Sixteen high-resolution marine aerosol (Na+, SO42–) records from spatially distributed International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ITASE) ice cores spanning the last ~200 years from the Pine Island–Thwaites and Ross drainage systems and the South Pole are used to examine sources (sea spray and frost flowers) and transport pathways of marine aerosols into West Antarctica. Factors contributing to the amount of marine aerosols transported inland include sea-ice extent, the presence of open-water features (polynyas, leads), wind strength and direction, and the strength and positioning of low-pressure systems. Analysis of SO42–/Na+ ratios indicates that frost flowers can contribute significantly (40%) to the Na+ budget of Antarctic ice cores. Higher Na+ concentrations in the Ross drainage system may result from greater production of marine aerosols related to frost flowers in the Ross Sea region in association with greater sea-ice extent and larger open-water areas. Significant positive correlations of sea-ice extent and the Na+ time series exist in some regions of West Antarctica. Higher wind speeds in winter and higher Na+ concentrations when sea-level pressure is lower indicate that intensified atmospheric circulation enhances transport and production of marine aerosols.

We have recorded reflection profiles of firn through large areas of West Antarctica and part of the East Antarctic plateau using 400MHz short-pulse radar. The locations show accumulation rates that vary from well above to well below the vertical radar resolution. Most reflection horizons have extensive lateral continuity, and are composed of distinctive wavelets with a consistent phase polarity sequence within their successive half-cycles. We modeled these waveforms, and conclude that they arise from thin, double layers of ice over hoar, which is consistent with the standard model of firn stratification. In addition, we conclude that ice/hoar layers are extensive throughout West Antarctica and also present (although more sparsely) beneath the Antarctic Plateau.

Regional climate modelling in conjunction with accumulation measurements collected on Antarctic traverses of the International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ITASE) is presented as a tool for extending the spatial coverage of field measurements. The modelling of part of East Antarctica spanned the 7 year epoch 1980–86 where data covering the same period are available. The agreement between simulation and observation is improved when a parameterization of the snow surface redistribution processes, such as wind erosion, is included in the regional climate model. The modelled spatial distribution of the net snow mass transported in the boundary layer over coastal East Antarctica indicates that this mass is a significant component of the surface mass balance.

During the 1992–2002 Antarctic expeditions, in the framework of the International Trans-Antarctic Expedition (ITASE) project, about 600 sites were sampled (superficial snow, snow pits and firn cores) along traverses in the northern Victoria Land–Dome C–Wilkes Land region. The sites were characterized by different geographical (distance from the sea, altitude) and climatological (annual mean accumulation rate, temperature) conditions and were affected by air masses from different marine sectors (Ross Sea, Pacific Ocean). Mean anion and cation contents were calculated at each site, in order to evaluate the spatial distribution of chemical impurities in snow. Here we discuss the distribution of non-sea-salt sulphate (nssSO42–) and of methanesulphonic acid (MSA) mainly originating from atmospheric oxidation of biogenic dimethyl sulphide; these compounds play a key role in climate control processes by acting as cloud condensation nuclei. The spatial distribution of nssSO42– and MSA is discussed as a function of distance from the sea, altitude and accumulation rate. Depositional fluxes of nssSO42– and MSA decrease as a function of distance from the sea, with a higher gradient in the first 200km step. There is an analogous trend with the site altitude, and the first 1600m step is relevant in determining the nssSO42– and MSA content in snow. The nssSO42–/MSA ratio depends on the distance from the sea and the biogenic source strength. At coastal sites, where biogenic inputs are dominant, this ratio is ~2. As biogenic input decreases (low MSA content) inland, the ratio increases, indicating the presence of alternative sources of nssSO42– (crustal, volcanic background) or advection of low-latitude air masses. By plotting total flux as a function of accumulation rate, dry depositional contributions were evaluated for nssSO42– and MSA in the Ross Sea and Pacific Ocean sectors. Non-sea-salt sulphate wet deposition prevails at sites where the accumulation rate (expressed as water equivalent) is higher than 70 kgm–2 a–1 (Ross Sea sector) or 370 kgm–2 a–1 (Pacific Ocean sector). MSA threshold values in these sectors are respectively 90 and 220 kgm–2 a–1.

