Heidelberg, Univ., Diss., 2000.

O testemunho de firn IC-6 de 35,06 m de comprimento foi coletado no manto de gelo antártico (81°03’10,1”S e 79°50’09,1”W; 750 m de altitude) no verão austral de 2004/05. Este testemunho foi subamostrado usando um sistema de fusão contínua desenvolvido pela equipe do Climate Change Institute (University of Maine – Maine /EUA) em sala limpa (CLASSE 100). As 1380 amostras geradas foram analisadas em baixa, média e alta resolução no espectrômetro de massas Element 2 do CCI para 24 elementos traços (Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pb, Bi, U, As, Li, Al, S, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Na, Mg e K). O testemunho representa 68 anos (1934 – 2002) de registro, segundo datação relativa baseada na variação sazonal nas concentrações dos elementos Na, Mg, Sr e Ca e dos íons Cl-, Na+ e Mg2+. A taxa de acumulação média para o local de amostragem é calculada em 0,30 m a-1 em Eq. H2O. As concentrações medidas foram consideradas baixas, dentro do esperado para o continente antártico e são similares a de outros estudos. As concentrações são controladas pelas variações climáticas sazonais (verão/inverno), pela distância de transporte e pelas fontes naturais e antrópicas desses aerossóis. Contribuições naturais de poeira continental e solo, oriundas principalmente da região de Patriot Hills, são as principais fontes para os elementos césio, bário, alumínio, titânio, vanádio, cromo, ferro, cobalto, manganês e terras raras. Os aerossóis marinhos, oriundos da superfície da cobertura de gelo marinho e transportados pelas massas de ar são fontes importantes de sódio, magnésio, estrôncio e enxofre. Os elementos lítio, cálcio e potássio apresentaram aportes consideráveis tanto de poeira continental como de aerossóis marinhos. Emissões vulcânicas globais e regionais (Monte Erebus e Ilha Deception) são consideradas importantes fontes de elementos traços. Elementos como vanádio, cromo, manganês, cobalto, bismuto, arsênio, cádmio e chumbo apresentaram uma significativa contribuição dessas fontes, variando desde 20% (chumbo e manganês) até 70% (cádmio e bismuto). Os fluxos de deposição natural de chumbo, cádmio, bismuto e arsênio, representam apenas uma pequena fração do total depositado na neve. Para esses elementos, as atividades antrópicas constituem o principal fator responsável por sua mobilização e transporte. / This dissertation examines a 35.06 m long firn core (IC-6) obtained in the Austral summer of 2004/2005 in the West Antarctic Sheet (at 81°03’10.1”S, 79°50’09.1”W; 750 m above sea level). This core was subsampled using a continuous melting system at the Climate Change Institute (CCI, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA) under a Class 100 room conditions. At CCI, 1380 samples went through an Element 2 mass spectrometer to determine (at low, middle and high resolutions) the concentration of 24 trace elements (Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pb, Bi, U, As, Li, Al, S, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Na, Mg e K). The core records 38 years (1934 – 2002) of snow accumulation, as dated by seasonal variations of Na, Mg, Sr e Ca elements and Cl-, Na+ e Mg2+ ionic concentrations. The calculated mean annual accumulation is 0.30 m yr-1 (in H2O equivalent). Their mean concentrations are low and are similar to the ones found in other Antarctic ice core studies. Trace concentrations are controlled by seasonal variations (summer/winter), transport distance and by natural and anthropogenic sources. Cesium, barium, aluminium, titanium, vanadium, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese and rare earths come from continental dust (mainly from the nearby Patriot Hills). Marine aerosols, from the pack ice surface and transported by air masses, are the sources for sodium, magnesium, strontium and sulphur. Both continental dust and marine aerosols contribute to the lithium, calcium and potassium concentrations. Global and regional (Mount Erebus and Deception Island) volcanic emissions are important trace elements sources, such as vanadium, chrome, manganese, cobalt, bismuth, arsenic, cadmium and lead, varying from 20% (lead and manganese) to 70% (cadmium e bismuth). Trace elements as lead, cadmium, bismuth e arsenic from natural sources have a minor contribution in the samples, human activities are thought to be the main cause for their mobilization and transport.

