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Cosmogenic 35 S measurements in the Tibetan Plateau to quantify glacier snowmelt
Author(s) -
Priyadarshi Antra,
HillFalkenthal Jason,
Thiemens Mark,
Zhang Zhisheng,
Lin Mang,
Chan Chuenyu,
Kang Shichang
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8996
pISSN - 2169-897X
DOI - 10.1002/2013jd019801
Subject(s) - snowmelt , glacier , plateau (mathematics) , snow , atmospheric sciences , deposition (geology) , environmental science , altitude (triangle) , climatology , geology , physical geography , geomorphology , geography , structural basin , mathematical analysis , mathematics , geometry
The cosmogenic radionuclide 35 S (t 1/2 ~ 87 days) is a unique tracer for high‐altitude air mass and has been used extensively to understand stratospheric air mass mixing. In this paper, we investigate if 35 S can be utilized as an independent tracer to quantify glacier melt. We report the first measurements of 35 S in samples collected from the Tibetan Plateau during 2009–2012 with an aim to interpret 35 S in atmospheric particles and their deposition over glacier and snowmelts. Our measurements show that 35 S activity in the aerosol phase varies from 116 ± 13 to 2229 ± 52 atoms/m 3 resulting in higher values during winter–spring and lower values during summer–autumn. This seasonality is likely due to higher mixing of 35 S‐rich stratospheric air masses during winter–spring and 35 S‐poor air masses from the Bay of Bengal during the Asian summer monsoon. The average 35 S activity in the Zhadang glacier was found to be 3–8 times higher relative to the nearby lake water. The main source of 35 S activity in the Zhadang glacier is atmospheric deposition, whereas both atmospheric deposition and glacier snowmelt are the primary sources in the Nam Co Lake. The focus of this study is to quantitatively determine the spatial and temporal variations in glacier snowmelt. In the future, extensive sampling of aerosols and snow is required for determining 35 S in combination with stable oxygen isotopes in sulfate to better understand the glacier melt process and hydrological cycle on the Tibetan Plateau.