A first chronology for the East Greenland Ice-core Project (EGRIP) over the Holocene and last glacial termination

This paper provides the first chronology for the deep ice core from the East Greenland Ice-core Project (EGRIP) over the Holocene and the late last glacial period. We rely mainly on volcanic events and common peak patterns recorded by dielectric profiling (DEP) and electrical conductivity measurement (ECM) for the synchronization between the EGRIP, North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) and North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP) ice cores in Greenland. We transfer the annual-layer-counted Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05) from the NGRIP core to the EGRIP ice core by means of 381 match points, typically spaced less than 50 years apart. The NEEM ice core has previously been dated in a similar way and is only included to support the match-point identification. We name our EGRIP timescale GICC05-EGRIP-1. Over the uppermost 1383.84 m, we establish a depth–age relationship dating back to 14 967 years b2k (years before the year 2000 CE). Tephra horizons provide an independent validation of our match points. In addition, we compare the ratio of the annual layer thickness between ice cores in between the match points to assess our results in view of the different ice-flow patterns and accumulation regimes of the different periods and geographical regions. For the next years, this initial timescale will be the basis for climatic reconstructions from EGRIP high-resolution proxy data sets, e.g. stable water isotopes, chemical impurity or dust records

Geographical and temporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 clades in the WHO European Region, January to June 2020

We show the distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) genetic clades over time and between countries and outline potential genomic surveillance objectives. We applied three genomic nomenclature systems to all sequence data from the World Health Organization European Region available until 10 July 2020. We highlight the importance of real-time sequencing and data dissemination in a pandemic situation, compare the nomenclatures and lay a foundation for future European genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2

Effect of remote ischaemic conditioning on clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (CONDI-2/ERIC-PPCI): a single-blind randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Remote ischaemic conditioning with transient ischaemia and reperfusion applied to the arm has been shown to reduce myocardial infarct size in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). We investigated whether remote ischaemic conditioning could reduce the incidence of cardiac death and hospitalisation for heart failure at 12 months. METHODS: We did an international investigator-initiated, prospective, single-blind, randomised controlled trial (CONDI-2/ERIC-PPCI) at 33 centres across the UK, Denmark, Spain, and Serbia. Patients (age >18 years) with suspected STEMI and who were eligible for PPCI were randomly allocated (1:1, stratified by centre with a permuted block method) to receive standard treatment (including a sham simulated remote ischaemic conditioning intervention at UK sites only) or remote ischaemic conditioning treatment (intermittent ischaemia and reperfusion applied to the arm through four cycles of 5-min inflation and 5-min deflation of an automated cuff device) before PPCI. Investigators responsible for data collection and outcome assessment were masked to treatment allocation. The primary combined endpoint was cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure at 12 months in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02342522) and is completed. FINDINGS: Between Nov 6, 2013, and March 31, 2018, 5401 patients were randomly allocated to either the control group (n=2701) or the remote ischaemic conditioning group (n=2700). After exclusion of patients upon hospital arrival or loss to follow-up, 2569 patients in the control group and 2546 in the intervention group were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At 12 months post-PPCI, the Kaplan-Meier-estimated frequencies of cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure (the primary endpoint) were 220 (8·6%) patients in the control group and 239 (9·4%) in the remote ischaemic conditioning group (hazard ratio 1·10 [95% CI 0·91-1·32], p=0·32 for intervention versus control). No important unexpected adverse events or side effects of remote ischaemic conditioning were observed. INTERPRETATION: Remote ischaemic conditioning does not improve clinical outcomes (cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure) at 12 months in patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI. FUNDING: British Heart Foundation, University College London Hospitals/University College London Biomedical Research Centre, Danish Innovation Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, TrygFonden

A first annual-layer-counted chronology for the EastGRIP ice core and the search for a precise dating for the Thera eruption

The development of paleoclimatic timescales is of vital importance for the understanding of climate. Ice cores are optimal tools for the construction of a timescale because they record the signal of multiple annually resolved proxies with well preserved stratigraphy. In 2018, the East GReenland Ice Coring Project (EastGRIP) reached a depth of 1760 m, corresponding to an age of approximately 21000 years BP. The newly drilled core has been matched to other Greenland ice cores to adapt the GICC05 ice-core timescale. This provides a chronological basis for the study of the core that is consistent with other Greenland cores. The techniques adopted for matching of the ice cores rely on the assumed synchronicity of deposits from volcanic eruptions, biomass burning events, and solar events [1]. These time markers are essential for the synchronization of different time records as well as for the determination of regional leads and lags occurring at the onset of climatic transitions. The measurements used for volcanic matching are electrical conductivity measurements (ECM) and dielectric profiling (DEP), which were performed directly in the field and then processed to a high precision in depth assignment. Independent matching of DEP and ECM matching was performed to assess the precision of the synchronization before the two records were merged. The strength of the volcanic matching between Greenland ice cores is increased by locating the same Northern Hemisphere volcanic ash deposits (tephra), which possess unique geochemical `fingerprints'. This challenging search is conducted along the length of each core and is particularly useful in the Last Glacial Maximum, where the presence of acidic spikes is scarce both in ECM and DEP data. The transferred timescale is complemented by automated counting of annual layers between the observed tie-points, using annually resolved proxy data measured by chemical Continuous Flow Analysis (CFA). Ultimately, these new results will feed into the revision of the GICC05 time scale and hopefully reconcile the differences between GICC05 and the timescale proposed by Sigl et al [2]. In this framework, we are trying to narrow down the dating of the Thera eruption on Santorini (around 3500 BP). The timing of this event is still debated, because of an apparent discrepancy of about 100 years between carbon-14 dating and historical dating [3]. ​ [1] S. O. Rasmussen et al. “A first chronology for the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) ice core". In: Climate of the Past 9.6 (2013), pp. 2713{2730. [2] M. Sigl et al. “Timing and climate forcing of volcanic eruptions for the past 2,500 years". In: Nature 523 (2015), pp. 543{549. [3] C. L. Pearson et al. “Annual radiocarbon record indicates 16th century BCE date for the Thera eruption". In: Science Advances 4.8 (2018)