Sea-salt markers (Na+, Mg2+ and Cl–) were analyzed in recent snow collected at more than 600 sites located in coastal and central areas of East Antarctica (northern Victoria Land–Dome C–Wilkes Land), in order to understand the effect of site remoteness, transport efficiency and depositional and post-depositional processes on the spatial distribution of the primary marine aerosol. Firn-core, snow-pit and 1m integrated superficial snow samples were collected in the framework of the International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expeditions (ITASE) project during recent Italian Antarctic Campaigns (1992–2002). The sampling sites were mainly distributed along coast–inland traverses (northern Victoria Land– Dome C) and an east–west transect following the 2100m contour line (Wilkes Land). At each site, the snow ionic composition was determined. Here, we discuss the distribution of sea-spray components (Na+, Mg2+ and Cl–) as a function of distance from the sea, altitude and accumulation rate, in order to discover the pulling-down rate, possible fractionating phenomena and alternative sources moving inland from coastal areas. Sea-spray depositional fluxes decrease as a function of distance from the sea and altitude. A two-order-of-magnitude decrease occurs in the first 200km from the sea, corresponding to about 2000ma.s.l. Correlations of Mg2+ and Cl– with Na+ and trends of Mg2+/Na+ and Cl–/Na+ ratios showed that chloride has other sources than sea spray (HCl) and is affected by post-depositional processes. Accumulation rate higher than 80 kgm–2 a–1 preserves the chloride record in the snow. Sea-spray atmospheric scavenging is dominated by wet deposition in coastal and inland sites.

Based on ground-penetrating radar profiles, we analyze area-wide spatial and temporal characteristics of accumulation rate in the vicinity of the EPICA (European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica) deep-drilling site in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica (EDML). An area of 1600km2 is covered by 500km of radar profiles, organized in a star-like pattern with eight 20–25km legs and a 10km grid with 1–3km spacing, each pattern being centred on the EDML drilling location. Distributions of density, cumulative mass, age and the electromagnetic wave speed with depth are available from physical ice-core records. Nine internal reflection horizons are continuously tracked within the upper 110m of ice over the whole area, yielding a spatial picture of accumulation rate history over >1000 years. The mean accumulation rate over the last 153 years varies between 50 and 75 kgm–2 a–1 over 50 km perpendicular to the ice divide; the spatial average is ~61 kgm–2 a–1. This general pattern is overlain by small-scale variations of accumulation rate on the order of 10% of the mean. Maximum local gradients in accumulation rate are ~2–3 kgm–2 a–1 km–1, about five times the regional accumulation rate gradient. Comparison of topography and accumulation rate along a 20 km profile in the direction of the mean winds indicates that variations in accumulation rate over short distances are linked to surface undulations. Our results show that advected spatial variations of accumulation rate are on the same order and even exceed temporal changes over the investigated periods. Ice flow and upstream effects therefore might influence accumulation rates reconstructed from the EDML ice core.

Deep radar soundings as part of the International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (US-ITASE) traverses in West Antarctica have revealed a bright internal reflector that we have imaged throughout widespread locations across the ice sheet. The layer is seen in traverses emanating from Byrd Station in four directions and has been traced continuously for distances of 535km toward the Weddell Sea drainage, 500km toward South Pole, 150km toward the Executive Committee Range and 160km toward Kamb Ice Stream (former Ice Stream C). The approximate area encompassed by the layer identified in these studies is 250 000km2. If the layer identification can also be extended to Siple Dome where we have additional radar soundings (Jacobel and others, 2000), the approximate area covered would increase by 50%. In many locations echo strength from the layer rivals the bed echo in amplitude even though it generally lies at a depth greater than half the ice thickness. At Byrd Station, where the layer depth is 1260 m, an age of ~17.5 kyr BP has been assigned based on the Blunier and Brook (2001) chronology. Hammer and others (1997) note that the acidity at this depth is >20 times the amplitude of any other part of the core. The depiction of this strong and widespread dated isochrone provides a unique time marker for much of the ice in West Antarctica. We apply a layer-tracing technique to infer the depth–time scale at the inland West Antarctic ice sheet divide and use this in a simple model to estimate the average accumulation rate.

Ice-core chemistry data from Victoria Lower Glacier, Antarctica, suggest, at least for the last 50 years, a direct influence of solar activity variations on the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) climate system via controls on air-mass input from two competing environments: the East Antarctic ice sheet and the Ross Sea. During periods of increased solar activity, when total solar irradiance is relatively high, the MDV climate system appears to be dominated by air masses originating from the Ross Sea, leading to higher aerosol deposition. During reduced solar activity, the Antarctic interior seems to be the dominant air-mass source, leading to lower aerosol concentration in the ice-core record. We propose that the sensitivity of the MDV to variations in solar irradiance is caused by strong albedo differences between the ice-free MDV and the ice sheet.