O testemunho de firn IC-6 de 35,06 m de comprimento foi coletado no manto de gelo antártico (81°03’10,1”S e 79°50’09,1”W; 750 m de altitude) no verão austral de 2004/05. Este testemunho foi subamostrado usando um sistema de fusão contínua desenvolvido pela equipe do Climate Change Institute (University of Maine – Maine /EUA) em sala limpa (CLASSE 100). As 1380 amostras geradas foram analisadas em baixa, média e alta resolução no espectrômetro de massas Element 2 do CCI para 24 elementos traços (Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pb, Bi, U, As, Li, Al, S, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Na, Mg e K). O testemunho representa 68 anos (1934 – 2002) de registro, segundo datação relativa baseada na variação sazonal nas concentrações dos elementos Na, Mg, Sr e Ca e dos íons Cl-, Na+ e Mg2+. A taxa de acumulação média para o local de amostragem é calculada em 0,30 m a-1 em Eq. H2O. As concentrações medidas foram consideradas baixas, dentro do esperado para o continente antártico e são similares a de outros estudos. As concentrações são controladas pelas variações climáticas sazonais (verão/inverno), pela distância de transporte e pelas fontes naturais e antrópicas desses aerossóis. Contribuições naturais de poeira continental e solo, oriundas principalmente da região de Patriot Hills, são as principais fontes para os elementos césio, bário, alumínio, titânio, vanádio, cromo, ferro, cobalto, manganês e terras raras. Os aerossóis marinhos, oriundos da superfície da cobertura de gelo marinho e transportados pelas massas de ar são fontes importantes de sódio, magnésio, estrôncio e enxofre. Os elementos lítio, cálcio e potássio apresentaram aportes consideráveis tanto de poeira continental como de aerossóis marinhos. Emissões vulcânicas globais e regionais (Monte Erebus e Ilha Deception) são consideradas importantes fontes de elementos traços. Elementos como vanádio, cromo, manganês, cobalto, bismuto, arsênio, cádmio e chumbo apresentaram uma significativa contribuição dessas fontes, variando desde 20% (chumbo e manganês) até 70% (cádmio e bismuto). Os fluxos de deposição natural de chumbo, cádmio, bismuto e arsênio, representam apenas uma pequena fração do total depositado na neve. Para esses elementos, as atividades antrópicas constituem o principal fator responsável por sua mobilização e transporte. / This dissertation examines a 35.06 m long firn core (IC-6) obtained in the Austral summer of 2004/2005 in the West Antarctic Sheet (at 81°03’10.1”S, 79°50’09.1”W; 750 m above sea level). This core was subsampled using a continuous melting system at the Climate Change Institute (CCI, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA) under a Class 100 room conditions. At CCI, 1380 samples went through an Element 2 mass spectrometer to determine (at low, middle and high resolutions) the concentration of 24 trace elements (Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pb, Bi, U, As, Li, Al, S, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Na, Mg e K). The core records 38 years (1934 – 2002) of snow accumulation, as dated by seasonal variations of Na, Mg, Sr e Ca elements and Cl-, Na+ e Mg2+ ionic concentrations. The calculated mean annual accumulation is 0.30 m yr-1 (in H2O equivalent). Their mean concentrations are low and are similar to the ones found in other Antarctic ice core studies. Trace concentrations are controlled by seasonal variations (summer/winter), transport distance and by natural and anthropogenic sources. Cesium, barium, aluminium, titanium, vanadium, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese and rare earths come from continental dust (mainly from the nearby Patriot Hills). Marine aerosols, from the pack ice surface and transported by air masses, are the sources for sodium, magnesium, strontium and sulphur. Both continental dust and marine aerosols contribute to the lithium, calcium and potassium concentrations. Global and regional (Mount Erebus and Deception Island) volcanic emissions are important trace elements sources, such as vanadium, chrome, manganese, cobalt, bismuth, arsenic, cadmium and lead, varying from 20% (lead and manganese) to 70% (cadmium e bismuth). Trace elements as lead, cadmium, bismuth e arsenic from natural sources have a minor contribution in the samples, human activities are thought to be the main cause for their mobilization and transport.

