603 research outputs found
Kinetic Fractionation of Gases by Deep Air Convection in Polar Firn
A previously unrecognized type of gas fractiona- tion occurs in firn air columns subjected to intense convec- tion. It is a form of kinetic fractionation that depends on the fact that different gases have different molecular diffusivi- ties. Convective mixing continually disturbs diffusive equi- librium, and gases diffuse back toward diffusive equilibrium under the influence of gravity and thermal gradients. In near- surface firn where convection and diffusion compete as gas transport mechanisms, slow-diffusing gases such as krypton (Kr) and xenon (Xe) are more heavily impacted by convec- tion than fast diffusing gases such as nitrogen (N2) and ar- gon (Ar), and the signals are preserved in deep firn and ice. We show a simple theory that predicts this kinetic effect, and the theory is confirmed by observations using a newly- developed Kr and Xe stable isotope system in air samples from the Megadunes field site on the East Antarctic plateau. Numerical simulations confirm the effect’s magnitude at this site. A main purpose of this work is to support the devel- opment of a proxy indicator of past convection in firn, for use in ice-core gas records. To this aim, we also show with the simulations that the magnitude of the kinetic effect is fairly insensitive to the exact profile of convective strength, if the overall thickness of the convective zone is kept constant. These results suggest that it may be feasible to test for the existence of an extremely deep (∼30–40 m) convective zone, which has been hypothesized for glacial maxima, by future ice-core measurements
Tracer Applications of Noble Gas Radionuclides in the Geosciences
The noble gas radionuclides, including 81Kr (half-life = 229,000 yr), 85Kr
(11 yr), and 39Ar (269 yr), possess nearly ideal chemical and physical
properties for studies of earth and environmental processes. Recent advances in
Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA), a laser-based atom counting method, have
enabled routine measurements of the radiokrypton isotopes, as well as the
demonstration of the ability to measure 39Ar in environmental samples. Here we
provide an overview of the ATTA technique, and a survey of recent progress made
in several laboratories worldwide. We review the application of noble gas
radionuclides in the geosciences and discuss how ATTA can help advance these
fields, specifically determination of groundwater residence times using 81Kr,
85Kr, and 39Ar; dating old glacial ice using 81Kr; and an 39Ar survey of the
main water masses of the oceans, to study circulation pathways and estimate
mean residence times. Other scientific questions involving deeper circulation
of fluids in the Earth's crust and mantle also are within the scope of future
applications. We conclude that the geoscience community would greatly benefit
from an ATTA facility dedicated to this field, with instrumentation for routine
measurements, as well as for research on further development of ATTA methods
A 60 yr record of atmospheric carbon monoxide reconstructed from Greenland firn air
We present the first reconstruction of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) high latitude atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO) mole fraction from Greenland firn air. Firn air samples were collected at three deep ice core sites in Greenland (NGRIP in 2001, Summit in 2006 and NEEM in 2008). CO records from the three sites agree well with each other as well as with recent atmospheric measurements, indicating that CO is well preserved in the firn at these sites. CO atmospheric history was reconstructed back to the year 1950 from the measurements using a combination of two forward models of gas transport in firn and an inverse model. The reconstructed history suggests that Arctic CO in 1950 was 140–150 nmol mol-1, which is higher than today's values. CO mole fractions rose by 10–15 nmol mol-1 from 1950 to the 1970s and peaked in the 1970s or early 1980s, followed by a ˜ 30 nmol mol-1 decline to today's levels. We compare the CO history with the atmospheric histories of methane, light hydrocarbons, molecular hydrogen, CO stable isotopes and hydroxyl radicals (OH), as well as with published CO emission inventories and results of a historical run from a chemistry-transport model. We find that the reconstructed Greenland CO history cannot be reconciled with available emission inventories unless unrealistically large changes in OH are assumed. We argue that the available CO emission inventories strongly underestimate historical NH emissions, and fail to capture the emission decline starting in the late 1970s, which was most likely due to reduced emissions from road transportation in North America and Europe
Controls on the movement and composition of firn air at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide
We sampled interstitial air from the perennial snowpack (firn) at a site near the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS-D) and analyzed the air samples for a wide variety of gas species and their isotopes. We find limited convective influence (1.4–5.2 m, depending on detection method) in the shallow firn, gravitational enrichment of heavy species throughout the diffusive column in general agreement with theoretical expectations, a ~10 m thick lock-in zone beginning at ~67 m, and a total firn thickness consistent with predictions of Kaspers et al. (2004). Our modeling work shows that the air has an age spread (spectral width) of 4.8 yr for CO<sub>2</sub> at the firn-ice transition. We also find that advection of firn air due to the 22 cm yr<sup>&minus;1</sup> ice-equivalent accumulation rate has a minor impact on firn air composition, causing changes that are comparable to other modeling uncertainties and intrinsic sample variability. Furthermore, estimates of &Delta;age (the gas age/ice age difference) at WAIS-D appear to be largely unaffected by bubble closure above the lock-in zone. Within the lock-in zone, small gas species and their isotopes show evidence of size-dependent fractionation due to permeation through the ice lattice with a size threshold of 0.36 nm, as at other sites. We also see an unequivocal and unprecedented signal of oxygen isotope fractionation within the lock-in zone, which we interpret as the mass-dependent expression of a size-dependent fractionation process
Facility for testing ice drills
The Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID) is designed for subsurface scientific
investigations in Antarctica. Its objectives are to drill rapidly through
ice, to core samples of the transition zone and bedrock, and to leave behind
a borehole observatory. These objectives required the engineering and
fabrication of an entirely new drilling system that included a modified
mining-style coring rig, a unique fluid circulation system, a rod skid, a
power unit, and a workshop with areas for the storage of supplies and
consumables. An important milestone in fabrication of the RAID was the
construction of a North American Test (NAT) facility where we were able to
test drilling and fluid processing functions in an environment that is as
close as possible to that expected in Antarctica. Our criteria for site
selection was that the area should be cold during the winter months, be
located in an area of low heat flow, and be at relatively high elevation. We
selected a site for the facility near Bear Lake, Utah, USA.
The general design of the NAT well (NAT-1) started with a 27.3 cm (10.75 in.)
outer casing cemented in a 152 m deep hole. Within that casing, we
hung a 14 cm (5.5 in.) casing string, and, within that casing, a column of
ice was formed. The annulus between the 14 and 27.3 cm casings provided the
path for circulation of a refrigerant. After in-depth study, we chose to use
liquid CO2 to cool the hole. In order to minimize the likelihood of the
casing splitting due to the volume increase associated with freezing water,
the hole was first cooled and then ice was formed in increments from the
bottom upward. First, ice cubes were placed in the inner liner and then
water was added. Using this method, a column of ice was incrementally
prepared for drilling tests. The drilling tests successfully demonstrated
the functioning of the RAID system. Reproducing such a facility for testing
of other ice drilling systems could be advantageous to other research
programs in the future
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Abrupt changes in atmospheric methane at the MIS 5b–5a transition
New ice core analyses show that the prominent rise in atmospheric methane concentration at Dansgaard-Oeschger event 21 was interrupted by a century-long 20% decline, which was previously unrecognized. The reversal was found in a new ∼100-year resolution study of methane in the GISP2 ice core, encompassing the beginning of D-O event 21, which also corresponds to the transition from MIS 5b to 5a. Although a corresponding reversal (within age uncertainty) is observed in climate proxies measured in GISP2 ice, including δ¹⁸O[subscript ice], electrical conductivity, light scattering, and several ions, this feature has not been discussed previously. Abrupt changes in methane are paralleled by changes in δ¹⁵N of trapped air, a quantity that reflects local temperature change at Greenland summit. The reversal described here supports the hypothesis that climate can be unstable during major transitions, as was previously described for the last deglaciation.This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Geophysical Union and can be found at: http://www.agu.org/journals/gl
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Pulse oximetry in the oesophagus
Pulse oximetry has been one of the most significant technological advances in clinical monitoring in the last two decades. Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive photometric technique that provides information about the arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) and heart rate, and has widespread clinical applications. When peripheral perfusion is poor, as in states of hypovolaemia, hypothermia and vasoconstriction, oxygenation readings become unreliable or cease. The problem arises because conventional pulse oximetry sensors must be attached to the most peripheral parts of the body, such as finger, ear or toe, where pulsatile flow is most easily compromised. Since central blood flow may be preferentially preserved, this review explores a new alternative site, the oesophagus, for monitoring blood oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry. This review article presents the basic physics, technology and applications of pulse oximetry including photoplethysmography. The limitations of this technique are also discussed leading to the proposed development of the oesophageal pulse oximeter. In the majority, the report will be focused on the description of a new oesophageal photoplethysmographic/SpO(2) probe, which was developed to investigate the suitability of the oesophagus as an alternative monitoring site for the continuous measurement of SpO(2) in cases of poor peripheral circulation. The article concludes with a review of reported clinical investigations of the oesophageal pulse oximeter
