| 1. |
- Spolaor, A., et al.
(författare)
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Seasonality of halogen deposition in polar snow and ice
- 2014
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7316 .- 1680-7324. ; 14, s. 9613-9622
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The atmospheric chemistry of iodine and bromine in Polar regions is of interest due to the key role of halogens in many atmospheric processes, particularly tropospheric ozone destruction. Bromine is emitted from the open ocean but is enriched above first-year sea ice during springtime bromine explosion events, whereas iodine emission is at- tributed to biological communities in the open ocean and hosted by sea ice. It has been previously demonstrated that bromine and iodine are present in Antarctic ice over glacial– interglacial cycles. Here we investigate seasonal variability of bromine and iodine in polar snow and ice, to evaluate their emission, transport and deposition in Antarctica and the Arc- tic and better understand potential links to sea ice. We find that bromine and iodine concentrations and Br enrichment (relative to sea salt content) in polar ice do vary seasonally in Arctic snow and Antarctic ice. Although seasonal vari- ability in halogen emission sources is recorded by satellite- based observations of tropospheric halogen concentrations, seasonal patterns observed in snowpack are likely also in- fluenced by photolysis-driven processes. Peaks of bromine concentration and Br enrichment in Arctic snow and Antarc- tic ice occur in spring and summer, when sunlight is present. A secondary bromine peak, observed at the end of summer, is attributed to bromine deposition at the end of the polar day. Iodine concentrations are largest in winter Antarctic ice strata, contrary to contemporary observations of summer maxima in iodine emissions. These findings support previous observations of iodine peaks in winter snow strata attributed to the absence of sunlight-driven photolytic re-mobilisation of iodine from surface snow. Further investigation is required to confirm these proposed mechanisms explaining observa- tions of halogens in polar snow and ice, and to evaluate the extent to which halogens may be applied as sea ice proxies.
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| 2. |
- Spolaor, A., et al.
(författare)
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Source, timing and dynamics of ionic species mobility in the Svalbard annual snowpack
- 2021
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697. ; 751
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nearly all ice core archives from the Arctic and middle latitudes (such as the Alps), apart from some very high elevation sites in Greenland and the North Pacific, are strongly influenced by melting processes. The increases in the average Arctic temperature has enhanced surface snow melting even of higher elevation ice caps, especially on the Svalbard Archipelago. The increase of the frequency and altitude of winter "rain on snow" events as well as the increase of the length of the melting season have had a direct impact on the chemical composition of the seasonal and permanent snow layers due to different migration processes of water-soluble species, such as inorganic ions. This re-allocation along the snowpack of ionic species could significantly modify the original chemical signal present in the annual snow. This paper aims to give a picture of the evolution of the seasonal snow strata with a daily time resolution to better understand: a) the processes that can influence deposition b) the distribution of ions in annual snow c) the impact of the presence of liquid water on chemical re-distribution within the annual snow pack. Specifically, the chemical composition of the first 100 cm of seasonal snow on the Austre Broggerbreen Glacier (Spitsbergen, Svalbard Islands, Norway) was monitored daily from the 27th of March to the 31st of May 2015. The experimental period covered almost the entire Arctic spring until the melting season. This unique dataset gives us a daily picture of the snow pack composition, and helps us to understand the behaviour of cations (K+, Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+) and anions (Br-, I-, SO42-, NO3-, Cl-, MSA) in the Svalbard snow pack. We demonstrate that biologically related depositions occur only at the end of the snow season and that rain and melting events have different impacts on the snowpack chemistry. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 3. |
- Spolaor, A., et al.
(författare)
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Diurnal cycle of iodine, bromine, and mercury concentrations in Svalbard surface snow
- 2019
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7316 .- 1680-7324. ; 19:20, s. 13325-13339
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sunlit snow is highly photochemically active and plays a key role in the exchange of gas phase species between the cryosphere and the atmosphere. Here, we investigate the behaviour of two selected species in surface snow: mercury (Hg) and iodine (I). Hg can deposit year-round and accumulate in the snowpack. However, photo-induced re-emission of gas phase Hg from the surface has been widely reported. Iodine is active in atmospheric new particle formation, especially in the marine boundary layer, and in the destruction of atmospheric ozone. It can also undergo photochemical re-emission. Although previous studies indicate possible post-depositional processes, little is known about the diurnal behaviour of these two species and their interaction in surface snow. The mechanisms are still poorly constrained, and no field experiments have been performed in different seasons to investigate the magnitude of re-emission processes Three sampling campaigns conducted at an hourly resolution for 3 d each were carried out near Ny-Alesund (Svalbard) to study the behaviour of mercury and iodine in surface snow under different sunlight and environmental conditions (24 h darkness, 24 h sunlight and day-night cycles). Our results indicate a different behaviour of mercury and iodine in surface snow during the different campaigns. The day-night experiments demonstrate the existence of a diurnal cycle in surface snow for Hg and iodine, indicating that these species are indeed influenced by the daily solar radiation cycle. Differently, bromine did not show any diurnal cycle. The diurnal cycle also disappeared for Hg and iodine during the 24 h sunlight period and during 24 h darkness experiments supporting the idea of the occurrence (absence) of a continuous recycling or exchange at the snow-air interface. These results demonstrate that this surface snow recycling is seasonally dependent, through sunlight. They also highlight the non-negligible role that snowpack emissions have on ambient air concentrations and potentially on iodine-induced atmospheric nucleation processes.
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| 4. |
- Spolaor, A., et al.
(författare)
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Evolution of the Svalbard annual snow layer during the melting phase
- 2016
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Ingår i: Rendiconti Lincei-Scienze Fisiche E Naturali. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2037-4631. ; 27:Supplement 1, s. 147-154
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding and monitoring the evolution of annual snow is an important aspect of cryosphere research. Changes in physical proprieties such as hardness, presence of melt layers, or the shape and size of crystals can completely modify the robustness, propriety and quality of the snow. Evaluating these changes can inform the study and prediction of avalanches. The annual snow layer is also a sink for several compounds and elements. In the polar environment, many compounds can be accumulated during winter depositions, especially during the polar night. During the spring, the combination of solar radiation and the melting of annual snow can release these compounds and elements into the atmosphere and groundwater. An in-depth investigation of the evolution of the first meter of the annual snow layer was conducted in the glacier of Austre Broggerbreen, Svalbard, between the 27th of March and the 31st of May, in concomitance with the start of the melting phase. The present monitoring study mainly aimed to evaluate changes in the thermal profile and water content during the formation of a new ice layer as well as the re-allocation of the total dissolved salts in the different snow layers.
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