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Please read the file Dominion.readme before downloading the data files.
The Dominion Range is the first in a series of planned Transantarctic Mountains ice-core sites.
The Dominion Range is located along the edge of the East Antarctic ice sheet,
approximately 500 km from the South Pole and 120 km from the Ross Ice Shelf,
at the confluence of Beardmore and Mill Glaciers. These glaciers, along with
several other outlet glaciers in the Queen Maud Mountains (sub-sector of the Transantarctic Mountains),
drain the Titan Dome area of the East Antarctic ice sheet. Approximately half of the
Dominion Range is ice free and the average elevation of the range is 2700 m.
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Between 20 November and 14 December 1984, a tent camp was operated in the Dominion Range.
Due to logistic restraints, all aspects of the study, including reconnaissance,
site characterization, and attempted recovery of a 201 m core were undertaken in the same field season.
Results of site and core characteriztion, specifically ice surface and ice thickness,
bore-hole temperature, mean annual net accumulation, cryastal size, crystal fabric,
oxygen-isotope composition, and examples of ice chemistry (Cl-, SO2-4, MSA), and
isotopic composition of trapped gases are published in the Journal of Glaciology (Vol. 36, No. 122, 1990).
Dominion Range (Location--166o10'E, 85o15'S, Elevation--2,700 meters)
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One 6 meter snow pit was dug and sampled in 1984-1985 with a 3 cm sampling interval.
Four 1 meter snow pits were dug and sampled in 1984-1985 with a 3 cm sampling interval.
One core was drilled in the austral summer of1984-1985 to a depth of 160 meters.
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DATA SETS AVAILABLE:
From the 6 meter snow pit: Chemistry, beta profile, density
From the 1 meter snow pits: Chemistry, density
From the Ice Core: Chemistry (Na, NH4, K, Mg, Ca, Cl, NO3, SO4, MSA), particles,lead-210.
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The pits were dug and sampled at a 3 cm interval by the Glacier Research Group (GRG), using
established protocols to prevent contamination. The samples for major ion chemistry
remained frozen until melted for analysis in the GRG lab, located at the University of New
Hampshire (UNH).
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The core was drilled for GRG by the Polar Ice Coring Office (PICO). All core processing was
done by GRG using established protocols to prevent contamination. A portion of the core,
12-18 meters did not survive transport from Antarctica to the United States. Ten
discontinuous portions of the core (centered around ECM peaks) were sampled at
approximately 3 cm intervals and analyzed in 1985-6 (18-20 m; 27-31 m; 33-41 m; 45-54 m;
61-63 m; 67-71 m; 74-6m; 80-81 m; 85-90 m; 93-96m m). Chemistry from these sections
consists of Cl, NO3, SO4, and Na. The remaining sections of core were sampled continuously
in 20 cm sections in 1991. Chemistry for these samples consists of Cl, NO3, SO4, MSA, Na,
NH4, K, Mg, Ca and insoluable particles. All data except the stable oxygen isotope data,
which is from Piet Grootes at the University of Washington, was generated by GRG.
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Analytical methods: Initial major ion analyses (for the snow pits and the initial core
processing) consisted of determination of major anion concentrations (Cl, NO3, SO4) by ion
chromatography and of sodium (Na) by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A
portion of the refrozen sample remaining from the 6 meter pit was analyzed by ion
chromatography in 1989-90 for the suite of major cations. Core samples processed in 1991
were analyzed for major anion, major cation and methanesulfonic acid (MSA) by ion
chromatograpy and for insoluble microparticle concentrations. The latter were determined on
a Elzone 280 PC housed in a clean room at UNH (64 logarithmically spaced channels from 0.65
micrometers to 13 micrometers). Beta samples were melted, acidified, and filtered through
cation exchange filters. The filters were counted with a gas-flow proportional counter at
UNH. Lead-210 was determined by alpha spectrometric counting of Po-210 which had been
plated onto silver planchets. MSA was determined on the initial suite (1984) of samples by
Pai Yei Whung at the University of Miami as part of her Ph.D. disseration.
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Na values determined by both atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) and ion
chromatography (IC) for the 6 meter pit are presented. Differences between the two values
reflect analytical uncertainty and perhaps also the presence of insoluble Na in the samples
that would be detected by AAS but not by IC.
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Contact:
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Sallie Whitlow, Glacier Research Group, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space,
Morse Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824 603-862-4129
siw@unh.edu.
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Dr. Paul Mayewski, Glacier Research Group, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space,
Morse Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824 603-862-3146.
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Publications:
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Mayewski, P.A. et al., 1995, An Ice-core based, late Holocene history for the Transantarctic
Mountains, Antarctica. Contributions to Antarctic Research IV, Antarctic Res. Series, 67,
33-45.
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Mayewski, P.A. and M.R. Legrand, 1990, Recent increase in nitrate concentration of Antarctic
snow, Nature, 346, 258-260.
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Mayewski, P.A., M.S. Twickler, W. B. Lyons, M.J. Spencer, D.A. Meese, A J. Gow, P. Grootes, T.
Sowers, M.S. Watson, and E. Saltzman, 1990, The Dominion Range ice core, Queen Maud
Mountains, Antarctica-General site and core characteristics with implications, J. Glaciol., 36,
11-16.
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Mayewski, P.A., W.B. Lyons, M.J. Spencer, M.S. Twickler, P.M. Grootes and M. Stuiver, 1988, A
climatic record using an ice core from the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica (abstract),
Annals of Glaciol., 10.
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Mayewski, P.A., Lyons, W.B., Spencer, M.J., Twickler, M.S., Grootes, P., and Stuiver, M., 1988,
A climatic record using an ice core from the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica,
Annals of Glaciology 10: 211.
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