The variations and dynamics of the southern edge of Fuchs Ice Piedmont, Adelaide Island (67˚45’ 09’ S, 68˚55’ 04’ W), Antarctic Peninsula, are presented. The snow-covered surface of the glacier has been used since the 1960s for landing aeroplanes in support of British, and more recently Chilean, operations at nearby Teniente Carvajal station (formerly known as Adelaide T). In recent years, snow conditions in the runway area have progressively deteriorated, due to increasingly early summer melting. Radio-echo sounding, global positioning system and remotely sensed data have been analyzed for mapping the crevasse and ice velocity fields, as well as the surface and subglacial topography of the area. The results show that the runway area is located on a local ice divide surrounded by crevasses which are appearing on the glacier surface progressively earlier in the summer, presumably due to higher snowmelt and perhaps higher ice velocities, in response to regional atmospheric warming. In the near future, landing operations will be further affected as more crevasses will appear in the runway area if present warming trends persist. This situation affects all coastal areas in the Antarctic Peninsula, hence the need to search for possible new locations of crevasse-free runways at higher elevations.

Ice-core records are a key resource for reconstructing Antarctic climate. However, a number of physical processes preclude the simple interpretation of ice-core properties such as oxygen isotopic ratios in terms of climate variables like temperature or sea-level pressure. We show that well-dated, sub-annually resolved stable-isotopic records from the United States International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (US-ITASE) traverses and other sources have a high correlation with local seasonal temperature variation. However, this temporal relationship cannot be simply extended to quantitative interannual resolution reconstructions of site temperature. We suggest that a consistent and important target for ice-core calibrations is a composite of annual mean temperature records from Antarctic weather stations, which covaries strongly with the dominant mode (from principal component analysis) of temperature variability in the Antarctic. Significant correlations with this temperature index are found with individual ice-core records, with a composite of the ice cores, and through a multiple linear regression model with the ice cores as predictors. These results imply that isotopic signals, like the instrumental temperature mode itself, have a strong response to large-scale atmospheric circulation variability, which in the Antarctic region is dominated by the Southern Annular Mode.

New ice-velocity measurements are obtained for the main trunk of Byrd Glacier, East Antarctica, using recently acquired Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) imagery. The velocities are derived from the application of a cross-correlation technique to sequential images acquired in 2000 and 2001. Images were co-registered and ortho-rectified with the aid of a digital elevation model (DEM) generated from ASTER stereo imagery. This paper outlines the process of DEM generation, image co-registration and correction, and the application of the cross-correlation technique to obtain ice velocities. Comparison of the new velocity map with earlier measurements of velocity from 1978 indicates that the glacier has undergone a substantial deceleration between observations. Portions of the glacier flowing at speeds of ~850ma–1 in 1978/79 were flowing at ~650ma–1 in 2000/01. The cause of this change in ice dynamics is not known, but the observation shows that East Antarctic outlet glaciers can undergo substantial changes on relatively short timescales.

Shallow ice cores were obtained from widely distributed sites across the West Antarctic ice sheet, as part of the United States portion of the International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (US ITASE) program. The US ITASE cores have been dated by annual-layer counting, primarily through the identification of summer peaks in non-sea-salt sulfate (nssSO42–) concentration. Absolute dating accuracy of better than 2 years and relative dating accuracy better than 1 year is demonstrated by the identification of multiple volcanic marker horizons in each of the cores, Tambora, Indonesia (1815), being the most prominent. Independent validation is provided by the tracing of isochronal layers from site to site using high-frequency ice-penetrating radar observations, and by the timing of mid-winter warming events in stable-isotope ratios, which demonstrate significantly better than 1 year accuracy in the last 20 years. Dating precision to ±1 month is demonstrated by the occurrence of summer nitrate peaks and stable-isotope ratios in phase with nssSO42–, and winter-time sea-salt peaks out of phase, with phase variation of <1 month. Dating precision and accuracy are uniform with depth, for at least the last 100 years.

