High-Resolution Tritium Profile in an Ice Core from Camp Century, Greenland

We measure 3 H in an ice core from Camp Century. The temporal distribution of 3 H concentration in the ice core corresponds generally well with the historical record of explosive yields of atmospheric nuclear weapons tests. Maximum 3 H values observed in 1962-1963 are comparable to those in ice core or precipitation in many other locations in the Northern Hemisphere. There is no indication that significan 3 H contamination was locally released into the air during the operation of the Camp Century reactor. It is, however, somewhat surprising that several prominen 3 H peaks are still observed after 1980. We suggest that these are associated with airborne 3 H releases from the civil nuclear industry. A wavelet analysis during 1970-2017 indicates the primary frequency of variability in the 3 H record is annual 3 H peaks. These annual peaks can be combined with the 3 H spikes from global fallout of known nuclear weapons tests to benchmark and evaluate theoretical ice core dating scales back to the 1950s. A positive correlation is observed between annual 3 H average concentration and variability of Arctic Oscillation (AO). This highlights the value of 3 H as a potential tracer for air masses and airborne pollutants in the Arctic.