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In recent decades, surface melting on the inland Greenland ice sheet has increased, leading to significant meltwater-refreezing in the snow and firn. Increased knowledge of the physical and chemical characteristics of these melt features (i.e., ice layers) is needed to help estimate future global sea-level rise. Here, using a combination of microscopy and spectroscopy, we investigate the size, shape, location, and chemical compositions of inclusions in 12 ice layers of the SIGMA-A ice core in the northwestern Greenland ice sheet (78°03′06″N, 67°37′42″W, 1490 m a.s.l.). In the ice layers, we found inclusions exceeding 30 μm diameter that could only be formed by melting–refreezing, which we classify into columnar-, particle-, and rod-like inclusions. We propose that the smaller columnar- and particle-like inclusions of solid Na2SO4⋅10H2O and CaSO4⋅2H2O form first, within the ice grains, followed by the larger rod-like inclusions of brines with mainly Na+ and Cl− in grain boundaries. Our results suggest a new proxy that may help identify past warm climates in deeper ice cores in Greenland and for studying future ice sheet melting behavior.

Ocean phytoplankton are an important source of dimethyl sulfide, which influences marine cloud formation. Model studies suggest that declines in Arctic sea ice may lead to increased dimethyl sulfide emissions, however observational support is lacking. Here, we present a 55-year high-resolution ice core record of methane sulfonic acid flux, an oxidation product of dimethyl sulfide, from the southeast Greenland Ice Sheet. We infer temporal variations in ocean dimethyl sulfide emissions and find that springtime (April–June) fluxes of methane sulfonic acid correlate well with satellite-derived chlorophyll-a concentration in the Irminger Sea. Summertime (July–September) methane sulfonic acid fluxes were 3 to 6 times higher between 2002–2014 than 1972–2001. We attribute this to sea ice retreat day becoming earlier and a coincident increase in chlorophyll-a concentration in the adjacent open coastal waters.

Atmospheric sea-salt and halogen cycles play important roles in atmospheric science and chemistry including cloud processes and oxidation capacity in the Antarctic troposphere. This paper presents a review and summarizes current knowledge related to sea-salt and halogen chemistry in the Antarctic. First, presented are the seasonal variations and size distribution of sea-salt aerosols (SSAs). Second, SSA origins and sea-salt fractionation on sea-ice and ice sheets on the Antarctic continent are presented and discussed. Third, we discuss SSA release from the cryosphere. Fourth, we present SSA dispersion in the Antarctic troposphere and transport into inland areas. Fifth, heterogeneous reactions on SSAs as a source of reactive halogen species and their relationship with atmospheric chemistry are shown and discussed. Finally, we attempt to propose an outlook for obtaining better knowledge related to sea-salt and halogen chemistry and their effects on the Antarctic and the Arctic.

Low-cost PM

Depositions of light-absorbing particles (LAPs), such as black carbon (BC) and dust, on the snow surface modulate the snow albedo; therefore, they are considered key factors of snow-atmosphere interaction in the present-day climate system. However, their detailed roles have not yet been fully elucidated, mainly due to the lack of in-situ measurements. Here, we develop a new model chain NHM-Chem-SMAP, which is composed of a detailed regional meteorology-chemistry model and a multilayered physical snowpack model, and evaluate it using LAPs concentrations data measured at Sapporo, Japan during the 2011-2012 winter. NHM-Chem-SMAP successfully reproduces the in-situ measured seasonal variations in the mass concentrations of BC and dust in the surface snowpack. Furthermore, we find that LAPs from domestic and foreign sources played a role in shortening the snow cover duration by 5 and 10 days, respectively, compared to the completely pure snow condition.

Previous reconstructions of summer temperatures from ice cores have relied on a statistical relationship between a melt layer and temperature observed at nearby stations. This study presents a novel method for reconstructing summer temperatures from melt layers in ice cores using an energy balance model that incorporates heat conduction and meltwater refreezing in the firn. We use the seasonal patterns in the ERA‐Interim reanalysis data set for an ice core site to calculate the amounts of refreezing water within the firn under various summer mean temperature (SMT) and annual precipitation conditions, and prepared calibration tables containing these three variables. We then estimate the SMTs from the refreezing amount and annual accumulation, both of which can be obtained from an ice core. We apply this method to four ice cores that were recovered from sites with different climates: two sites on the Greenland Ice Sheet, one in Alaska, and one in Russian Altai. The reconstructed SMTs show comparable variations with those of observed temperatures at nearby stations. The nonlinear relationship between SMT and melt layer thickness differs between sites, indicating that a single linear approximation cannot be employed to estimate SMT. Sensitivity analyses suggest that the annual temperature range, amount of annual precipitation, and firn albedo (which is a time‐invariant value in the model) significantly affect the relationship between SMT and melt layer thickness. This new method provides an alternative to existing approaches and yields an independent estimate of SMT from ice cores that have been affected by melting.

