Year-round record of dissolved and particulate metals in surface snow at Dome Concordia (East Antarctica)

摘要

From January to December 2010, surface snow samples were collected with monthly resolution at the Concordia station (75 degrees 06'S, 123 degrees 20'E), on the Antarctic plateau, and analysed for major and trace elements in both dissolved and particulate (i.e. insoluble particles, >0.45 pm) phase. Additional surface snow samples were collected with daily resolution, for the determination of sea-salt sodium and not-sea-salt calcium, in order to support the discussion on the seasonal variations of trace elements. Concentrations of alkaline and alkaline-earth elements were higher in winter (April-October) than in summer (November-March) by a factor of 1.2-3.3, in agreement with the higher concentration of sea-salt atmospheric particles reaching the Antarctic plateau during the winter. Similarly, trace elements were generally higher in winter by a factor of 1.2-1.5, whereas Al and Fe did not show any significant seasonal trend.