Continuous monitoring of summer surface water vapor isotopic composition above the Greenland Ice Sheet

H. C. Steen-Larsen; S. J. Johnsen; V. Masson-Delmotte; B. Stenni; Chiara Risi; H. Sodemann; D. Balslev-Clausen; T. Blunier; D. Dahl-Jensen; M. D. Ellehøj; S. Falourd; Annette Grindsted; V. Gkinis; J. Jouzel; T. Popp; S. Sheldon; Sebastian Bjerregaard Simonsen; J. Sjolte; J. P. Steffensen; P. Sperlich; A. E. Sveinbjörnsdóttir; B. M. Vinther; J. W. C. White

doi:10.5194/acp-13-4815-2013

Continuous monitoring of summer surface water vapor isotopic composition above the Greenland Ice Sheet

H. C. Steen-Larsen, S. J. Johnsen, V. Masson-Delmotte, B. Stenni, Chiara Risi, H. Sodemann, D. Balslev-Clausen, T. Blunier, D. Dahl-Jensen, M. D. Ellehøj, S. Falourd, Annette Grindsted, V. Gkinis, J. Jouzel, T. Popp, S. Sheldon, Sebastian Bjerregaard Simonsen, J. Sjolte, J. P. Steffensen, P. SperlichA. E. Sveinbjörnsdóttir, B. M. Vinther, J. W. C. White

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

We present here surface water vapor isotopic measurements conducted from June to August 2010 at the NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Drilling Project) camp, NW Greenland (77.45° N, 51.05° W, 2484 m a.s.l.). Measurements were conducted at 9 different heights from 0.1 m to 13.5 m above the snow surface using two different types of cavity-enhanced near-infrared absorption spectroscopy analyzers. For each instrument specific protocols were developed for calibration and drift corrections. The inter-comparison of corrected results from different instruments reveals excellent reproducibility, stability, and precision with a standard deviations of ~ 0.23‰ for δ¹⁸O and ~ 1.4‰ for δD. Diurnal and intraseasonal variations show strong relationships between changes in local surface humidity and water vapor isotopic composition, and with local and synoptic weather conditions. This variability probably results from the interplay between local moisture fluxes, linked with firn–air exchanges, boundary layer dynamics, and large-scale moisture advection. Particularly remarkable are several episodes characterized by high (> 40‰) surface water vapor deuterium excess. Air mass back-trajectory calculations from atmospheric analyses and water tagging in the LMDZiso (Laboratory of Meteorology Dynamics Zoom-isotopic) atmospheric model reveal that these events are associated with predominant Arctic air mass origin. The analysis suggests that high deuterium excess levels are a result of strong kinetic fractionation during evaporation at the sea-ice margin.

Original language	English
Journal	Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Volume	13
Issue number	9
Pages (from-to)	4815
ISSN	1680-7316
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-4815-2013
Publication status	Published - 2013
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Physics and Astronomy
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Chemistry

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Steen-Larsen, H. C., Johnsen, S. J., Masson-Delmotte, V., Stenni, B., Risi, C., Sodemann, H., Balslev-Clausen, D., Blunier, T., Dahl-Jensen, D., Ellehøj, M. D., Falourd, S., Grindsted, A., Gkinis, V., Jouzel, J., Popp, T., Sheldon, S., Simonsen, S. B., Sjolte, J., Steffensen, J. P., ... White, J. W. C. (2013). Continuous monitoring of summer surface water vapor isotopic composition above the Greenland Ice Sheet. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 13(9), 4815. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-4815-2013

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title = "Continuous monitoring of summer surface water vapor isotopic composition above the Greenland Ice Sheet",

abstract = "We present here surface water vapor isotopic measurements conducted from June to August 2010 at the NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Drilling Project) camp, NW Greenland (77.45° N, 51.05° W, 2484 m a.s.l.). Measurements were conducted at 9 different heights from 0.1 m to 13.5 m above the snow surface using two different types of cavity-enhanced near-infrared absorption spectroscopy analyzers. For each instrument specific protocols were developed for calibration and drift corrections. The inter-comparison of corrected results from different instruments reveals excellent reproducibility, stability, and precision with a standard deviations of ~ 0.23‰ for δ18O and ~ 1.4‰ for δD. Diurnal and intraseasonal variations show strong relationships between changes in local surface humidity and water vapor isotopic composition, and with local and synoptic weather conditions. This variability probably results from the interplay between local moisture fluxes, linked with firn–air exchanges, boundary layer dynamics, and large-scale moisture advection. Particularly remarkable are several episodes characterized by high (> 40‰) surface water vapor deuterium excess. Air mass back-trajectory calculations from atmospheric analyses and water tagging in the LMDZiso (Laboratory of Meteorology Dynamics Zoom-isotopic) atmospheric model reveal that these events are associated with predominant Arctic air mass origin. The analysis suggests that high deuterium excess levels are a result of strong kinetic fractionation during evaporation at the sea-ice margin.",

keywords = "Physics and Astronomy, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Chemistry",