For atmospheric gases and aerosols, snow and ice provide a useful archive of paleoenvironmental history. In the northern hemisphere, this archive has been largely limited to Greenland ice, but promising pioneering work has been done recently using chronology of an ice wedge in Barrow, northern Alaska. Here, we investigate past aerosols at the same ice-wedge sampling site, reconstructing the sea-ice fluctuations in the adjacent Beaufort Sea during the Bolling/Allerod (BA) and Younger Dryas (YD) periods. We confirm the integrity of methanesulfonate ion (MS−) concentrations in the BIWS as marine proxies, and then find that the ice wedge has a high MS− concentration through the beginning (coldest) YD periods. The high MS− concentration indicates that even during the coldest YD periods (12,900–12,700 yrBP), the near-shore region in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea near Barrow may not have been completely filled by permanent sea ice.

We provide continuous records of biomass burning molecular tracers (levoglucosan and dehydroabietic acid) in a Greenland ice core collected from the Southeastern Dome (the SE-Dome ice core) over the past several decades to assess the paleoclimatic utility of these tracers in Greenland ice cores. An air mass backward-trajectory analysis indicates that eastern Canada is likely the primary source region of the biomass burning tracers. Comparisons of levoglucosan and dehydroabietic acid data in the SE-Dome ice core and area burned (vegetation fire) events in Canada suggests that the biomass burning tracers in the ice core document most of the pronounced biomass burning events in eastern Canada over the past several decades, confirming that analyses of biomass burning molecular tracers in Greenland ice cores are useful to reconstruct the frequency of significant biomass burning events in a local region. However, our study also highlights that the wind pattern when the biomass burning occurs is decisive for the registration of a biomass burning event in an ice core even though long-term changes in the wind regime associated with decadal-scale climate oscillations do not significantly influence the transport and deposition of biomass burning tracers on the Greenland ice sheet.

Low-cost PM2.5 sensors are now used worldwide to assess air pollution. However, their operation is generally challenging in severely cold regions like Siberia, Alaska, the Arctic, and Antarctica. We made an insulation box with automatic internal temperature control developed for a low-cost PM2.5 sensor to maintain a warm operational environment with four light-bulb heaters when the air temperature inside of the insulation box falls slightly below 5 ? under the current preset temperature setting. We confirmed the performance of the temperature controller with four light-bulb heaters in a-25 ?& nbsp;cold temperature room. In addition, we found that the insulation box must be attached to a small electric fan to forcibly ventilate the box to accurately reflect the external ambient air conditions into the insulating box. Our observations with the data from our low-cost PM2.5 sensor fitted with the insulation box were validated against the Sapporo National Ambient Air Monitoring Station (NAAMS) data in Sapporo, Japan, showing good correspondence with the hourly station-measured data. Then, we installed our PM2.5 measurement system on the roof of the International Arctic Research Center (IARC), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, in June 2019. The sensor sufficiently captured two instances of significant increases in PM2.5 mass concentrations during the Alaskan wildfires in the summer of 2019. Our developed insulation box for low-cost PM2.5 sensors, called the portable PM2.5 measurement system for cold regions , will help assess air quality in many cold regions in future studies.

After the 1980s, atmospheric sulfate reduction is slower than the dramatic reductions in sulfur dioxide (SO

Possible albedo reduction due to light absorbing impurities (LAI) in snowpack observed at various sites in the world are investigated. Reviewing previously measured black carbon (BC) concentrations, their values distribute in a range of 0.07-0.25 ppbw (ng of BC in g of snow) in Antarctica, 0.55-20 ppbw in Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), 4.4-87.6 ppbw for the other Arctic except GrIS, and 4-1221 ppbw for mid-latitudes. As albedo reduction rate by LAI depends on snow grain size, it is more enhanced by larger grain snow such as melt form (melting snow) than smaller grain snow such as precipitation particles (new snow). By assuming two typical snow grain radii rs = 1000 and 50 µm, respectively for those snow grain shapes, the albedo reduction as a function of BC concentration can be calculated with physically based snow albedo model. The result indicates that albedo in Antarctic snow is not affected by BC in any case of snow grain radius. In GrIS albedo reduction due to BC is small around 0.006 for rs = 50 µm (new snow) but it rises to 0.026 for rs = 1000 µm (melting snow), suggesting a few percent of albedo reduction could occur under warmer climate condition due to enhanced snow metamorphism. In the other Arctic except GrIS, the maximum albedo reductions for rs = 50 µm (1000 µm) are 0.015 (0.064) at the maximum BC concentration (87.6 ppbw). For. mid-latitudes, it is 0.070 (0.24) for rs = 50 µm (1000 µm) at the maximum BC concentration (1221 ppbw). These results mean albedo reduction in highly polluted area of mid-latitudes cannot be ignored even in case of new snow and is more serious for melting snow.We have conducted energy budget and snow pit observations at Sapporo (43°N, 141°E, 15 m a.s.l), Japan since 2005. In addition, elemental carbon (EC~BC) and mineral dust concentrations in snowpack were also monitored for snow samples collected twice a week from 2007 by the thermal optical reflectance (TOT) method and gravimetric measurement of a filter. During 10 years from 2007 to 2017, the medians of EC and dust concentrations are 196 ppbw and 2700 ppbw, respectively. Using those data, contribution of LAI to albedo reduction and the radiative forcing (RF) were estimated. The 10-year-mean albedo reduction and RF due to BC+dust are 0.053 and +6.7 Wm-2, respectively, in which BC effect on albedo reduction is 5.6 times larger than dust. The albedo reduction by BC+dust for only melting period is 0.151, that is 4.8 times larger than that for accumulation period. The effect of LAI on albedo reduction is enhanced by snow grain growth as well as an increase of LAI in melting period compared to that for accumulation season.

