ELEMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF POTENTIAL
ATMOSPHERIC DUST SOURCES OF VICTORIA LAND
(ANTARCTICA, ROSS SEA SECTOR) BY NEUTRON
ACTIVATION
G
IOVANNIB
ACCOLO*
1,2, C
ARLOB
ARONI3, M
ASSIMILIANOCLEMENZA2,4, B
ARBARAD
ELMONTE4, V
ALTERM
AGGI2,4, A
LESSANDRAM
OTTA2,4, M
ASSIMILIANON
ASTASI2,4,
E
ZIOP
REVITALI2,4, M
ARIAC
RISTINAS
ALVATORE31Università degli Studi di Siena, Siena, 53100, Italy 2INFN, sezione Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Milano, 20126, Italy
3Università di Pisa, Pisa, 56126, Italy
4 Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milano, 20126, Italy
giovanni.baccolo@mib.infn.it
Recent investigations carried out on the Talos Dome ICE core
(TALDICE) revealed the presence of a local fraction of mineral dust
entrapped in the ice [1-4]. Several evidences point to the ice-free
areas of Victoria Land as possible sources. Here the elemental
composition of 40 samples of mineral sediments collected in
correspondence of ice-free areas of the Victoria Land is presented [5].
The geochemistry of samples was determined by Instrumental
Neutron Activation Analyses (INAA), which allowed quantifying the
concentration of 36 elements, spanning from major to trace elements.
Two different sample irradiations and 5 data acquisitions were
necessary to measure the maximum number of elements. Geochemical
results and principal components analyses suggest that the most
discriminating elements are the rare earth elements (REE) and
incompatible/compatible ones in respect to iron, in accordance with
the different lithological composition of the samples. Evidences of
chemical weathering were also recognized despite the extremely cold
and dry climate of these areas. The characterization of the Antarctic
potential source areas of atmospheric dust is the first step in order to
identify the active source areas in respect to Talos Dome and to
reconstruct the atmospheric trajectories followed by air masses in the
different climatic periods.
1 Delmonte, B., Baroni, C., Andersson, P.S., Shoberg, H., Hansson, M., Aciego, S., Petit, J.R., Albani, S., Mazzola, C., Maggi, V., Frezzotti, M. (2010). Aeolian dust in the Talos Dome ice core (East Antarctica, Pacific/Ross Sea sector): Victoria Land versus remote sources over the last two climatic cycles. Journal of Quaternary Science, 25:1327-1337
2 Albani, S., Delmonte, B., Maggi, V., Baroni, C., Petit, J.R., Stenni, B., Mazzola, C., Frezzotti, M. (2012). Interpreting last glacial to Holocene dust changes at Talos Dome (East Antarctica): implications for atmospheric variations from regional to hemispheric scales. Climate of the Past, 8:741-750
3 Delmonte, B., baroni, C., Andersson, P.S., Narcisi, B., Salvatore, M.C., Petit, J.R., Scarchilli, C., Frezzotti, M., Albani, S., Maggi, V. (2013). Modern and Holocene aeolian dust variabilità from Talos Dome (Northern Victoria Land) to the interior of the Antarctic ice sheet. Quaternary Science Review, 64:76-89
4 Lanci, L., Delmonte, B. (2013). Magnetic properties of aerosol dust in peripheral and inner Antarctic ice cores as a proxy for dust provenance. Global and Planetary Change, 110:414-419
5 Baccolo, G., Baroni, C., Clemenza, M., Delmonte, B., Maggi, V., Motta, A., Nastasi, M., Previtali, E., Salvatore, M.C. (2013). Neutron activation analysis on sediments from Victoria Land, Antarctica: multi-elemental characterization of potential atmospheric dust sources. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 10.1007/s10967-013-2851-x
