Abstract
Mid-latitude glaciers represent one of the most important archive of environmental and atmospheric data. In the absence of summer melting, the accumulation of snow on the upper part of mountain chains can allow preservation of the chemical, isotopic and insoluble mineral dust composition of the atmosphere in stratigraphic sequence. The European Alps are located in an area of intense human impact, lying in between some of the most industrialized countries of the world (Italy, France, Germany) and facing the Mediterranean basin. Ice cores recovered from alpine sites above 4000 m a.s.l., where the mean annual temperature is normally below −10 °C, allow obtaining precious environmental records. While low-accumulation high-altitude sites provide the longest alpine sequences (Colle Gnifetti, Italian Alps), high-accumulation sites as Col du Dome (CDD, French Alps) and Colle del Lys (CDL, Italian Alps), both located about 4250 m a.s.l. are suitable for obtaining information about the seasonal variability of some compounds. We synthesize in this work the main results from alpine ice cores investigations held by various authors, focusing on high-altitude–high-accumulation sites in particular. Behind the seasonal natural variability of the data, all records point out an unequivocal anthropogenic contribution to mid-troposphere pollution during the second half of the 20th century. These changes could have been associated also to modifications of the mean long-range atmospheric circulation patterns within the Mediterranean basin.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
C. Barbante M. Schwikowski T. Doring H. W. Gaggeler U. Schotterer L. Tobler K. Velde ParticleVan de C. Ferrari G. Cozzi A. Turetta K. Rosman M. Bolshov G. Capodaglio P. Cescon C. Boutron (2004) ArticleTitleHistorical record of European emissions of heavy metals to the atmosphere since the 1650s from Alpine snow/ice cores drilled near Monte Rosa Environmental Sciences & Technology 2004 IssueID38 4085–4090
G. Bergametti L. Gomes E. Remoudaki M. Desbois D. Martin P. Buat-Menard (1987) Present transport and deposition patterns of African dust to the North-western Mediterranean, in Paleoclimatology and Paleometeorology: Modern and Past Patterns of Global Atmospheric transport Kluwer Academic Publishers Doldrecht 227–252
J. M. Blais D. W. Schindler D. C. G. Muir M. Sharp D. Donald M. Lafreniere E. Braekevelt M. J. Strachan (2001a) ArticleTitleMelting glaciers: a major source of persistent organochlorines to subalpine Bow Lake in Banff National Park, Canada Ambio 30 410–415 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD38%2FmvFCktQ%3D%3D
J. M. Blais D. W. Schindler M. Sharp E. Braekevelt M. Lafreniere K. McDonald D. C. G. Muir M. J. Strachan (2001b) ArticleTitleFluxes of semivolatile organochlorine compounds in Bow Lake, a high-altitude, glacial-fed, subalpine lake in the Canadian Rocky Mountains Limnology & Oceanography 46 2019–2031 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38Xht12lsQ%3D%3D
W. Dansgaard S. J. Johnsen H. B. Clausen D. Dahl Jensen N. S. Gundestrup C. U. Hammer C. S. Hvidberg J. P. Steffensen A. E. Sveinbjornsdottir J. Jouzel G. Bond (1993) ArticleTitleEvidence for general instability of past climate from a 250-kyr ice-core record Nature 364 218–220 Occurrence Handle10.1038/364218a0
W. G. Darling (2004) ArticleTitleHydrological factors in the interpretation of stable isotopic proxy data present and past: a European perspective Quaternary Science Reviews 23 IssueID7–8 743–770
M. Angelis ParticleDe A. Gaudichet (1991) ArticleTitleSaharan dust deposition over Mont Blanc (French Alps) during the last 30 years Tellus 43B 61–75
B. Delmonte J. R. Petit V. Maggi (2002) ArticleTitleGlacial to Holocene implications of the new 27000-year dust record from the EPICA Dome C (East Antarctica) ice core Climate Dynamics 18 647–660
D. B. Donald J. Syrgiannis R. Crosley G. Holdsworth D. C. G. Muir A. Sole D. W. Schindler (1999) ArticleTitleDelayed deposition of organochlorine pesticides at a temperate glacier Environmental Science & Technology 33 1794–1798 Occurrence Handle10.1021/es981120y Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXisFGlsbk%3D
A. Doscher H. W. Gaggeler U. Schotterer M. Schwikowski (1996) ArticleTitleA historical record of ammonium concentrations from a glacier in the Alps Geophysical Research Letters 23 IssueID20 2741–2744 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK28XmsFCiu70%3D
Dubief, J., 1979. Review of the North African Climate with particular emphasis on the production of eolian dust in the Sahel zone and in Saharan Dust, pp. 27–48, J. Wiley and Sons.