author = "Steen-Larsen, {H. C.} and Johnsen, {S. J.} and V. Masson-Delmotte and B. Stenni and Chiara Risi and H. Sodemann and D. Balslev-Clausen and T. Blunier and D. Dahl-Jensen and Elleh{\o}j, {M. D.} and S. Falourd and Annette Grindsted and V. Gkinis and J. Jouzel and T. Popp and S. Sheldon and Simonsen, {Sebastian Bjerregaard} and J. Sjolte and Steffensen, {J. P.} and P. Sperlich and Sveinbj{\"o}rnsd{\'o}ttir, {A. E.} and Vinther, {B. M.} and White, {J. W. C.}",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.5194/acp-13-4815-2013",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

pages = "4815",

journal = "Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics",

issn = "1680-7316",

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Steen-Larsen, HC, Johnsen, SJ, Masson-Delmotte, V, Stenni, B, Risi, C, Sodemann, H, Balslev-Clausen, D, Blunier, T, Dahl-Jensen, D, Ellehøj, MD, Falourd, S, Grindsted, A, Gkinis, V, Jouzel, J, Popp, T, Sheldon, S, Simonsen, SB, Sjolte, J, Steffensen, JP, Sperlich, P, Sveinbjörnsdóttir, AE, Vinther, BM & White, JWC 2013, 'Continuous monitoring of summer surface water vapor isotopic composition above the Greenland Ice Sheet', Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, vol. 13, no. 9, pp. 4815. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-4815-2013

TY - JOUR

T1 - Continuous monitoring of summer surface water vapor isotopic composition above the Greenland Ice Sheet

AU - Steen-Larsen, H. C.

AU - Johnsen, S. J.

AU - Masson-Delmotte, V.

AU - Stenni, B.

AU - Risi, Chiara

AU - Sodemann, H.

AU - Balslev-Clausen, D.

AU - Blunier, T.

AU - Dahl-Jensen, D.

AU - Ellehøj, M. D.

AU - Falourd, S.

AU - Grindsted, Annette

AU - Gkinis, V.

AU - Jouzel, J.

AU - Popp, T.

AU - Sheldon, S.

AU - Simonsen, Sebastian Bjerregaard

AU - Sjolte, J.

AU - Steffensen, J. P.

AU - Sperlich, P.

AU - Sveinbjörnsdóttir, A. E.

AU - Vinther, B. M.

AU - White, J. W. C.

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - We present here surface water vapor isotopic measurements conducted from June to August 2010 at the NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Drilling Project) camp, NW Greenland (77.45° N, 51.05° W, 2484 m a.s.l.). Measurements were conducted at 9 different heights from 0.1 m to 13.5 m above the snow surface using two different types of cavity-enhanced near-infrared absorption spectroscopy analyzers. For each instrument specific protocols were developed for calibration and drift corrections. The inter-comparison of corrected results from different instruments reveals excellent reproducibility, stability, and precision with a standard deviations of ~ 0.23‰ for δ18O and ~ 1.4‰ for δD. Diurnal and intraseasonal variations show strong relationships between changes in local surface humidity and water vapor isotopic composition, and with local and synoptic weather conditions. This variability probably results from the interplay between local moisture fluxes, linked with firn–air exchanges, boundary layer dynamics, and large-scale moisture advection. Particularly remarkable are several episodes characterized by high (> 40‰) surface water vapor deuterium excess. Air mass back-trajectory calculations from atmospheric analyses and water tagging in the LMDZiso (Laboratory of Meteorology Dynamics Zoom-isotopic) atmospheric model reveal that these events are associated with predominant Arctic air mass origin. The analysis suggests that high deuterium excess levels are a result of strong kinetic fractionation during evaporation at the sea-ice margin.

AB - We present here surface water vapor isotopic measurements conducted from June to August 2010 at the NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Drilling Project) camp, NW Greenland (77.45° N, 51.05° W, 2484 m a.s.l.). Measurements were conducted at 9 different heights from 0.1 m to 13.5 m above the snow surface using two different types of cavity-enhanced near-infrared absorption spectroscopy analyzers. For each instrument specific protocols were developed for calibration and drift corrections. The inter-comparison of corrected results from different instruments reveals excellent reproducibility, stability, and precision with a standard deviations of ~ 0.23‰ for δ18O and ~ 1.4‰ for δD. Diurnal and intraseasonal variations show strong relationships between changes in local surface humidity and water vapor isotopic composition, and with local and synoptic weather conditions. This variability probably results from the interplay between local moisture fluxes, linked with firn–air exchanges, boundary layer dynamics, and large-scale moisture advection. Particularly remarkable are several episodes characterized by high (> 40‰) surface water vapor deuterium excess. Air mass back-trajectory calculations from atmospheric analyses and water tagging in the LMDZiso (Laboratory of Meteorology Dynamics Zoom-isotopic) atmospheric model reveal that these events are associated with predominant Arctic air mass origin. The analysis suggests that high deuterium excess levels are a result of strong kinetic fractionation during evaporation at the sea-ice margin.

KW - Physics and Astronomy

KW - Earth and Environmental Sciences

KW - Chemistry

U2 - 10.5194/acp-13-4815-2013

DO - 10.5194/acp-13-4815-2013

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1680-7316

VL - 13

SP - 4815

JO - Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

JF - Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

IS - 9

ER -

Continuous monitoring of summer surface water vapor isotopic composition above the Greenland Ice Sheet

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