Venous Admixture in COPD: Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Approaches
Chronic obstructive and interstitial lung diseases impair pulmonary gas exchange leading to wasted ventilation (alveolar dead space) and wasted perfusion (venous admixture). These two fundamental types of abnormality represent opposite ends of the spectrum of ventilation-perfusion mismatch with V˙/Q˙ ratios of infinity and zero. Treatment approaches that improve airway function, reduce air trapping and hyperinflation have received much attention and might be successful at ameliorating the problems associated with high V˙/Q˙. However, in patients with low V˙/Q˙ abnormality in whom venous admixture leads to hypoxemia, there are few therapeutic options. Indeed, some patients are refractory to treatment with supplemental oxygen particularly during exercise. Theoretically these patients could benefit from an intervention that increased mixed venous oxygen content thereby ameliorating the deleterious effects of venous admixture. In this perspective article we discuss the mechanisms whereby venous admixture contributes to hypoxemia and reduced oxygen delivery to tissues. We explore methods which could potentially increase mixed venous oxygen content thus ameliorating the deleterious effects of venous admixture. One such intervention that warrants further investigation is the therapeutic creation of an arterio-venous fistula. Such an approach would be novel, simple and minimally invasive. There is reason to believe that complications would be minor leading to a favorable risk-benefit analysis. This approach to treatment could have significant impact for patients with COPD but should also benefit any patient with chronic hypoxemia that impairs exercise performance
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Relative timing and variability of atmospheric methane and GISP2 oxygen isotopes between 68 and 86 ka
The global biogeochemical cycle of methane has received wide attention because of methane's role as a greenhouse gas. Measurements of methane in air trapped in Greenland ice cores provide a high-resolution record of methane levels in the atmosphere over the past ~100 ka, providing clues about what controls the methane cycle on geologic timescales. Remarkable similarity between local temperature recorded in Greenland ice cores and changes in global methane concentrations has been noted in previous studies, with the inference that the local temperature variations have global significance, but the resolution of sampling and measurement precision limited fine-scale comparison of these variables. In this work a higher-precision (~2 ppb) methane data set was obtained from the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) ice core for the time interval between 86 and 68 ka, encompassing three large abrupt warming events early in the last glacial period: Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) events 19, 20, and 21. The new data set consists of duplicate measurements at 158 depths, with average time resolution of 120 years. Such detailed measurements over D-O 21, the longest in Greenland records, have not yet been reported for other ice cores. The new data set documents short-term variability (~20 ppb typical amplitude), which is remarkably persistent, and in many cases similar features are observed in the most detailed published δ¹⁸O[subscript ice] record. High-precision GISP2 δ¹⁵N data show that changes in Greenland temperature are synchronous with the methane variations at the onset of D-O events 19, 20, and 21, supporting previous results from the Greenland Ice Core Project ice core for D-O 19 and 20. Cross-spectral analysis quantifies the extremely close similarity between the new methane record and the δ¹⁸O[subscript ice] record. Because methane sources are widely distributed over the globe, this work further validates δ¹⁸O[subscript ice] at Greenland summit as a geographically broad climate indicator on millennial to multicentennial timescales.Keywords: methane, Dansgaard-Oeschger events, ice core
Anatomy of a Dansgaard-Oeschger warming transition: High-resolution analysis of the North Greenland Ice Core Project ice core
Large and abrupt temperature oscillations during the last glacial period, known as Dansgaard‐Oeschger (DO) events, are clearly observed in the Greenland ice core record. Here we present a new high‐resolution chemical (2 mm) and stable isotope (20 mm) record from the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP) ice core at the onset of one of the most prominent DO events of the last glacial, DO‐8, observed ∼38,000 years ago. The unique, subannual‐resolution NGRIP record provides a true sequence of change during a DO warming with detailed annual layer counting of very high depth resolution geochemical measurements used to determine the exact duration of the transition. The continental ions, indicative of long‐range atmospheric loading and dustiness from East Asia, are the first to change, followed by the snow accumulation, the moisture source conditions, and finally the atmospheric temperature in Greenland. The sequence of events shows that atmospheric and oceanic source and circulation changes preceded the DO warming by several years
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