line, we will be able to:

• Increase both the throughput and precision.
• Measure triple isotopic composition on a large number of cores.
• Resolve the climate variability in Antarctica.