Climate change is rapidly deteriorating the climatic signal in Svalbard glaciers
Andrea Spolaor
(1)
,
Federico Scoto
(2)
,
Catherine Larose
(3)
,
Elena Barbaro
(1)
,
Francois Burgay
(4)
,
Mats Bjorkman
(5)
,
David Cappelletti
(6)
,
Federico Dallo
(7)
,
Fabrizio de Blasi
(1)
,
Dmitry Divine
(8)
,
Giuliano Dreossi
(1)
,
Jacopo Gabrieli
(1)
,
Elisabeth Isaksson
(8)
,
Jack Kohler
(8)
,
Tonu Martma
(9)
,
Louise Schmidt
(10)
,
Thomas Schuler
(10)
,
Barbara Stenni
(7)
,
Clara Turetta
(7)
,
Bartłomiej Luks
(11)
,
Mathieu Casado
(12)
,
Jean-Charles Gallet
(8)
1
CNR-ISP -
Institute of Polar Sciences [Venezia-Mestre]
2 ISAC - CNR Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate
3 BioIng - Ampère, Département Bioingénierie
4 LUC - Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry [Villigen]
5 GU - Göteborgs Universitet = University of Gothenburg
6 UNIPG - Università degli Studi di Perugia = University of Perugia
7 University of Ca’ Foscari [Venice, Italy]
8 Norwegian Polar Institute
9 TTÜ - Tallinn University of Technology
10 UiO - University of Oslo
11 PAN - Polska Akademia Nauk = Polish Academy of Sciences = Académie polonaise des sciences
12 LSCE - Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette]
2 ISAC - CNR Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate
3 BioIng - Ampère, Département Bioingénierie
4 LUC - Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry [Villigen]
5 GU - Göteborgs Universitet = University of Gothenburg
6 UNIPG - Università degli Studi di Perugia = University of Perugia
7 University of Ca’ Foscari [Venice, Italy]
8 Norwegian Polar Institute
9 TTÜ - Tallinn University of Technology
10 UiO - University of Oslo
11 PAN - Polska Akademia Nauk = Polish Academy of Sciences = Académie polonaise des sciences
12 LSCE - Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette]
Andrea Spolaor
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1158968
- ORCID : 0000-0001-8635-9193
Catherine Larose
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 171259
- IdHAL : catherine-larose
- ORCID : 0000-0001-5641-0701
- IdRef : 185261167
Elena Barbaro
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1189646
- ORCID : 0000-0003-2639-7475
Francois Burgay
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1310541
- ORCID : 0000-0002-2657-6900
Mats Bjorkman
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1178336
- ORCID : 0000-0001-5768-1976
David Cappelletti
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1310530
- ORCID : 0000-0002-9652-2457
Federico Dallo
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1310542
- ORCID : 0000-0002-6718-3783
Fabrizio de Blasi
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1310543
- ORCID : 0000-0002-3915-0124
Tonu Martma
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1189649
- ORCID : 0000-0001-5894-7692
Barbara Stenni
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 760455
- ORCID : 0000-0003-4950-3664
Clara Turetta
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1310545
- ORCID : 0000-0003-3130-2901
Bartłomiej Luks
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1189650
- ORCID : 0000-0003-2287-385X
Mathieu Casado
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 779454
- ORCID : 0000-0002-8185-415X
- IdRef : 19947494X
Jean-Charles Gallet
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1310546
- ORCID : 0000-0002-6153-1361
Résumé
Abstract. The Svalbard archipelago is particularly sensitive to climate change due to the relatively low altitude of its main ice fields and its geographical location in the higher North Atlantic, where the effect of the Arctic Amplification is more significant. The largest temperature increases have been observed during winter, but increasing summer temperatures, above the melting point, have led to increased glacier melt. Here, we evaluate the impact of this increased melt on the preservation of the oxygen isotope signal (δ18O) in firn records. δ18O is commonly used as proxy for past atmospheric temperature reconstructions and, when preserved, it is a crucial parameter to date and align ice cores. By comparing four different firn cores collected in 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019 at the top of the Holtedahlfonna ice field (1100 m. a.s.l.), we show a progressive deterioration of the isotope signal and we link its degradation to the increased occurrence and intensity of melt events. Although the δ18O signal still reflects the interannual temperature trend, more frequent melting events may in the future affect the interpretation of the isotopic signal, compromising the use of Svalbard ice cores. Our findings highlight the impact and the speed at which Arctic Amplification is affecting Svalbard's cryosphere.