O testemunho de firn IC-6 de 35,06 m de comprimento foi coletado no manto de gelo antártico (81°03’10,1”S e 79°50’09,1”W; 750 m de altitude) no verão austral de 2004/05. Este testemunho foi subamostrado usando um sistema de fusão contínua desenvolvido pela equipe do Climate Change Institute (University of Maine – Maine /EUA) em sala limpa (CLASSE 100). As 1380 amostras geradas foram analisadas em baixa, média e alta resolução no espectrômetro de massas Element 2 do CCI para 24 elementos traços (Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pb, Bi, U, As, Li, Al, S, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Na, Mg e K). O testemunho representa 68 anos (1934 – 2002) de registro, segundo datação relativa baseada na variação sazonal nas concentrações dos elementos Na, Mg, Sr e Ca e dos íons Cl-, Na+ e Mg2+. A taxa de acumulação média para o local de amostragem é calculada em 0,30 m a-1 em Eq. H2O. As concentrações medidas foram consideradas baixas, dentro do esperado para o continente antártico e são similares a de outros estudos. As concentrações são controladas pelas variações climáticas sazonais (verão/inverno), pela distância de transporte e pelas fontes naturais e antrópicas desses aerossóis. Contribuições naturais de poeira continental e solo, oriundas principalmente da região de Patriot Hills, são as principais fontes para os elementos césio, bário, alumínio, titânio, vanádio, cromo, ferro, cobalto, manganês e terras raras. Os aerossóis marinhos, oriundos da superfície da cobertura de gelo marinho e transportados pelas massas de ar são fontes importantes de sódio, magnésio, estrôncio e enxofre. Os elementos lítio, cálcio e potássio apresentaram aportes consideráveis tanto de poeira continental como de aerossóis marinhos. Emissões vulcânicas globais e regionais (Monte Erebus e Ilha Deception) são consideradas importantes fontes de elementos traços. Elementos como vanádio, cromo, manganês, cobalto, bismuto, arsênio, cádmio e chumbo apresentaram uma significativa contribuição dessas fontes, variando desde 20% (chumbo e manganês) até 70% (cádmio e bismuto). Os fluxos de deposição natural de chumbo, cádmio, bismuto e arsênio, representam apenas uma pequena fração do total depositado na neve. Para esses elementos, as atividades antrópicas constituem o principal fator responsável por sua mobilização e transporte. / This dissertation examines a 35.06 m long firn core (IC-6) obtained in the Austral summer of 2004/2005 in the West Antarctic Sheet (at 81°03’10.1”S, 79°50’09.1”W; 750 m above sea level). This core was subsampled using a continuous melting system at the Climate Change Institute (CCI, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA) under a Class 100 room conditions. At CCI, 1380 samples went through an Element 2 mass spectrometer to determine (at low, middle and high resolutions) the concentration of 24 trace elements (Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pb, Bi, U, As, Li, Al, S, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Na, Mg e K). The core records 38 years (1934 – 2002) of snow accumulation, as dated by seasonal variations of Na, Mg, Sr e Ca elements and Cl-, Na+ e Mg2+ ionic concentrations. The calculated mean annual accumulation is 0.30 m yr-1 (in H2O equivalent). Their mean concentrations are low and are similar to the ones found in other Antarctic ice core studies. Trace concentrations are controlled by seasonal variations (summer/winter), transport distance and by natural and anthropogenic sources. Cesium, barium, aluminium, titanium, vanadium, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese and rare earths come from continental dust (mainly from the nearby Patriot Hills). Marine aerosols, from the pack ice surface and transported by air masses, are the sources for sodium, magnesium, strontium and sulphur. Both continental dust and marine aerosols contribute to the lithium, calcium and potassium concentrations. Global and regional (Mount Erebus and Deception Island) volcanic emissions are important trace elements sources, such as vanadium, chrome, manganese, cobalt, bismuth, arsenic, cadmium and lead, varying from 20% (lead and manganese) to 70% (cadmium e bismuth). Trace elements as lead, cadmium, bismuth e arsenic from natural sources have a minor contribution in the samples, human activities are thought to be the main cause for their mobilization and transport.