InstitutionalAuthorNameEPICA Community members (2004) ArticleTitleEight glacial cycles from an Antarctic ice core Nature 429 623–628
T. P. Franz S. J. Eisenreich (1998) ArticleTitleSnow scavenging of polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Minnesota Environmental Science & Technology 32 1771–1778 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1cXivVarsbg%3D
D. J. Gregor A. J. Peters C. Texeira N. Jones C. Spencer (1995) ArticleTitleThe historical residue trend of PCBs in the Agassiz Ice Cap, Ellesmere Island, Canada The Science of the Total Environment 160/161 117–126
InstitutionalAuthorNameGRIP members (1993) ArticleTitleClimate instability during the last interglacial period recorded in the GRIP ice core Nature 364 203–207
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2001. Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis, Contribution of Working Group I to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Houghton, J. T., Y. Ding, D. J. Griggs, M. Noguer, P. J. van der Linden, X. Dai, K. Maskell & C. A. Johnson (eds), Cambridge University Press, UK, and New York, NY, USA, 881 pp.
S. J. Johnsen H. B. Clausen W. Dansgaard K. Fuhrer N. Gundestrup C. U. Hammer P. Iversen J. Jouzel B. Stauffer J. P. Steffensen (1992) ArticleTitleIrregular glacial interstadials recorded in a new Greenland ice core Nature 359 311–313 Occurrence Handle10.1038/359311a0
O. Largiuni R. Udisti S. Becagli R. Traversi V. Maggi E. Bolzacchini P. Casati C. Uglietti S. Borghi (2003) ArticleTitleFormaldehyde record from Lys glacier firn core, Monte Rosa massif (Italy) Atmospheric Environment 37 3849–3860 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1352-2310(03)00474-6 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXlslersr0%3D
Legrand, M., S. Preunkert, D. Wagenbach & H. Fischer, 2002. Seasonally resolved Alpine and Greenland ice core records of anthropogenic HCl emissions over the 20th century, Journal of Geophysical Research 107(D12): 4139, doi:10.1029/2001JD001165.
Legrand, M., S. Preunkert, D. Wagenbach, H. Cachier, & H. Puxbaum, 2003. A historical record of formate and acetate from a high-elevation Alpine glacier: implications for their natural versus anthropogenic budgets at the European scale. Journal of Geophysical Research 108(D24): 4788, doi:10.1029/2003JD003594.