Ice in polar ice sheets once experience a state of firn at near-surface depths. Therefore, it is important to understand physical processes of firn formation, metamorphism and deformation for ice core studies. We investigated firn through measurement of tensorial values of the dielectric permittivity at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. This method can detect presence and strength of anisotropic structure in the geometry of pore spaces and ice matrix. We applied the method to many firn cores drilled at both ice sheets. We find that firn that have shorter residence time at the near-surface depths does not form strong vertical anisotropy that is caused by vertical movement of moistures. In contrast, firn that have longer residence time at the near-surface depths tend to form vertical anisotropy. When density exceeds ~600 kg/m3, a common feature of firn at many polar sites is that there are evolution of vertically elongated features of pore spaces in firn despite growth of vertical compression. We hypothesize an explanation as follows. As firn becomes denser, air within firn needs escape paths to upward directions as compared to sinking firn. In firn, porous structure tend to have vertically elongated structure because of this vertical escape movement of air. The observed phenomena of the grow th of the vertical dielectric anisotropycan be understood by this vertical movement of the air w ithin firn.

The Southeastern Greenland Dome (SE-Dome) has both a high elevation and a high accumulation rate (1.01 m w.e. yr-1), which are suitable properties for reconstructing past environmental changes with a high time resolution. For this study, we measured the major ion fluxes in a 90-m ice core drilled from the SE-Dome region in 2015, and present the records of annual ion fluxes from 1957 to 2014. From 1970 to 2010, the trend of non-sea-salt (nss) SO42- flux decreases, whereas that for NH4+ increases, tracking well with the anthropogenic SOx and NH3 emissions mainly from North America. The result suggests that these fluxes reflect histories of the anthropogenic SOx and NH3 emissions. In contrast, the decadal trend of NO3- flux differs from the decreasing trend of anthropogenic NOx emissions. Although the cause of this discrepancy remains unclear, it may be related to changes in particle formation processes and chemical scavenging rates caused by an increase in sea-salt and dust and/or a decrease in nssSO42-. We also find a high average NO3- flux (1.13 mmol m-2 yr-1) in the ice core, which suggests a negligible effect from post-depositional NO3- loss. Thus, the SE-Dome region is an excellent location for reconstructing nitrate fluxes. Over a decadal timescale, our NO3- flux record is similar to those from other ice cores in Greenland high-elevation sites, suggesting that NO3- concentrations records from these ice cores are reliable.

We examine a firn core from a dome in southeast Greenland that exhibits distinct firn densification. The ice was -20.9 °C at 20 m depth, and the core gives an average accumulation rate of 1.0 m w.e. yr-1 in water equivalent. However, the close-off density of 830 kg m-3 occurs at 83.4–86.8 m depth, which is about 20-m shallower than that obtained from two empirical models. Where the density ρ > 750 kg m-3, the densification appears faster than that from the empirical models. As a result, compared to the empirical coefficient, the actual compactive viscosity coefficient is nonlinear and decreases at ρ > 750 kg m-3, indicating that the firn with a higher density is softer than that from the empirical result. We argue here that the high accumulation rate creates a high overburden pressure in a short time. Thus, the relative softness of the firn may arise from (1) there being not enough time to form bonds between grains as strong as those in a lower accumulation-rate area, and similarly, (2) the dislo...

Monitoring particulate matter is essential to alert the public about health risks. The Terra/MODIS true color image clearly captured a yellow band over Hokkaido prefecture in Japan on 7 March 2016. We investigated whether this event was an Asian dust (Kosa) transport or not with the ground-based observations in Sapporo and Takikawa in Hokkaido and NASA's MERRA-2 re-analysis data. The timing of increased particle number concentrations (PNCs; greater than 0.5 mu m) was clearly measured by a low-cost aerosol sensor at Sapporo and Takikawa in the early afternoon. For this particle size range, the PNC by this aerosol sensor had greater agreement with another commercial instrument for the 1-hourly mean data. The lidar data at Takikawa and NASA's AERONET at Sapporo also implied the increased dust particles (i.e., dominance of non-spherical and coarse particles, respectively), which supported that the PNC increase was due to the dust transport. The hourly PM2.5 data in Sapporo significantly increased in the evening rather than around the noon to early afternoon. We concluded that this event was judged as an Asian dust (Kosa) event in Hokkaido starting from the early afternoon, which was, however, not reported by Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) based on their visible observations.