As the climate is changing, there are clear impacts on the mass balance of glaciers. A glacier can be defined as the result of sufficient accumulation, in the form of snow and rain, compared to its ablation, the different types of glacial loss, a balance that then determines the size of the glacier. A phenomenon in glacial environments where processes and effects on the environment are still relatively unknown arethe so-called firn aquifers. Firn aquifers are a type of “glacial groundwater” where water seeps through the firn, a form of more compact snow, and then accumulates and forms masses of water on top of the more compact ice. These water reservoirs can then affect glacial hydrology, mass balance, and the ice dynamics in the area by acting as a buffer for the meltwater on the way to the sea, causing and intensifying hydrofracturing, lowering the glacier’s albedo as well as acting as a heat source which in turn can deform the underlying ice. In 2018 and 2019, Ground Penetrating Radar measurements were made on Lomonosovfonna, a glacier on Svalbard, to measure the position and water level of one of the glaciers’ firn aquifers. The purpose of this study is to compare the radar data with measured data of the snow and firn density (stake measured during 2012, 2014, and 2016 at three different locations) to see what effects the density profile has on the radar-derived depth measurements. For this, ArcGIS was used to plot the intersection points of 2018 and 2019, to compare the two year’s different depth to the underlying water table. Then, MATLAB was used with the stake measured density profile and interpolated with the calculated depth values with the same two-way travel time as the GPR data to correlate the depths to the same intersection points. The general result showed that the firn densityprofile did have an impact on the data, but not significantly enough to alter the overall values as the change between the two years are of the similar magnitude. There are many different variables that could have played a role in the achieved results and further research needs to be done in order to establish a more in-depth conclusion / När klimatet förändras finns det tydliga effekter på glaciärernas massbalans. En glaciär kan definieras som resultatet av tillräcklig ackumulering, i form av snö och regn, jämfört med dess ablation, de olika typerna av glaciärförlust, en balans som sedan avgör glaciärens storlek. Ett fenomen i glaciala miljöer där processer och effekter på miljön fortfarande är relativt okända är de så kallade firn akvifärerna. Firn akvifärer är en typ av "glacialt grundvatten" där vatten sipprar genom firnen, en form av mer kompakt snö, och sedan ackumuleras och bildar vattenmassor ovanpå den underliggande isen. Dessa lagringar av vatten kan sedan påverka glacialhydrologin, massbalansen och isdynamiken i området genom att bland annat fungera som en buffert för smältvattnet på väg mot havet, orsaka och intensifiera hydrofrakturering, sänka glaciärens albedo samt fungerar som en värmekälla som i sin tur kan deformera den underliggande isen. År 2018 och 2019 gjordes Georadar-mätningar på Lomonosovfonna, en glaciär på Svalbard, för att mäta positionen och vattennivån för en av glaciärernas akvifärer. Syftet med denna studie är att jämföra radardata med uppmätt data från snö- och firndensitet (uppmätt under 2012, 2014 och 2016 på tre olika platser) för att se vilka effekter densitetsprofilen har på radarhärledda djupmätningar. För detta användes ArcGIS för att plotta skärningspunkterna för 2018 och 2019 och att sedan jämföra de två årens olika djup med den underliggande vattenytan. Sedan användes MATLAB med den uppmätta densitetsprofilen, och interpolerades med de beräknade djupvärdena med samma tvåvägs-restid som GPR-data uppmätt för att korrelera djupen till samma skärningspunkter. Det allmänna resultatet visade att firn densiteten hade en inverkan på data, men inte tillräckligt signifikant för att ändra de övergripande värdena eftersom förändringen mellan de två åren är av samma storlek. Det finns många olika variabler som kunde ha spelat en roll i de uppnådda resultaten och ytterligare forskning behöver göras för att fastställa en mer djupgående slutsats.

