A Glaciochemical Survey of the Summit Region, Greenland

Abstract

Spatial representativeness and an understanding of controls on chemical species distribution are essential requirements of any significant ice core investigation. Snowpit studies provide an essential tool in this process. In preparation for the central Greenland deep drilling effort a series of snowpits was sampled in detail for oxygen isotopes, major anions, major cations, total acidity and radionuclides. The results of this sampling program are used to define: (1) the chemical composition of the snow in the region, (2) the input timing and spatial distribution of major chemical species, (3) the potential dependence of species concentration on accumulation rate, and (4) the signal characteristics identifiable in the region over the last few years.