The establishment of a depth/age relationship dating back to 14,965 b2k from the EGRIP ice core and compression synthetic radar modelling and airborne radar around EGRIP drill site

We have established the initial chronology for the EGRIP ice core over the Holocene and the late last glacial period. We rely on conductivity patterns and volcanic events determined by means of dielectric profiling (DEP), electrical conductivity measurements (ECM) and tephra records for the synchronization between the EGRIP, NEEM and NGRIP ice cores in Greenland. We have transferred the annual-layer-counted Greenland ice Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05) timescale from the NGRIP core to the EGRIP ice core by means of 373 match points. The second part of this study compares numerically modelled radargrams and the airborne radar measurements (radio-echo sounding) to understand the recorded physical properties of internal layers towards reflection mechanisms. Synthetic modelling of electromagnetic wave propagation has been applied to the EGRIP ice core based on the conductivity and permittivity, as measured at 250 kHz by DEP. For the comparison between synthetic and observed data, we have used radio-echo sounding data from AWI’s multichannel ultra-wideband radar around the EGRIP drill site, that were recorded during the 2018 field season

Physical properties of internal layers in Greenland ice sheet: measurements and modelling data analysis

The aim of our study is to analyse physical properties of internal layers of deep ice cores in Greenland (NGRIP and NEEM) and a new ice core record from the East GReenland Ice-core Project (EGRIP) on the North East Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS). For this purpose, in the first part of this study, we have established the initial chronology for the EGRIP ice core over the Holocene and the late last glacial period. We rely on conductivity patterns and volcanic events determined by means of dielectric profiling (DEP), electrical conductivity measurements (ECM) and tephra records for the synchronization between the EGRIP, NEEM and NGRIP ice cores in Greenland. We have transferred the annual-layer-counted Greenland ice Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05) timescale from the NGRIP core to the EGRIP ice core by means of 373 match points. The second part of this study compares numerically modelled radargrams and the airborne radar measurements (radio-echo sounding) to understand the recorded physical properties of internal layers towards reflection mechanisms. Synthetic modelling of electromagnetic wave propagation has been applied to the EGRIP, NEEM and NGRIP2 ice cores based on the conductivity and permittivity, as measured at 250 kHz by DEP. For the comparison between synthetic and observed data, we have used radio-echo sounding data from AWI’s multichannel ultra-wideband radar around the EGRIP drill site, that were recorded during the 2018 field season, and the CReSIS data from the University of Kansas around the NEEM and NGRIP2 drill sites. The timescales (depth-age relation from first part of our study) have been transferred to the synthetic and observed radargrams by means of sensitivity studies. We have found that conductivity only explains a fraction of the radar signals in Greenland ice sheet and the orientated fabric is widespread and influences the radar data

Match points between the EGRIP core and the NGRIP1 core and corresponding GICC05 ages

A first chronology for the East GReenland Ice core Project (EGRIP) over the Holocene and last glacial termination has been derived by transferring the annual layer counted Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05) from the NGRIP core to the EGRIP core using 381 matchpoints of mainly on volcanic events and common patterns (peaks and dips) recorded by electrical conductivity measurement (ECM) and dielectrical profiling (DEP) records

Specific conductivity measured with the dielectric profiling (DEP) technique on the NEEM ice core (down to 1493.295 m depth)

Dielectric Profiling (DEP) of the North Greenland Eemian (NEEM) core were recorded in the field during the 2008-2011 field seasons with the DEP device described by Wilhelms et al. (1998). The permittivity and conductivity of DEP data are calculated by their respective densities and conductivities (Wilhelms, 2005). The resolution of DEP data is 5 mm. The DEP was not processed at a consistent temperature due to the varying temperature in the field seasons. The upper 100 m is measured on NEEM–2008–S1 core, which was the NEEM pilot core. For more information on the calibration procedure see Mojtabavi et al, 2020