Les carottes de glace sont des archive climatiques sans équivalents : les gaz contenus dans la glace de la région aride de l'Antarctique de l'Est permettent de reconstruire les compositions atmosphériques au cours des derniers 800 000 ans. Les gaz sont piégés pendant la compaction de la neige tombée sur l'inlandsis. Dans la neige en surface, aussi appelée névé, le réseau poreux interstitiel diminue jusqu'au pincement des pores qui piègent définitivement les gaz dans la glace. Cependant, le processus même de piégeage des gaz impacte l'enregistrement des signaux mesurés dans les carottes. L'interprétation de ces signaux demande de caractériser en quoi ils diffèrent de l'atmosphère passée. Le but de cette thèse est d'étudier deux effets altérant les enregistrements gaz des carottes, le piégeage par couches qui crée des irrégularités stratigraphiques et le lissage qui retire la variabilité rapide de l’enregistrement. Une attention particulière est portée sur les glaces de l'Antarctique de l'Est.Ce travail démarre avec l'étude multi-traceurs d'une carotte de névé forée au site de Lock-In en Antarctique de l'Est. Les résultats montrent que le bas du névé est un empilement hétérogène de strates se densifiant suivant une même évolution de leur réseau poreux. La stratification reflète simplement que certaines strates sont en avance (ou retard) dans leur densification, mais la fermeture des pores est similaire dans toutes les strates. Notamment, les strates contiennent toutes des quantités similaires de gaz, comme le montrent des mesures directes. Des mesures de chimie à haute-résolution montrent que les strates denses ont une haute conductivité liquide, suggérant que la stratification profonde du névé est due à une densification préférentielle induite par des impuretés.Ces connaissances sont appliquées pour étudier des variations centimétriques mesurées dans les signaux méthane des carottes de glace. Pour cette thèse, nous utilisons 6 nouveaux signaux méthane à haute résolution, mesurés dans des carottes d'Antarctique de l'Est à l'IGE. On montre que ces variations sont des artefacts dus aux irrégularités stratigraphiques causées par des strates denses se fermant en avance. Un modèle est proposé pour simuler la présence irrégulière de ces artefacts.Une nouvelle méthode est proposée pour estimer la distribution en âge des gaz dans les carottes, qui à l'origine du lissage des variations atmosphériques rapides. Elle peut être appliquée aux carottes de la dernière période glaciaire, et donne pour la première fois des indications quantitatives sur le lissage des signaux dans les carottes à très faible accumulation. Nos résultats montrent qu'en Antarctique de l'Est, le lissage est peu sensible au taux d'accumulation, et que plus d'information que prévu est préservée lors du piégeage.Enfin, nous présentons le développement d'un nouveau type de modèle micro-mécanique du névé. Son but est de simuler l'évolution des pores dans une strate de névé. Un tel modèle pourrait être utilisé pour contraindre le piégeage des gaz dans la glace, dans des conditions de période glaciaire. / As they contain air from past atmospheres, ice cores are unparalleled climate paleo-archives. The study of the gases enclosed in ice cores from the arid region of East Antarctica allows to infer the past compositions of the atmosphere back to 800,000 years ago. Gases are trapped during the compaction of the snow deposited on top of the ice sheet. In the near-surface snow, also referred to as firn, the interstitial porous network shrinks until it eventually pinches and traps gases in the ice. However, the very process of gas trapping has impacts on the gas signals recorded in ice cores. The interpretation of gas records requires to characterize how ice core and atmospheric signals differ. The aim of this PhD is to study two effects altering ice core gas records, namely gas layered trapping that creates stratigraphic irregularities and firn smoothing that removes fast variability from the record. A specific focus is put on low-accumulation East Antarctic ice cores.This inquiry starts with the multi-tracer study of a firn core drilled at the Lock-In site, East Antarctica. The results show that the bottom of the firn can be seen as a stack of heterogeneous strata that densify following the same porous network evolution with density. In this vision, the stratification simply reflects the fact that some strata are in advance (or late) in their densification, but that pore closure happens in a similar fashion in all strata. This notably means that all strata contain nearly similar amounts of gases, as supported by direct measurements. High-resolution chemistry data indicate that denser strata are characterized by a high liquid conductivity, suggesting that deep firn stratification is due the impurity-induced preferential densification.This knowledge is then used to explain abrupt spikes observed in ice core methane records. For this PhD we rely on 6 new high-resolution methane records, measured in several East Antarctic ice cores at IGE. We show that the abrupt variations are layering artifacts due to stratigraphic irregularities caused by dense firn strata closing in advance. A simple model is developed to simulate the irregular occurrence of layering artifacts.A novel technique is proposed to estimate the age distributions of gases in ice cores, that are responsible for the smoothing of fast atmospheric variations. It can notably be applied to glacial records, and for the first time provides quantitative insights on the smoothing of very low-accumulation records. Our results show that in East Antarctica, the firn smoothing is weakly sensitive to the accumulation rate, meaning that more information than previously thought is preserved.Finally, we present the development of a new type of micro-mechanical firn model. Its ambition is to simulate the evolution of the porous network of a firn stratum. Such a model could be used to better constrain the enclosure of gases in polar ice under glacial conditions.

