First Ice Core Records of NO3- Stable Isotopes from Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard

• Samples from two ice cores drilled at Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard, covering the period 1957-2009, and 1650-1995, respectively, were analyzed for NO(3)(-)concentrations, and NO3- stable isotopes (N-15 and O-18). Post-1950 N-15 has an average of (-6.91.9), which is lower than the isotopic signal known for Summit, Greenland but agrees with values observed in recent Svalbard snow and aerosol. Pre-1900 N-15 has an average of (4.21.6)parts per thousand suggesting that natural sources, enriched in the N-15 isotope, dominated before industrialization. The post-1950 O-18 average of (75.1 +/- 4.1)parts per thousand agrees with data from low and polar latitudes, suggesting similar atmospheric NOy (NOy=NO+NO2+HNO3) processing pathways. The combination of anthropogenic source N-15 and transport isotope effect was estimated as -29.1 parts per thousand for the last 60years. This value is below the usual range of NOx (NOx=NO+NO2) anthropogenic sources which is likely the result of a transport isotope effect of -32 parts per thousand. We suggest that the N-15 recorded at Lomonosovfonna is influenced mainly by fossil fuel combustion, soil emissions, and forest fires; the first and second being responsible for the marked decrease in N-15 observed in the post-1950s record with soil emissions being associated to the decreasing trend in N-15 observed up to present time, and the third being responsible for the sharp increase of N-15 around 2000.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

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Geovetenskap med inriktning mot naturgeografi

Earth Science with specialization in Physical Geography

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