A record of atmospheric halocarbons during the twentieth century from polar firn air

Article Abstract:

A reconstruction back to the late 19th century of atmospheric concentrations of halons, chlorofluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and persistent chlorocarbon solvents gives results consistent with atmospheric histories taken from anthropogenic emission rates and known atmospheric lifetimes. This research used samples of air collected from firn at the South Pole and Siple Dome in Antarctica and at Tunu in Greenland. It has been possible to refine halocarbon histories and produce experimental evidence about their pre-anthropogenic concentrations.

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Timing of abrupt climate change at the end of the Younger Dryas interval from thermally fractionated gases in polar ice

Article Abstract:

Researchers have developed a new technique for identifying rapid past temperature changes based on the principle of thermal diffusion. In thermal diffusion, gas mixtures are fractionated in a temperature gradient according to their mass. This approach has been used to investigate the timing of sudden climate change at the end of the Younger Dryas interval. It was established that the rise in atmospheric methane concentrations at the end of the Younger Dryas interval started between 0 and 30 years after a sudden temperature rise.

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The key to the past?

Article Abstract:

The application of the uniformitarian hypothesis to climate change is examined.

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