Ice cores are considered the gold standard for recording past climate and biogeochemical changes. However, gas records derived from ice core analysis have until now been largely limited to centennial and longer timescales because sufficient temporal resolution and analytical precision have been lacking, except during rare times when atmospheric concentrations changed rapidly. In this thesis I used a newly developed methane measurement line to make high-resolution, high-precision measurements of methane during the late Holocene (2800 years BP to present). This new measurement line is capable of an analytical precision of < 3 ppb using ~120 g samples whereas the previous highest resolution measurements attained a precision of ± 4.1 ppb using 500-1500g samples [MacFarling Meure et al., 2006]. The reduced sample size requirements as well as automation of a significant portion of the analysis process have enabled me to make >1500 discrete ice core methane measurements and construct the highest resolution records of methane available over the late Holocene. Ice core samples came from the recently completed West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core which has as one of its primary scientific objectives to produce the highest resolution records of greenhouse gases, and from the Greenland Ice Sheet Project (GISP2) ice core which is a proven paleoclimate archive. My thesis has the following three components. I first used a shallow ice core from WAIS Divide (WDC05A) to produce a 1000 year long methane record with a ~9 year temporal resolution. This record confirmed the existence of multidecadal scale variations that were first observed in the Law Dome, Antarctica ice core. I then explored a range of paleoclimate archives for possible mechanistic connections with methane concentrations on multidecadal timescales. In addition, I present a detailed description of the analytical methods used to obtain high-precision measurements of methane including the effects of solubility and a new chronology for the WDC05A ice core. I found that, in general, the correlations with paleoclimate proxies for temperature and precipitation were low over a range of geographic regions. Of these, the highest correlations were found from 1400-1600 C.E. during the onset of the Little Ice Age and with a drought index in the headwater region of the major East Asian rivers. Large population losses in Asia and the Americas are also coincident with methane concentration decreases indicating that anthropogenic activities may have been impacting multidecadal scale methane variability. In the second component I extended the WAIS Divide record back to 2800 years B.P. and also measured methane from GISP2D over this time interval. These records allowed me to examine the methane Inter-Polar Difference (IPD) which is created by greater northern hemispheric sources. The IPD provides an important constraint on changes in the latitudinal distribution of sources. We used this constraint and an 8-box global methane chemical transport model to examine the Early Anthropogenic Hypothesis which posits that humans began influencing climate thousands of years ago by increasing greenhouse gas emissions and preventing the onset of the next ice age. I found that most of the increase in methane sources over this time came from tropical regions with a smaller contribution coming from the extratropical northern hemisphere. Based on previous modeling estimates of natural methane source changes, I found that the increase in the southern hemisphere tropical methane emissions was likely natural and that the northern hemispheric increase in methane emissions was likely due to anthropogenic activities. These results also provide new constraints on the total magnitude of pre-industrial anthropogenic methane emissions, which I found to be between the high and low estimates that have been previously published in the literature. For the final component of my thesis I assembled a coalition of scientists to investigate the effects of layering on the process of air enclosure in ice at WAIS Divide. Air bubbles are trapped in ice 60-100m below the surface of an ice sheet as snow compacts into solid ice in a region that is known as the Lock-In Zone (LIZ). The details of this process are not known and in the absence of direct measurements previous researchers have assumed it to be a smooth process. This project utilized high-resolution methane and air content measurements as well as density of ice, δ¹⁵N of N₂, and bubble number density measurements to show that air entrapment is affected by high frequency (mm scale) layering in the density of ice within the LIZ. I show that previous parameterizations of the bubble closure process in firn models have not accounted for this variability and present a new parameterization which does. This has implications for interpreting rapid changes in trace gases measured in ice cores since variable bubble closure will impact the smoothing of those records. In particular it is essential to understand the details of this process as new high resolution ice core records from Antarctica and Greenland examine the relative timing between greenhouse gases and rapid climate changes. / Graduation date: 2013