In situ observations of precipitation days (days when snow or rain was reported in routine synoptic observations) from Faraday/Vernadsky station on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, and fields from the 40 year European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts re-analysis (ERA-40) project are used to investigate precipitation and atmospheric circulation changes around the Antarctic Peninsula. It is shown that the number of precipitation days is a good proxy for mean sea-level pressure (MSLP) over the Amundsen–Bellingshausen Sea. The annual total of precipitation days at the station has been increasing at a statistically significant rate of +12.4 days decade–1 since the early 1950s, with the greatest increase taking place during the summer and autumn. This is the time of year when the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) has experienced its greatest shift to a positive phase, with MSLP values decreasing in the Antarctic coastal zone. The lower pressures in the circumpolar trough have resulted in greater ascent and increased precipitation at Faraday/Vernadsky.

Ice stratigraphy from deep-penetrating radar data collected during the 2002 US International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (US-ITASE) traverse shows evidence of a significant erosion surface and drift-filled basin related to a previously undiscovered 1400m subglacial mountain between Hercules Dome (87˚420 S, 108˚ W) and South Pole. The 3MHz radar profile crosses three subglacial mountains at approximately 458 to the ice-flow direction. Cross-cutting reflectors in the top 500m of ice stratigraphy are interpreted as angular unconformities resulting from wind erosion as the ice deforms over the mountain tops. The unconformities correlate locally with zones of high RADARSAT reflectivity. Several nearby sites with similar relatively high RADARSAT reflectivity adjacent to the traverse indicate that active wind erosion may be taking place at these locations as well. Based on the local correlation between surface wind scour and subglacial topography, we interpret the nearby cluster of bright RADARSAT reflectivity to indicate the presence of a small range of subglacial mountains. The ability to trace isochronal stratigraphy, associated with scour sites using shallow and deep radar, to nearby dated ice cores presents the possibility of exploiting wind-scour zones to access well-dated older ice with shallow-coring equipment.

Temporal and spatial characteristics of the Antarctic specific surface mass balance (SSMB) are presented, including its components solid precipitation, sublimation/deposition and melt. For this purpose, we use the output of a regional atmospheric climate model (RACMO2/ANT, horizontal resolution of ~55 km) for the period 1958–2002. RACMO2/ANT uses European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) 40 year re-analysis (ERA-40) fields as forcing at the lateral boundaries. RACMO2/ANT underestimates SSMB in the high interior of East and West Antarctica and overestimates SSMB on the steep coastal slopes. Otherwise, the modeled spatial pattern of SSMB is in good qualitative agreement with recent compilations of in situ observations. Large-scale patterns, like the precipitation shadow effect of the Antarctic Peninsula, are well reproduced, and mesoscale SSMB patterns, such as the strong precipitation gradients on Law Dome, are well represented in the model. The integrated SSMB over the grounded ice sheet is 153mmw.e. a–1 for the period 1958–2002, which agrees within 5% with the latest measurement compilations. Sublimation and melt remove 7% and <1% respectively of the solid precipitation. We found significant seasonality of solid precipitation, with a maximum in autumn and a minimum in summer. No meaningful trend was identified for the SSMB, because the time series of solid precipitation and SSMB are affected by an inhomogeneity in 1980 within the ERA-40 fields that drive RACMO2/ANT. Sublimation, melt and liquid precipitation increase in time, which is related to a modeled increase in 2m temperature.

Local rates of change in ice-sheet thickness were calculated at 15 sites in West Antarctica using the submergence velocity technique. This method entails a comparison of the vertical velocity of the ice sheet, measured using repeat global positioning system surveys of markers, and local long-term rates of snow accumulation obtained using firn-core stratigraphy. Any significant difference between these two quantities represents a thickness change with time. Measurements were conducted at sites located ~100–200km apart along US ITASE traverse routes, and at several isolated locations. All but one of the sites are distributed in the Siple Coast and the Amundsen Sea basin along contours of constant elevation, along flowlines, across ice divides and close to regions of enhanced flow. Calculated rates of thickness change are different from site to site. Most of the large rates of change in ice thickness (~10cm a–1 or larger) are observed in or close to regions of rapid flow, and are probably related to ice-dynamics effects. Near-steady-state conditions are calculated mostly at sites in the slow-moving ice-sheet interior and near the mainWest Antarctic ice divide. These results are consistent with regional estimates of ice-sheet change derived from remote-sensing measurements at similar locations in West Antarctica

The cryosphere is an essential component of the global climate system, equally affecting climate processes significantly and being subject, and particularly sensitive, to changes in climate conditions. Numerical models are an important tool for assessing climate-change impacts on the Antarctic ice–sheet–ice–shelf–ocean system. They not only complement field and satellite remotesensing investigations but are often the only feasible alternative for addressing some of the important parameters and processes. Over the last few years, our group has made significant progress in developing and applying innovative numerical methods. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of some of the methods employed and the major results obtained for a number of case studies in the Atlantic sector of Antarctica.