V. Maggi G. Orombelli B. Stenni O. Flora R. Udisti S. Becagli R. Traversi S. Vermigli J. -R. Petit (1998) ArticleTitle70 years of northern Victoria Land (Antarctica) accumulation rate Annals of Glaciology 27 215–219 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXit1Olu7o%3D
F. Maupetit D. Wagenbach P. Weddeling R. J. Delmas (1995) ArticleTitleSeasonal fluxes of major ions to a high-altitude cold alpine glacier Atmospheric Environment 29 1–9 Occurrence Handle10.1016/1352-2310(94)00222-7 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXjtVOltLk%3D
S. Mylona (1996) ArticleTitleSulphur dioxide emissions in Europe 1880–1991 and their effect on sulphur concentrations and depositions Tellus Series B 48 662–689
H. U. Oeschger H. U. Schotterer B. Stauffer W. Haeberli H. Roethlisberger (1977) ArticleTitleFirst results from Alpine core drilling projects Zeitschrift fuer Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie 13 193–208
J. R. Petit J. Jouzel D. Raynaud N. I. Barkov J. M. Barnola I. Basile M. Bender J. Chappellaz M. Davis G. Delaygue M. Delmotte V. M. Kotlyakov M. Legrand V. Y. Lipenkov C. Lorius L. Pepin C. Ritz E. Saltzman M. Stievenard (1999) ArticleTitleClimate and atmospheric history of the past 420,000 years from the Vostok ice core, Antarctica Nature 399 429–436 Occurrence Handle10.1038/20859 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXjvVyqu78%3D
Preunkert, S., D. Wagenbach, & M. Legrand, 2003. A seasonally resolved alpine ice core record of nitrate: comparison with anthropogenic inventories and estimation of preindustrial emissions of NO in Europe. Journal of Geophysical Research 108(D21): 4681, doi:10.1029/2003JD003475.
S. Preunkert M. Legrand D. Wagenbach (2001) ArticleTitleSulfate trends in a Col du Dôme (French Alps) ice core: a record of anthropogenic sulfate levels in the European mid-troposphere over the twentieth century Journal of Geophysical Research 106 IssueIDD23 31991–32004 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2001JD000792 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XhsVemtrg%3D
S. Preunkert D. Wagenbach M. Legrand C. Vincent (2000) ArticleTitleCol du Dome (Mt. Blanc Massif, French Alps) suitability for ice core studies in relation with past atmospheric chemistry over Europe Tellus Ser B 52 993–1012
F. Prodi G. Fea (1979) ArticleTitleA case of transport and deposition of Saharan dust over the Italian peninsula and Southern Europe Journal of Geophysical Research 84 IssueIDC11 6951–6960 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaL3cXmt1aksw%3D%3D
K. Pye (1987) Aeolian Dust and Dust Deposits Academic Press London 333
J. M. Prospero P. J. Lamb (2004) ArticleTitleAfrican droughts and dust transport to the Caribbean: climate change implications Science 302 1024–1027
D. H. Qin P. A. Mayewski S. C. Kang J. W. Ren S. G. Hou T. D. Yao Q. Z. Yang Z. F. Jin D. S. Mi (2000) ArticleTitleEvidence for recent climate change from ice cores in the central Himalaya Annals of Glaciology 31 153–158 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXhtlyis7o%3D
E. Ramirez G. Hoffmann J. D. Taupin B. Francou P. Ribstein N. Caillon F. A. Ferron A. Landais J. R. Petit B. Pouyaud U. Schotterer J. C. Simoes M. Stievenard (2003) ArticleTitleA new Andean deep ice core from Nevado Illimani (6350 m), Bolivia Earth and Planetary Science Letters 212 337–350 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00240-1 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXltlOhsr4%3D
W. Schoner I. Auer R. Bohm L. Keck D. Wagenbach (2002) ArticleTitleSpatial representativity of air-temperature information from instrumental and ice-core-based isotope records in the European Alps Annals of Glaciology 35 IssueID1 157–161
C. Smiraglia V. Maggi A. Novo G. Rossi P. Johnston (2000) ArticleTitlePreliminary results of two ice core drillings on Monte Rosa (Colle Gnifetti and Colle del Lys), Italian Alps Geografia Fisica Dinamica Quaternaria 23 165–172
B. Stenni V. Masson-Delmotte S. Johnsen J. Jouzel A. Longinelli E. Monnin R. Rothlisberger E. Selmo (2001) ArticleTitleAn oceanic cold reversal during the last deglaciation Science 293 2074–2077 Occurrence Handle10.1126/science.1059702 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXntVCisLY%3D Occurrence Handle11557889
Stenni, B., M. Proposito, R. Gragnani, O. Flora, J. Jouzel, S. Falourd & M. Frezzotti, 2002. Eight centuries of volcanic signal and climate change at Talos Dome (East Antarctica), Journal of Geophysical Research 107(D9): 4076, doi:10.1029/2000JD000317.