Le déphasage entre augmentation de température et augmentation de gaz à effet de serre (GES) dans l'atmosphère lors des grandes transitions climatiques passées est estimé grâce aux mesures effectuées dans les carottes de glace polaires dans la phase glace pour la température et dans la phase gaz (bulles d’air piégées) pour la concentration en GES. Ce déphasage est encore mal contraint et, pour résoudre ce problème, il est nécessaire de mieux comprendre le processus mécanique de transformation de neige en glace près de la surface de la calotte (centaine de mètres supérieurs, le névé). En l'absence de fusion, la transformation de la neige (matériau à porosité ouverte en contact avec l'atmosphère) en glace (matériau contenant des bulles d'air isolées) s'effectue progressivement sous l'action des gradients de température près de la surface, puis sous l'action du poids des couches de neige situées au-dessus. Selon les conditions de température et précipitation, ce processus peut prendre quelques décennies à plusieurs millénaires et s'étend sur une centaine de mètres de profondeur. Il contrôle la différence d'âge entre la glace et les gaz qu'elle renferme. La prédiction de la profondeur de piégeage des gaz représente un enjeu majeur pour la paléoclimatologie en particulier sur la séquence des changements relatifs de température et de concentration en gaz à effet de serre.Un modèle thermo-mécanique de densification de la neige a été conçu et développé au LGGE en intégrant la formulation des processus mécaniques, des propriétés thermiques, et des critères de piégeage des gaz. Les performances de ce modèle peuvent être testées et améliorées grâce à des études de structure de névés actuels (densité, rapport porosité ouverte/fermée, …). Pour les périodes plus anciennes, des mesures d’isotopes des gaz inertes d15N et d40Ar) dans l’air piégé dans les carottes de glace polaire permettent d’obtenir des informations directes sur les variations passées de la structure du névé (e.g. épaisseur de la zone diffusive). Les larges divergences observées en Antarctique entre les sorties de modèle de densification et les mesures isotopiques de gaz piégé dans la glace génèrent une grande incertitude sur les reconstructions climatiques passées et comprendre ce désaccord est un défi majeur de la paleoclimatologie actuelle.Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous avons pris en compte les influences de la dépendance à la température des énergies d'activation et des impuretés (poussières) sur la vitesse de densification. Cela a permis de concilier les données et le modèle. Les résultats du modèle modifié sont globalement cohérents avec les profils de densité mesurés pour des névés actuels et les données d'isotopes de gaz inertes pour les déglaciations (aussi appelées terminaisons). Nous avons également présenté de nouvelles mesures à haute résolution de d15N et d40Ar pour les terminaisons 2 (129-138ka) et 3 (243-251ka) des carottes antarctiques de Dôme C et Vostok. Nous avons montré que les différentes évolutions de d15N entre les différents sites et différentes déglaciations s’expliquaient largement par les différences de taux d’accumulation qui contrôlent la profondeur de transition neige-glace. Nous avons aussi montré que l’utilisation des isotopes de l’air était un complément important à l’utilisation des isotopes de l’eau pour contraindre la dynamique climatique locale en Antarctique de l’Est lors des déglaciations. / The phasing between increases in temperature and greenhouse gas concentrations during large climatic variations in the past is classically estimated using analyses in polar ice cores, in the ice phase for the temperature and in the gas phase (trapped air bubbles) for the concentration of greenhouse gases. This phasing is still insufficiently constrained and solving this problem requires a better understanding of the mechanical process of snow to ice metamorphism near to the top of the ice sheet (i.e. the firn, about 100 m deep). In the absence of melting, the transformation of snow (a material with open porosity in contact with the atmosphere) into ice (a material containing isolated bubbles) occurs progressively as a response to temperature gradients near the surface, and the weight of overlying snow in deeper layers. Depending on temperature and precipitation conditions, this process occurs in a few decades to several millennia and a ~100 meters depth range. It controls the age difference between the ice and the entrapped gases. Predicting the gas trapping depth is a major issue in paleoclimatology, especially in order to understand the phasing between temperature changes and changes in greenhouse gas concentrations.A thermo-mechanical model of snow densification has been developed at LGGE, it includes the main mechanical processes, the thermal properties of ice, and gas trapping criteria. The model performances can be tested and improved using experimental studies of modern firns (density, open/closed porosity ratio, etc). For firnification under ancient climates, measurements of isotopes of inert gases (d15N et d40Ar) in the air trapped in ice cores provide direct informations about past variations of firn structure (e.g. diffusive zone thickness). Large differences between firn densification model outputs and gas isotopic data are obtained in Antarctica, and imply a large uncertainty on past climatic reconstructions. Understanding this discrepancy is a major issue in paleoclimatology.As part of this thesis work, we took into account the effects of the temperature dependence of activation energies and impurities (dust) on the firn densification speed. It allowed to reconcile the model results with available data. The modified model results show an overall consistency with measured density profiles of present-day polar firns and isotopes of inert gases over deglaciations (also called terminations). We also analyze new high resolution measurements of d15N and d40Ar over Terminations 2 (129-138ka) and 3 (243-251ka) on the Dome C and Vostok ice cores. We have shown that the different evolutions of d15N between different sites and different deglaciations are largely explained by differences in accumulation rates that control the snow/ice transition depth. We also showed that the use of air isotopes was an important complement to the use of water isotopes to constrain local climatic dynamics in eastern Antarctica during deglaciations.