Using US National Centers for Environmental Prediction/US National Center for Atmospheric Research re-analysis data, we investigate the relationships between crustal ion (nssCa2+) concentrations from three West Antarctic ice cores, namely, Siple Dome (SD), ITASE00-1 (IT001) and ITASE01-5 (IT015), and primary components of the climate system, namely, air pressure/geopotential height, zonal (u) and meridional (v) wind strength. Linear correlation analyses between nssCa2+ concentrations and both air-pressure and wind fields for the period of overlap between records indicate that the SD nssCa2+ variation is positively correlated with spring circumpolar zonal wind, while IT001 nssCa2+ has a positive correlation with circumpolar zonal wind throughout the year (r > 0.3, p < 0.01). Intensified Southern Westerlies circulation is conducive to transport of more crustal aerosols to both sites. Further correlation analyses between nssCa2+ concentrations from SD and IT001 and atmospheric circulation suggest that the high inland plateau (represented by core IT001) is largely influenced by transport from the upper troposphere. IT015 nssCa2+ is negatively correlated with westerly wind in October and November, suggesting that stronger westerly circulation may weaken the transport of crustal species to IT015. Correlations of nssCa2+ from the three ice cores with the Antarctic Oscillation index are consistent with results developed from the wind-field investigation. In addition, calibration between nssCa2+ concentration and the multivariate El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index shows that crustal species transport to IT001 is enhanced during strong ENSO events.

We present the seasonal cycle of the Antarctic surface energy balance (SEB) using 4 years (1998–2001) of automatic weather station (AWS) data. The four AWSs are situated on an ice shelf, in the coastal and inland katabatic wind zone and the interior plateau of Dronning Maud Land. To calculate surface temperature we use a SEB closure assumption for a surface skin layer. Modelled and observed surface have a root-mean-square difference of 1.8 K at the plateau AWS (corresponding to an uncertainty in the SEB of 5Wm–2) and <1 K (3Wm–2) at the other sites. The effect of wind-speed sensor freezing on the calculated SEB is discussed. At all sites the annual mean net radiation is negative and the near-surface air is on average stably stratified. Differences in the seasonal cycle of the SEB are mainly caused by the different wind climates at the AWS sites. In the katabatic wind zone, a combination of clear skies and strong winds forces a large wintertime turbulent transport of sensible heat towards the surface, which in turn enhances the longwave radiative heat loss. On the coastal ice shelf and on the plateau, strong winds are associated with overcast conditions, limiting the radiative heat loss and sensible heat exchange. During the short Antarctic summer, the net radiation becomes slightly positive at all sites. Away from the cold interior, the main compensating heat loss at the surface is sublimation. In the interior, summer temperatures are too low to allow significant sublimation to occur; here, surface heat loss is mainly due to convection.

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signal in coastal Antarctic precipitation is evaluated using deuterium-excess data measured from an ice core located at Victoria Lower Glacier (VLG) Dome, McMurdo Dry Valleys. Recent studies suggest that interannual variations in the intensity and position of the Amundsen Sea low, a low-pressure centre that controls moisture flux in the West Antarctic sector, is modulated by the ENSO. Deuterium-excess values from the VLG ice core, which serve as a proxy for changes in regional moisture flux, exhibit oscillations of equivalent duration to those observed in the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Results of cross-spectral analyses show that temporal fluctuations in deuterium excess and the SOI covary and are coherent at ~4.9, 3.6, 3.0, 2.6, 2.4 and 2.0 year frequencies between 1950 and 2000. We ascribe this covariance to shifts in the source and transport pathway of precipitation that is deposited in coastal Victoria Land as a consequence of ENSO’s influence. High values of deuterium excess are consistent with increased meridional flow carrying warm, moist air southward across the Ross Sea when the low-pressure centre is positioned to the north of the Ross Ice Shelf (La Niña mode). Low deuterium-excess values, which reflect a more westerly to southerly flow across the West Antarctic ice sheet and Ross Ice Shelf leading to cooler and drier en-route conditions, occur when the low-pressure centre is positioned above the Amundsen Sea (El Niño mode).