On the potential of glaciochemical analysis of Joinville Island firn core for the sea ice reconstruction around the northern Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract

The Antarctic Peninsula is undergoing rapid climate changes, impacting its surrounding marine ecosystem. At that site, sea ice plays a crucial role in this ecosystem by serving as a habitat for organisms and influencing primary productivity. Studying sea ice variability and primary productivity is essential for understanding environmental changes in Antarctica. This research focused on Joinville Island, located at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, where meteorological data and glaciochemical analysis were conducted on snow/firn cores for Cl^-, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, SO₄ ^2-, NO₃ ^-, K⁺, MSA, NH₄ ⁺ and F^- to retrieve recent past environmental variabilities. The study revealed that Joinville Island experienced a net accumulation rate of 0.40 meters per year in water equivalent between 1993 and 2005. In snow/firn cores, Na⁺ correlated with both wind strength and sea ice extent (r=0.59 and r=0.66, respectively) while correlations were higher for MSA and Cl^- with respect to sea ice (r=0.80 and r=0.74, respectively), considering both the Weddell and Amundsen-Bellingshausen sub-sectors. This analysis contributes to our understanding of sea ice dynamics and its influence on primary productivity in the area.

Key words
Antarctica; glaciochemistry; snow/firn core; Primary production; MSA