Reconstructed snow accumulation rate observations from five new firn cores show a statistically significant negative trend in accumulation rates over the past four decades across the central West Antarctic ice sheet. A negative temporal trend in accumulation is unexpected in light of rising surface temperatures and simulations run by GCMs. Both the magnitude of the mean accumulation rates and the range of interannual variability observed in the new records compares favorably to older records, suggesting that the new accumulation rate records may serve as a regional proxy for recent temporal trends in West Antarctic accumulation rates. The observed negative trend is likely the result of Southern Hemisphere high-latitude internal atmospheric dynamics, dominated by changes in the austral fall season. The well-documented positive trend in the Southern Annular Mode causes a low pressure center to form over the Amundsen Sea, which in turn produces lower accumulation rates across the western portion of the West Antarctic ice sheet. The new accumulation rate records are compared to several models/reanalyses to test the skill of simulated accumulation rate predictions. While the models/reanalyses and the new observations agree well in both mean and variability, the simulated records do not capture the full negative trend observed in the reconstructed records.

A firn aquifer is a type of englacial water storage that forms when surface meltwater fills up the pore space in porous firn. If the retention time exceeds one year the feature is regarded as perennial. The melt and accumulation rates as well as the available pore space determine the formation and extent of the firn aquifer. Flow of water within the aquifer caused by gradients in hydraulic potential leads to redistribution of water and consequently to a change in the level of the water table. This thesis focuses on a perennial firn aquifer on the Lomonosovfonna ice field on Svalbard. Spatial and temporal variations in the depth to the water table as well as variations in reflectivity strength of the water table are analysed using data from ground penetrating radar surveys along with MATLAB and ArcGIS software tools. The results show a clear connection between surface topography, steepness of its slopes and depth to the water table. It is also proved that the depth varies between different years. During the four years of study, the water table in the area rose closer to the surface. The results also show that the reflections from the top of the water table are stronger and more frequently detected in areas with gentler water table slopes. A similar correlation is true for the surface topography slope, where a gentler slope shows a stronger reflectivity. The results support the previous research done on Holtedahlfonna’s aquifer on Svalbard as well as aquifers on Greenland. / En firnakvifer är en typ av englacial vattenlagring som formas när smältvatten från en glaciärs yta fyller upp porutrymmen i porös firn. När retentionstiden överskrider ett år betraktas akviferen som flerårig. Smält- och ackumulationshastigheten samt det tillgängliga porutrymmet avgör bildningen och utsträckningen av akviferen. Vattenflödet i akviferen orsakad av gradienter i hydraulisk potential leder till omfördelning av vattnet och därmed till förändringar i vattenytans nivå. Denna uppsats fokuserar på en akvifer på isfältet Lomonosovfonna på Svalbard. De rumsliga och tidsmässiga variationerna i djupet till vattenytan samt de rumsliga variationerna i reflektivitetsstyrkan från vattenytan analyseras med hjälp av georadarmätningar samt MATLAB- och ArcGIS-mjukvaror. Resultaten visar ett tydligt samband mellan yttopografin, dess lutning samt djupet till vattenytan. Dessutom är det bevisat att djupet varierar mellan olika år. Under den fyra år långa undersökningssperioden har vattenytan i mätområdet stigit. Vidare visar resultaten att reflektioner från vattenytan är starkare och mer frekvent observerade i områden där vattenytans lutning är svag. En liknande korrelation gäller också för yttopografin, där svagare lutning ger upphov till en starkare reflektivitet. Resultaten stödjer den tidigare forskningen gjord både på akviferen på Holtedahlfonna på Svalbard och akviferer på Grönland.