Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-61
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-61
31 Jan 2025
 | 31 Jan 2025
Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).

New insights on particle characteristics of previously characterised EGRIP ice core samples via single particle ICP-TOFMS

Nicolas Angelo Stoll, David Clases, Raquel Gonzalez de Vega, Matthias Elinkmann, Piers Michael Larkman, and Pascal Bohleber

Abstract. Polar ice cores contain an archive of chemical impurities, which can be used as a proxy for the past climate. State-of-the-art chemical methods increase our knowledge about these impurities, especially when applying a cascade of complementary techniques to the same samples. Single particle inductively coupled plasma-time of flight mass spectrometry (SP ICP-TOFMS) has yet to be fully utilised to study polar ice; only two studies have described its application so far. This is surprising given its capability to access critical physicochemical parameters of insoluble particles, such as number concentration, the mass and size distributions and elemental composition of deposited particles. In this study, we demonstrate the analysis of ice core samples, which have previously been characterised with Raman spectroscopy and laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, via SP ICP-TOFMS. By investigating melted samples, new possibilities for the in-depth geochemical analysis of deposited aerosols arise. We analyse nine samples from the EGRIP ice core from different climate periods throughout the last 50 ka. Samples from cold periods, such as Glacial Stadials, generally have the highest particle concentrations, especially when containing cloudy bands. We present an overview of the different particulate elements, which are largely unexplored in deep polar ice cores. We introduce a novel approach to estimating particle size by transferring mineralogy information from Raman spectroscopy, leading to a more accurate particle size representation via SP ICP-TOFMS, especially in the nanometre range. Our results show the largely untapped potential of SP ICP-TOFMS and demonstrate new opportunities to analyse intact particles as proxies for the palaeoclimate. The combination of impurity characterisation methods applied to the same samples empowered us to gain complimentary perspectives on particles and collect a comprehensive data set from the same samples. In view of the ongoing endeavour to retrieve the "Oldest Ice", SP ICP-TOFMS may become a critical tool to access vital information and new depths of insights.

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Nicolas Angelo Stoll, David Clases, Raquel Gonzalez de Vega, Matthias Elinkmann, Piers Michael Larkman, and Pascal Bohleber

Status: open (until 14 Mar 2025)

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Nicolas Angelo Stoll, David Clases, Raquel Gonzalez de Vega, Matthias Elinkmann, Piers Michael Larkman, and Pascal Bohleber
Nicolas Angelo Stoll, David Clases, Raquel Gonzalez de Vega, Matthias Elinkmann, Piers Michael Larkman, and Pascal Bohleber

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Short summary
We analyse nine samples from the EGRIP ice core, Greenland, using an underexplored method: single particle time of flight analysis. For the first time, we investigated thousands of particles from different climatic stages while applying a new approach to estimate particle sizes based on previous measurements. We characterise particles and provide new insights on trace elements in the Greenland Ice Sheet. This approach has an enormous potential for analysing million-year-old ice from Antarctica.
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