Environments along the coast of Greenland are rapidly changing under the influence of a warming climate in the Arctic. To better understand the changes in the coastal environments, we performed researches in the Qaanaaq region in northwestern Greenland as a part of the ArCS (Arctic Challenge for Sustainability) Project. Mass loss of ice caps and marine-terminating outlet glaciers were quantified by field and satellite observations. Measurements and sampling in fjords revealed the important role of glacial meltwater discharge in marine ecosystems. Flooding of a glacial stream in Qaanaaq and landslides in a nearby settlement were investigated to identify the drivers of the incidents. Our study observed rapid changes in the coastal environments, and their critical impact on the society in Qaanaaq. We organized workshops with the residents to absorb local and indigenous knowledge, as well as to share the results and data obtained in the project. Continuous effort towards obtaining long-term observations requiring involvement of local communities is crucial to contribute to a sustainable future in Greenland.

We analyze snow-pit samples collected in May 2015 at the South East Dome (SE Dome) on the Greenland ice sheet. The analysis includes high-resolution records of δD and δ18O, as well as the major ions, CH3SO3−, Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Na+, NH4+, K+, Ma2+, and Ca2+. We find that the 3.55-m snow pit recorded temperature and aerosol proxies back to summer or autumn of 2014. This indicates a higher accumulation rate than those at other major drilling sites in Greenland. Due to this high accumulation rate, ion concentrations except Na+ are lower than those typical of the central Greenland ice sheet. Concerning seasonal variability, the Na+, Cl−, Ca2+, Mg2+, and NO3− vary similarly to other sites in Greenland, with the Na+ and Cl− peaking in winter to early spring, Ca2+ peaking in spring, Mg2+ peaking in winter to spring, and NO3− towards a peak in summer while showing smaller peaks in winter to spring. The NH4+ increased in spring, and SO42− increased in autumn to winter at SE Dome. On the other hand, the seasonal trend in the Cl−/Na+ ratio differs from those in the inland region. As we did not fully recover one seasonal cycle, some seasonal peaks may have been missed.

To better understand the reported paleoclimate features and underlying mechanisms in the lowest-latitude region (~28°N to 29°30′N), where 12 major river gorges cross the Himalayas, of the southern Tibetan Plateau, we aim to elucidate the major sources and behavior of modern monsoon air masses in the region based on spatial variations in the δ18O and δ2H of stream water and precipitation, and vegetation during the summer monsoon season. Our main findings were following: The river gorges, high mountain ranges bearing extensive dense vegetation, and stronger solar insolation characteristic of the lowest-latitude region may have functioned for an extended period as the essential geological settings for strongly drawing significant amounts of moisture from the Indian Ocean toward the region without passing through the Yarlung Zangbo basin. The combination of such geological settings specific to this region may have caused its earlier response to the climate amelioration after a cold/dry event, such as the Younger Dryas and Heinrich-1, compared to other regions on the Plateau. Furthermore, gorge-derived monsoon air masses that blew through the lowest-latitude region are highly likely to have more significantly influenced the onset of the climate amelioration after a cold/dry event even in the southwestern, south-central, and southeastern regions, rather than the Yarlung Zangbo-derived monsoon air masses. Therefore, this caused the subsequent expansion of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) over the Plateau. Thus, with its unique geological setting, the lowest-latitude region has presumably played a critical role as the key region, i.e. the initiator, for the early evolution of the ISM on the Tibetan Plateau by responding to climate amelioration after cold/dry events more rapidly than any other region and drawing gorge-derived monsoon air masses strongly toward the region.

During spring 2014, we drilled an ice core on the northwestern Greenland Ice Sheet, recovering a core of total length 225m. We also conducted stratigraphic observations, measurements of the density of the ice core, near-infrared photography of the ice core, preparation of liquid samples for chemical analysis, and measurements of borehole temperature. The pore close-off depth was 60m, and the temperature in the borehole was −25.6°C at a depth of 10m. In addition, we conducted snow-pit observations, ice-velocity and surface-elevation measurements using the global positioning system (GPS), meteorological observations, and installation of an automated weather station (AWS).

