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Free, publicly-accessible full text available February 26, 2027
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Measurements were conducted to determine the carbonyl sulfide levels in ancient air preserved in the Greenland ice sheet using samples from the GISP2D and GISP2B ice cores from Summit, Greenland. The GISP2D is a fluid-drilled core and the GISP2B is a dry-drilled core. This data set includes four CSV files. Most of the measurements are from the GISP2D ice core and 3 out of the 4 data files associated with this submission include data from the GISP2D. Both dry and wet extraction methods were used to extract the ice core air. All dry extraction-based GISP2D data are presented in one file. The wet extraction-based data are split between 3 data files: 1) GISP2B data, 2) shallow GISP2D data, 3) deep GISP2D data. The shallow and deep wet extraction-based GISP2D data are presented in 2 separate files despite including some overlapping depths because the measurements were conducted over different time periods. All data are depth-coded and presented "as measured" with associated 1 sigma uncertainties after having gone through a preliminary quality control and having been finalized in terms of calibration. Note that the wet extraction-based measurements require a solubility correction before they can be compared with the dry extraction-based measurements from the same depths.more » « less
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Abstract: The goal of this study was to measure in situ hydrogen gas (H2) and neon (Ne) levels in a shallow ice core drilled at Summit, Greenland in the summer of 2024.The Summit 2024 ice core was sited on a former dumping area for snow removed from Summit Station. In order to assess the depth of the disturbed snow layer, density was measured on full core sections. Upon recovery, the volume of the core section was calculated using a stainless-steel meter stick for the length and digital calipers for the diameter. The mass was determined using a top loading balance. H2 and Ne measurements from this study are published separately. This dataset contains 1) Density measurementsmore » « less
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Abstract: The goal of this study was to measure in situ hydrogen gas (H2) and neon (Ne) levels in a shallow ice core drilled at Summit, Greenland in the summer of 2024. To prevent post-coring exchange with the atmosphere, samples were extracted and analyzed on site as described in Saltzman et al. (2025) and Patterson et al. (2025). Additionally, several samples were extracted in the field and stored in glass flasks for later analysis at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) ice core laboratory. Methane (CH4) levels in the ice core were measured at the Oregon State University ice core laboratory in order to develop an age scale for the ice core. This dataset contains 1) H2 measurements 2) Ne measurements 3) CH4 measurements Each file contains the mean depth and assigned gas age as described in Patterson et al. (2025).more » « less
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This paper describes instrumentation and procedures developed to measure H2and Ne in polar ice core samples. Gases are extracted from ice core samples by melting under vacuum. Measurements are conducted by gas chromatographic separation with detection by a pulsed helium ionization detector (He-PDD). The analytical system was developed for field analysis of ice core samples immediately after drilling. This minimizes the potential for exchange of these highly permeable gases between the ice core and the modern atmosphere. The design, operation, and performance of the instrument are discussed using data from the initial deployment to Summit, Greenland. The results demonstrate the feasibility of ice core analysis of H2and Ne with precision of 8.6 % and 10.2 % (1σ) respectively.more » « less
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Abstract. Carbonyl sulfide (COS) is the most abundant sulfur gas in the atmosphere with links to terrestrial and oceanic productivity. We measured COS in ice core air from an intermediate-depth ice core from the South Pole using both dry and wet extraction methods, recovering a 52 500-year record. We find evidence for COS production in the firn, altering the atmospheric signal preserved in the ice core. Mean sea salt aerosol concentrations from the same depth are a good proxy for the COS production, which disproportionately impacts the measurements from glacial period ice with high sea salt aerosol concentrations. The COS measurements are corrected using sea salt sodium (ssNa) as a proxy for the excess COS resulting from the production. The ssNa-corrected COS record displays substantially less COS in the glacial period atmosphere than the Holocene and a 2 to 4-fold COS rise during the deglaciation synchronous with the associated climate signal. The deglacial COS rise was primarily source driven. Oceanic emissions in the form of COS, carbon disulfide (CS2), and dimethylsulfide (DMS) are collectively the largest natural source of atmospheric COS. A large increase in ocean COS emissions during the deglaciation suggests enhancements in emissions of ocean sulfur gases via processes that involve ocean productivity, although we cannot quantify individual contributions from each gas.more » « less
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The atmospheric history of molecular hydrogen (H 2 ) from 1852 to 2003 was reconstructed from measurements of firn air collected at Megadunes, Antarctica. The reconstruction shows that H 2 levels in the southern hemisphere were roughly constant near 330 parts per billion (ppb; nmol H 2 mol −1 air) during the mid to late 1800s. Over the twentieth century, H 2 levels rose by about 70% to 550 ppb. The reconstruction shows good agreement with the H 2 atmospheric history based on firn air measurements from the South Pole. The broad trends in atmospheric H 2 over the twentieth century can be explained by increased methane oxidation and anthropogenic emissions. The H 2 rise shows no evidence of deceleration during the last quarter of the twentieth century despite an expected reduction in automotive emissions following more stringent regulations. During the late twentieth century, atmospheric CO levels decreased due to a reduction in automotive emissions. It is surprising that atmospheric H 2 did not respond similarly as automotive exhaust is thought to be the dominant source of anthropogenic H 2. The monotonic late twentieth century rise in H 2 levels is consistent with late twentieth-century flask air measurements from high southern latitudes. An additional unknown source of H 2 is needed to explain twentieth-century trends in atmospheric H 2 and to resolve the discrepancy between bottom-up and top-down estimates of the anthropogenic source term. The firn air–based atmospheric history of H 2 provides a baseline from which to assess human impact on the H 2 cycle over the last 150 y and validate models that will be used to project future trends in atmospheric composition as H 2 becomes a more common energy source.more » « less
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Biomass burning drives changes in greenhouse gases, climate-forcing aerosols, and global atmospheric chemistry. There is controversy about the magnitude and timing of changes in biomass burning emissions on millennial time scales from preindustrial to present and about the relative importance of climate change and human activities as the underlying cause. Biomass burning is one of two notable sources of ethane in the preindustrial atmosphere. Here, we present ice core ethane measurements from Antarctica and Greenland that contain information about changes in biomass burning emissions since 1000 CE (Common Era). The biomass burning emissions of ethane during the Medieval Period (1000–1500 CE) were higher than present day and declined sharply to a minimum during the cooler Little Ice Age (1600–1800 CE). Assuming that preindustrial atmospheric reactivity and transport were the same as in the modern atmosphere, we estimate that biomass burning emissions decreased by 30 to 45% from the Medieval Period to the Little Ice Age. The timing and magnitude of this decline in biomass burning emissions is consistent with that inferred from ice core methane stable carbon isotope ratios but inconsistent with histories based on sedimentary charcoal and ice core carbon monoxide measurements. This study demonstrates that biomass burning emissions have exceeded modern levels in the past and may be highly sensitive to changes in climate.more » « less
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