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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • moisture sources
  • Antarctica
  • seasonality

Index Terms

  • Global Change: Water cycles
  • Cryosphere: Ice cores
  • Geographic Location: Antarctica
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere: constituent transport and chemistry
  • Biogeosciences: Diel, seasonal, and annual cycles

Abstract

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 36, L22803, 5 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2009GL040242

Asymmetries in the moisture origin of Antarctic precipitation

Harald Sodemann

Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Kjeller, Norway

Andreas Stohl

Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Kjeller, Norway

The seasonality of moisture sources for precipitation in Antarctica is studied with a Lagrangian moisture source diagnostic. Moisture origin for precipitation in Antarctica has strongly asymmetric properties, which are related to the Antarctic topography, seasonal sea ice coverage, and the land/ocean contrasts in the mid-latitudes of the southern hemisphere. The highest altitudes of the East Antarctic ice shield, where major ice cores have been drilled, have mean source latitudes of 45–40°S year-round. This finding contrasts to results from previous Lagrangian studies which detected a more southerly moisture origin due to too short trajectories. Now, results from Lagrangian moisture source diagnostics are consistent with findings from general circulation models with tagged tracers. Thus, both approaches can serve as a common benchmark for the interpretation of moisture source indicators based on stable isotopes, such as deuterium excess, in Antarctic ice cores.

Received 24 July 2009; accepted 15 October 2009; published 20 November 2009.

Citation: Sodemann, H., and A. Stohl (2009), Asymmetries in the moisture origin of Antarctic precipitation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L22803, doi:10.1029/2009GL040242.

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