To improve surface mass balance (SMB) estimates for the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), we developed a 5 km resolution regional climate model combining the Japan Meteorological Agency Non-Hydrostatic atmospheric Model and the Snow Metamorphism and Albedo Process model (NHM-SMAP) with an output interval of 1 h, forced by the Japanese 55year Reanalysis (JRA-55). We used in situ data to evaluate NHM-SMAP in the GrIS during the 2011–2014 mass balance years. We investigated two options for the lower boundary conditions of the atmosphere, an "off-line" configuration using snow/firn/ice albedo and surface temperature data from JRA-55 and an "on-line" configuration using values from SMAP. The on-line configuration improved model performance in simulating 2 m air temperature, suggesting that the surface analysis provided by JRA-55 is inadequate for the GrIS and that SMAP results can better simulate snow/firn/ice physical conditions. It also reproduced the measured features of the GrIS climate, diurnal variations, and even a meso-scale strong wind event. In particular, it reproduced the GrIS surface melt area extent well. Sensitivity tests showed that the choice of calculation schemes for vertical water movement in snow and firn has an effect as great as 200 Gt year–1 in the GrIS-wide accumulated SMB estimates; a scheme based on the Richards equation provided the best performance.

Recent ground networks and satellite remote-sensing observations have provided useful data related to spatial and vertical distributions of mineral dust particles in the atmosphere. However, measurements of temporal variations and spatial distributions of mineral dust deposition fluxes are limited in terms of their duration, location, and processes of deposition. To ascertain temporal variations and spatial distributions of mineral dust deposition using wet and dry processes, weekly deposition samples were obtained at Sapporo, Toyama, Nagoya, Tottori, Fukuoka, and Cape Hedo (Okinawa) in Japan during October 2008–December 2010 using automatic wet and dry separating samplers. Mineral dust weights in water-insoluble residue were estimated from Fe contents measured using an X-ray fluorescence analyser. Wet and dry deposition fluxes of mineral dusts were both high in spring and low in summer, showing similar seasonal variations to frequency of aeolian dust events (Kosa) in Japan. For wet deposition, highest and lowest annual dust fluxes were found at Toyama (9.6 g m−2 yr−1) and at Cape Hedo (1.7 g m−2 yr−1) as average values in 2009 and 2010. Higher wet deposition fluxes were observed at Toyama and Tottori, where frequent precipitation (> 60% days per month) was observed during dusty seasons. For dry deposition among Toyama, Tottori, Fukuoka, and Cape Hedo, the highest and lowest annual dust fluxes were found respectively at Fukuoka (5.2 g m−2 yr−1) and at Cape Hedo (2.0 g m−2 yr−1) as average values in 2009 and 2010. The average ratio of wet and dry deposition fluxes was the highest at Toyama (3.3) and the lowest at Hedo (0.82), showing a larger contribution of the dry process at western sites, probably because of the distance from desert source regions and because of the effectiveness of the wet process in the dusty season. Size distributions of refractory dust particles were obtained using four-stage filtration: > 20, > 10, > 5, and > 1 μm diameter. Weight fractions of the sum of > 20 μm and 10–20 μm (giant fraction) were higher than 50% for most of the event samples. Irrespective of the deposition type, the giant dust fractions generally decreased with increasing distance from the source area, suggesting the selective depletion of larger giant particles during atmospheric transport. Based on temporal variations of PMc (2.5 < D < 10 μm), ground-based lidar, backward air trajectories, and vertical profiles of potential temperatures, transport processes of dust particles are discussed for events with high-deposition and low-deposition flux with high PMc. Low dry dust depositions with high PMc concentrations were observed under stronger (5 K km−1) stratification of potential temperature with thinner and lower (< 2 km) dust distributions because the PMc fraction of dust particles only survived after depletion of giant dust particles by rapid gravitational settling at the time they reach Japan. In contrast, transport through a thicker (> 2 km) dust layer with weak vertical gradient of potential temperature carry more giant dust particles to Japan. Because giant dust particles are an important mass fraction of dust accumulation, especially in the North Pacific, which is known as a high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) region, the transport height and fraction of giant dust particles are important factors for studying dust budgets in the atmosphere and their role in biogeochemical cycles.

The potential of the thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing for discriminating surface snow types was examined by analyzing TIR radiances acquired from space over the Greenland ice sheet. The brightness temperature difference (BTD) between TIR wavelengths of 11 and 12μm was found to increase in accordance with in situ observed evolutions of surface snow type. Spatial and temporal distributions of BTD over the entire ice sheet indicated that BTD has a sensitivity of about 1.2 K for variations of the possible snow types. The observed behaviors of BTD were coincident with those predicted by a radiative transfer calculation using previous in situ measured snow emissivities, although some biases on the order of 0.1-0.3 K remain. The dependence of BTD on the surface snow type was also consistent with the behaviors of snow reflectance at the shortwave infrared (SWIR) wavelength 1.6μm, which is a measure of snow grain size, except for the case of melting wet snow. The inconsistency in the wet snow case was considered to be due to the different optical responses of the TIR and SWIR signals to wet snow, which suggested the possibility of using TIR signals to discriminate wet/dry conditions of snow cover in an old stage. As a result, it is determined that TIR remote sensing has potential not only as an approach supplementary to the SWIR method for assessing surface snow types in daytime but also as the only method for simultaneous retrieval of snow type and surface temperature in nighttime., 資料番号: PA1510067000