U. Schotterer H. Oeschger D. Wagenbach K. O. Munnich (1985) ArticleTitleInformation on paleo-precipitation on a high altitude glacier Monte Rosa, Switzerland Zeitschrift fur Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie 21 379–388
M. Schwikowski C. Barbante T. Doering H. W. Gaeggeler C. Boutron U. Schotterer L. Tobler K. Velde ParticleVan de C. Ferrari G. Cozzi K. Rosman P. Cescon (2004) ArticleTitlePost−17th-century changes of European lead emissions recorded in high-altitude alpine snow and ice Environmental Science & Technology 38 957–964 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXotVOl
M. Schwikowski S. Brutsch H. W. Gaggeler U. Schotterer (1999) ArticleTitleA high-resolution air chemistry record from an Alpine ice core: Fiescherhorn glacier, Swiss Alps Journal of Geophysical Research 104 13709–13719 Occurrence Handle10.1029/1998JD100112 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXkt1OrtrY%3D
L. G. Thompson M. E. Mosley-Thompson M. E. Davis P. N. Lin K. Henderson T. A. Mashiotta (2003) ArticleTitleTropical glacier and ice core evidence of climate change on annual to millennial time scales Climatic Change 59 137–155 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1024472313775 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXkvVCkt7s%3D
K. Velde ParticleVan de C. F. Boutron C. Ferrari A.-L. Moreau R. Delmas C. Barbante T. Bellomi G. Capodoglio P. Cescon (2000) ArticleTitleA two hundred years record of atmospheric Cadmium, Copper and Zinc concentrations in high altitude snow and ice from the French–Italian Alps Geophysical Research Letters 27 IssueID2 249–252 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXhtV2gu74%3D
Villa, S., A. Finizio, G. Thomas, C. Negrelli & M. Vighi, 2002. First evidence of organochlorine compounds in ice melting water from two alpine glaciers. In: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 12th European Annual meeting program; (2002) May 12–16; Vienna, Austria. Abstract nr 75–02.
S. Villa V. Maggi C. Negrelli A. Finizio E. Bolzacchini M. Vighi (2001) ArticleTitleHistorical profile of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in an alpine glacier Fresenius Environmental Bulletin 10 711–716 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXptFOju7w%3D
S. Villa M. Vighi V. Maggi A. Finizio E. Bolzacchini (2003) ArticleTitleHistorical trends of organochlorine pesticides in an alpine glacier Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 46 295–311 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1026316217354 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXosVyrsrs%3D
Wagenbach, D., 1989. Environmental records in alpine glaciers, in The Environmental Record in Glaciers and Ice Sheets, pp. 69–83, J. Wiley and Sons, Chichester.
D. Wagenbach K. Geis (1989) The mineral dust record in a high altitude glacier (Colle Gnifetti, Swiss Alps), in Paleoclimatology and Paleometeorology: Modern and Past Patterns of Global Atmospheric transport Kluwer Academic Publishers Doldrecht 543–564
D. Wagenbach S. Preunkert J. Shafer W. Jung L. Tomadin (1996) Northward transport of Saharan dust recorded in a deep alpine ice core, in The impact of desert dust across the Mediterranean Kluwer Academic Publisher Dordrecht 291–300
F. Wania (1997) ArticleTitleModelling the fate of non-polar organic chemicals in an ageing snow pack Chemosphere 35 IssueID10 2345–2363 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0045-6535(97)00312-3 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2sXnt1artrw%3D
F. Wania R. Semkin H. T. Hoff D. Mackay (1999) ArticleTitleModelling the fate of non-polar organic chemicals during the melting of an arctic snowpack Hydrological Processes 13 2245–2256 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1099-1085(199910)13:14/15<2245::AID-HYP889>3.0.CO;2-7
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Maggi, V., Villa, S., Finizio, A. et al. Variability of Anthropogenic and Natural Compounds in High Altitude–high Accumulation Alpine Glaciers. Hydrobiologia 562, 43–56 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-1804-y
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-1804-y