This data set contains trace gas measurements of air extracted from ice core samples from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide A core (WAIS-D 05A). The WAIS A core was dry-drilled at the WAIS site during the 2005-2006 Antarctic field season. Data include trace gas species including ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), n-butane (n-C4H10), carbonyl sulfide (COS), carbon disulfide (CS2), methyl chloride (CH3Cl), methyl bromide (CH3Br), acetonitrile (CH3CN), and chlorofluorocarbon-12 (CFC-12), for 57 ice core samples. The data are available via FTP in Microsoft Excel (.xls) file format.
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Gases in Firn Air and Shallow Ice at the WAIS Drilling Site, Antarctica, Version 1
Geographic Coverage
Spatial Coverage: |
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Spatial Resolution: | Not Specified |
Temporal Coverage: |
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Temporal Resolution: | Not specified |
Parameter(s): |
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Platform(s) | FIELD INVESTIGATION, FIELD SURVEYS, LABORATORY |
Sensor(s): | CORING DEVICES, FLASKS, MASS SPECTROMETERS |
Data Format(s): |
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Version: | V1 |
Data Contributor(s): | Eric Saltzman |
Metadata XML: | View Metadata Record |
Data Citation
As a condition of using these data, you must cite the use of this data set using the following citation. For more information, see our Use and Copyright Web page.
Saltzman, E. 2009. Gases in Firn Air and Shallow Ice at the WAIS Drilling Site, Antarctica, Version 1. [Indicate subset used]. Boulder, Colorado USA. NSIDC: National Snow and Ice Data Center. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7265/N5251G40. [Date Accessed].Detailed Data Description
Data are in Microsoft Excel (.xls) format.
Data are available on the FTP site in the ftp://sidads.colorado.edu/pub/DATASETS/AGDC/saltzman_nsidc_0412/
directory. The data set is composed of one Microsoft Excel file, SaltzmanWAISD05.xls
.
The data set is a total of 36 KB.
Trace gas data were measured from the WAIS-D 05A ice core, which was drilled at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide site during the 2005-2006 Antarctic field season.
Southernmost Latitude: 79.47° S
Northernmost Latitude: 79.47° S
Westernmost Longitude: 112.09° E
Easternmost Longitude: 112.09° E
The ice core was drilled during the 2005-2006 Antarctic field season. Measurements were taken during subsequent laboratory experiments.
The SaltzmanWAISD05.xls
file has 19 columns (A through S), the first one of which is the sample depth in meters. The remaining columns are the composition of the air extracted from the ice core samples with respect to each compound and the error (±1sigma) associated with each measurement, both expressed as dry air mixing ratios in parts per trillion (ppt).
Parameter Description
Table 1 describes the parameters in the SaltzmanWAISD05.xls
file.
Parameter | Description |
---|---|
Depth | Sample depth, in meters |
C2H6 | Ethane |
C3H8 | Propane |
n-C4H10 | N-butane |
COS | Carbonyl sulfide |
CS2 | Carbon disulfide |
CH3Cl | Methyl chloride |
CH3Br | Methyl bromide |
CH3CN | Acetonitrile |
CFC12 | Chlorofluorocarbon-12 |
err | Error is +/- 1 standard deviation |
Sample Data Record
depth | ethane | err | propane | err | n-butane | err | COS | err | CS2 | err | CH3Cl | err | CH3Br | err | CH3CN | err | CFC12 | err |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
71.7 | 1490.0 | 12.3 | 793.1 | 14.3 | 285.4 | 4.0 | 572.1 | 16.6 | 11.0 | 1.4 | 579.5 | 24.7 | 7.4 | 0.6 | 14.8 | 7.5 | 433.7 | 10.6 |
Software and Tools
Data are accessible using standard spreadsheet software.
Mixing ratios could reflect the impact of analytical or sampling artifacts in addition to real temporal variations in atmospheric levels of these trace gases. Based on prior studies (Aydin et al., 2008; Saltzman et al., 2009; Williams et al., 2007), it is expected that Antarctic ice cores in general preserve a real atmospheric record of CH3Cl, CH3Br, COS, CS2, and CFC-12. However, there are no prior published ice core records for any of the other compounds reported here. It is not recommended that the light alkane and CH3CN data be interpreted as paleo-atmospheric gas records.
Data Acquisition and Processing
The analyses were conducted in a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry system at the University of California, Irvine. Details of the ice extraction and analytical methods can be found in Aydin et al., 2007.
References and Related Publications
Contacts and Acknowledgments
Dr. Eric Saltzman
3325 Croul Hall
Department of Earth System Science
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California 92697 USA
This research was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP) grant 0440602.
Document Information
Document Creation Date
15 July, 2009
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