To study the glaciological processes controlling the mass budget of Greenland’s peripheral glaciers and ice caps, field measurements were carried out on Qaanaaq ice cap, a 20 km long ice cap in northwestern Greenland. In the summer of 2012, we measured surface melt rate, ice flow velocity and ice thickness along a survey route spanning the ice margin (200m a.s.l.) to the ice-cap summit (1110m a.s.l.). Melt rates in the ablation area were clearly influenced by dark materials covering the ice surface, where degree-day factors varied from 5.44 mm w.e. K–1 d–1 on a clean surface to 8.26 mm w.e. K–1 d–1 in the dark regions. Ice velocity showed diurnal variations, indicating the presence of surface-meltwater induced basal sliding. Mean ice thickness along the survey route was 120 m, with a maximum thickness of 165 m. Ice velocity and temperature fields were computed using a thermomechanically coupled numerical glacier model. Modelled ice temperature, obtained by imposing estimated annual mean air temperature as the surface boundary condition, was substantially lower than implied by the observed ice velocity. This result suggests that the ice dynamics and thermodynamics of the ice cap are significantly influenced by heat transfer from meltwater and changing ice geometry.

Field activities of the “Snow Impurity and Glacial Microbe effects on abrupt warming in the Arctic” (SIGMA) Project in Greenland in the summer season of 2011-2013 are reported;this consists of (1) glaciological and meteorological observations and (2) biological observations. In 2011, we conducted a field reconnaissance in the Qaanaaq, Ilulissat and Kangerlussuaq areas to enable continuous meteorological observations with automatic weather stations (AWS), campaign observations for glaciology, meteorology and Biology and shallow ice core drilling, which were planned for 2012-2014. Based on the results, we chose the Qaanaaq area in northwest Greenland as our main activity area and the Kangerlussuaq area in mid-west Greenland partly for biological observations. In 2012, we conducted field observations for (1) and (2) mentioned above together with installations of two AWSs at site SIGMA-A on The Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) and at site SIGMA-B on the Qaanaaq ice cap (QIC) from June to August. Surface snow and ice over all of the QIC melted in July and August 2012, and most of the Glacier surface appeared to be dark-colored, probably due to mineral dust and glacial microbial products. In 2013, we carried out similar observations in the Qaanaaq area. However, the weather and Glacier surface conditions were considerably different from those in 2012. Snow cover over the summer of 2013 remained over large areas with elevations higher than about 700 m on QIC. Biological activity on the Glacier surface appears to be substantially lower as compared to that in 2012.

To determine the transport processes of water vapor and aerosols over the northwestern Greenland ice sheet, we undertook a glaciological observation at a coastal site on the northwestern part of the ice sheet and revealed spatial variations in δ 18 O and in the concentrations of chemical substances in surface snow and the snowpack. On the outlet glacier (the Meehan glacier), water vapor and sea salt were transported from the coast. On the inland ice sheet in northwestern Greenland, water vapor, mineral dust, anthropogenic substances such as NO 3 - and SO4 2- , and CH3SO3 - from marine phytoplankton were transported from the west coast of Greenland via the central part of the Greenland ice sheet. 18 O, ion species

The Institute of Low Temperature Science at Hokkaido University conducted ice-core drilling in alpine glaciers in the northern North Pacific region to reconstruct climate change in this region for the past few hundred years. We drilled two ice cores in the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. An ice core with a length of 211 m was drilled on a glacier at the summit caldera of Ushkovsky mountain in 1998. A second core, with a length of 115m (until bedrock was reached), was drilled on a glacier at the summit caldera of Ichinsky mountain in 2006. We drilled three further ice cores in Alaska, USA. Two ice cores with lengths of 50 and 212m were drilled on a glacier at the summit caldera of Mount Wrangell in 2003 and 2004. The third ice core was drilled on the ice divide among three glaciers, Black Rapids, Trident and Susitna glaciers, which represent a flat saddle north of Aurora Peak in the Alaska Range. This paper details the field operations and characteristics of the different ice-drilling systems used and the problems encountered.

