TROPICAL ICE CORES IN SOUTH AMERICA: Do they retain a biomass burning signal?

Mark WilliamsEran HoodDoug HardyBernard FrancouAdina Racoviteanu

Antisana

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Mark Williams: Fulbright Research Fellowship, CU Faculty Fellowship, NSF Hydrology, International Programs, and NWT LTER

• Eran Hood: NSF GRT• Doug Hardy: NOAA Global Programs• Logistical support from Carlos Escobar and

Neuvos Horizontes in La Paz• Geochemical analysis: Lonnie Thompson and

Byrd Polar Research Center; NWT LTER

OBJECTIVES

• Determine the feasibility of measuring dissolved organic matter in high-elevation snow and ice of the Andes

• If present, how do the values of DOM in the Andes compare to North American snow?

• If present, does DOM provide a marker of biomass burning in the Amazon?

STABLE WATER ISOTOPES

TRACE GASES

SHOULD WE MEASURE DOM IN ICE CORES?

• DOC: Dissolved organic carbon (0.2 mg/L)

• DON: Dissolved organic nitrogen (0.5 umoles/L)

• DOP: Dissolved organic phosphorus (0.7 umoles/L)

• Nutrients: Is DOM content correlated with nutrients such as nitrate?

Global MeteoricWater Line

Elevated XDS

Similar AmazonSource

BIOMASS BURNING

• High dust content from dry season; cause of avalanche we started

• Lonnie Thompson’s lab then looked for presence/absence of soot

• Soot present in several samples

• Biomass burning signal?

SUMMARY

• DOM values measureable in all samples• DOM values as high, or higher, than snow

in North America• DOM source in Andes snow and ice likely

the Amazon• High DOM may be correlated with biomass

burning in the Amazon• DOM may be proxy for biomass burning