Sea salts and halogens in aerosols, frost flowers, and brine play an important role in atmospheric chemistry in polar regions. Simultaneous sampling and observations of frost flowers, brine, and aerosol particles were conducted around Siorapaluk in northwestern Greenland during December 2013 to March 2014. Results show that water-soluble frost flower and brine components are sea-salt components (e.g., Na+, Cl−, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, Br−, and iodine). Concentration factors of sea-salt components of frost flowers and brine relative to seawater were 1.14–3.67. Sea-salt enrichment of Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, and halogens (Cl−, Br−, and iodine) in frost flowers is associated with sea-salt fractionation by precipitation of mirabilite and hydrohalite. High aerosol number concentrations correspond to the occurrence of higher abundance of sea-salt particles in both coarse and fine modes, and blowing snow and strong winds. Aerosol number concentrations, particularly in coarse mode, are increased considerably by release from the sea-ice surface under strong wind conditions. Sulfate depletion by sea-salt fractionation was found to be limited in sea-salt aerosols because of the presence of non-sea-salt (NSS) SO42−. However, coarse and fine sea-salt particles were found to be rich in Mg. Strong Mg enrichment might be more likely to proceed in fine sea-salt particles. Magnesium-rich sea-salt particles might be released from the surface of snow and slush layer (brine) on sea ice and frost flowers. Mirabilite-like and ikaite-like particles were identified only in aerosol samples collected near new sea-ice areas. From the field evidence and results from earlier studies, we propose and describe sea-salt cycles in seasonal sea-ice areas.

A precise age scale based on annual layer counting is essential for investigating past environmental changes from ice core records. However, sub-annual scale dating is hampered by the irregular intra-annual variabilities of oxygen isotope (δ18O) records. Here, we propose a dating method based on matching the δ18O variations between ice-core records and records simulated by isotope-enabled climate models. We applied this method to a new δ18O record from an ice core obtained from a dome site in southeast Greenland. The close similarity between the δ18O records from the ice core and models enables correlation and the production of a precise age scale, with an accuracy of a few months. A missing δ18O minimum in the 1995/1996 winter is an example of an indistinct δ18O seasonal cycle. Our analysis suggests that the missing δ18O minimum is likely caused by a combination of warm air temperature, weak moisture transport, and cool ocean temperature. Based on the age scale, the average accumulation rate from 1960 to 2014 is reconstructed as 1.02 m yr-1 in water equivalent. The annual accumulation rate shows an increasing trend with a slope of 3.6 mm year-1, which is mainly caused by the increase in the autumn accumulation rate of 2.6 mm year-1. This increase is likely linked to the enhanced hydrological cycle caused by the decrease in Arctic sea ice area. Unlike the strong seasonality of precipitation amount in the ERA re-analysis data in the southeast dome region, our reconstructed accumulation rate suggests a weak seasonality.

AbstarctThe Sea of Okhotsk is the southernmost area in the Northern Hemisphere where seasonal sea ice is produced every year. The formation of sea ice drives thermohaline circulation in the Sea of Okhotsk, and this circulation supports the high productivity in the region. However, recent reports have indicated that sea-ice production in the Sea of Okhotsk is decreasing, raising concern that the decreased sea ice will affect not only circulation but also biological productivity in the sea. To reconstruct climatic changes in the Sea of Okhotsk region, we analyzed an ice core obtained from Ichinskaya Sopka (Mount Ichinsky), Kamchatka. We assumed that the remarkable negative peaks of δD in the ice core were caused by expansion of sea ice in the Sea of Okhotsk. Melt feature percentage (MFP), which indicates summer snowmelt, showed high values in the 1950–60s and the mid-1990s–2000s. The high MFP in the 1950–60s was assumed to be caused by an increase in cyclone activity reaching Kamchatka during a negative period of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index, and that in the 1990–2000s may reflect the increase in solar irradiation during a positive period of the summer Arctic Oscillation index.

To ascertain the temporal and spatial distribution of mineral dust deposition by wet processes, weekly deposition samples were obtained at Sapporo, Toyama, Nagoya, Tottori, Fukuoka, and Cape Hedo (Okinawa) during October 2008-January 2010 using automatic wet-dry separating samplers. Mineral dust weights in water-insoluble residue mixed with pollen were estimated from Fe contents measured using an X-ray fluorescence analyzer. Highest and lowest annual dust fluxes were found respectively at Toyama (8.7 g m-2 yr-1) and at Cape Hedo (1.1 g m-2 yr-1) in 2009, although their annual levels of precipitation were almost equal (ca. 2300 mm). Wet deposition flux was high in spring and low in summer. Simultaneous wet deposition events were observed five times among the sites, but these events were limited to regional scale. Based on the spatial distribution of dust represented as a mosaic of true color images from MODIS/Terra and vertical distributions of dust concentration from lidar observations, a high wet-dust-deposition event occurring in mid-March at Toyama was attributed to a combination of high dust concentration in the atmosphere during precipitation. Higher wet dust deposition at Toyama and Tottori was ascribed to frequent precipitation during the dusty season.

Samples of first-year sea ice, snow and under-ice water were collected in the southern Sea of Okhotsk in mid-February 2007 and 2008 to elucidate the processes controlling nutrient concentrations in sea ice. Temperature, salinity, oxygen isotopic ratio (δ18O) and inorganic nutrient concentrations (NO3, NH4, NO2, PO4 and SiO2) were measured. Sea ice was categorized into four types; snow–ice, frazil ice, columnar ice and a mixture of granular and columnar ice, based on δ18O composition and ice texture. Frazil ice dominated the total ice thickness (52.8%), and columnar ice was sandwiched between frazil ice layers, indicating dynamic ice-growth processes such as rafting and ridging. Furthermore, the ice was banded by layers of particulate materials (sediment layers), which were frequently encountered during cruises. High NO3 and NH4 concentrations were found in snow and snow–ice implying that these were supplied from the atmosphere with snowfall and incorporated into the sea ice through snow–ice formation. In the sediment-laden layers, which were categorized as frazil ice, NO2, PO4 and SiO2 concentrations were highest of all the ice types and considerably enriched compared to parent seawater, suggesting the remineralization of the particulate organic matter. On the other hand, NO3 concentrations in sediment layers were low (depleted), leading to extremely low N (NO3 + NH4 + NO2): P ratios in sediment layers, from 0.2 to 0.8, with respect to that of under-ice water or Redfield ratio. These results suggest that in part of sediment-laden layers fixed-nitrogen was removed partially as molecular nitrogen (N2) from the sea ice environment by anaerobic nitrate reduction processes (denitrification) by denitrifying bacteria while adding phosphate from associated remineralization of organic phosphorus. The effect of melting of snow and sea ice is dilution for salinity, NO3 and SiO2, no change in NO2 and PO4, and a minor enrichment for NH4 in the mixed layer in spring and early summer. This suggests that snow/ice meltwater with different nutrient ratios than in under-ice water/Redfield ratio is supplied to under-ice water during melt season in April/May in southern Sea of Okhotsk. However, the impact of sediment-laden sea ice cannot be assessed at this point.

The first analyses of biological components in glaciers of the Chilean lake district are presented based on microalgae biovolume, pollen and other microorganisms detected in shallow (∼10 m) firn/ice cores. Three cores were retrieved, two at Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco (39°55′ S, 72°02′ W; summit at 2422 m a.s.l; east glacier at 2000 m a.s.l.), and one at the summit of Volcán Osorno (41°06′ S, 72°30′ W; 2652 m a.s.l.). Microalgae, protozoa and pollen quantified in the samples obtained from the two summit cores show clear fluctuations interpreted as seasonal signs. In contrast, δD and many chemical species from the summit cores show strong dampening at depth, probably due to water percolation. The limited information provided by isotopic and chemical analyses is used to support the seasonal interpretation of biological parameters from the summit cores, with microorganism maxima inferred to occur in summer and pollen maxima in spring. A good comparison is found between mass-balance estimations from the Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco summit core and values obtained near that site by means of the stake method. It is concluded that biological analyses of firn/ice cores provide reliable estimations of annual and seasonal markers from these temperate glaciers.

2002年1月16日に北海道雨竜郡幌加内町字母子里にある北海道大学低温科学研究所融雪観測室・露場にて行われた「雪合宿」において,化学分析のための積雪採取方法とイオンクロマトグラフィによる積雪中の化学主成分の定量方法のクロスチェックが行われた.6方法での試料採取・処理を行った.その結果,積雪から試料瓶に直接採取する方法では深さ方向に均一にサンプリングできず,結果が他と異なることが分かった.その他の方法には大きな問題が見つからなかった.化学主成分の定量は,5機関にて行われた.K+は積雪中の濃度が低く,かつ定量限界が高いため分析値にばらつきが見られた.他の成分については,特徴的な測定値のばらつきが見られた研究機関もあったが,大きな問題は見つからなかった.

To clarify the effect of light absorbing impurities including glacial microbes spectral albedo measurements using a spectrometer for spectral domains of the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared have been carried out on ablation area in Qaanaaq Glacier in northwestern Greenland in July 2011. The almost glacier surfaces in the ablation area were covered with cryoconite (biogenic dust) on thin ice grain layer above bare ice. There were also snow-covered surfaces including red snow (snow algae). The measured spectral albedos had a remarkable contrast between red snow surface and cryoconite-covered ice surface in the spectral domain from the ultraviolet to the visible, where red snow albedo increased rapidly with the wavelength, while the cryoconite albedo was relatively flat to the wavelength. We simulated the spectral albedos of these surfaces with a radiative transfer model for the atmosphere-snow system. The single scattering properties are calculated with Mie theory by assuming red snow gains to be spherical and with geometric optics by assuming ice grains of cryoconite surface to be non-spherical Voronoi aggregates. We calculated the effect of glacial microbes as snow (ice) impurities using a mineral dust model by changing the imaginary part of refractive index so as to fit the theoretically calculated spectral albedo to the measurement. Finally the imaginary part of refractive indices for red snow and cryoconite at the wavelengths less than 1.0 μm were retrieved. It was found that cryoconite has uniformly higher light absorption compared to mineral dust and red snow has strong light absorption at the wavelengths less than 0.6 μm.