High resolution studies of cosmogenic beryllium isotopes (10Be) at Law Dome

Reconstructing how the Sun's output has varied in past times is crucial to understanding the Earth's past climate which is key to predicting future climate change. Naturally-occurring radioactive isotopes such as 7Be and 10Be are produced in the Earth's atmosphere by cosmic rays, at a rate controlled by the activity of the Sun, and are layered in ice sheets, thus providing a means of reconstructing past solar output. 3 x 3" PICO firn cores were drilled immediately in front of snow pit.

The 3 pico cores were sampled at 14cm intervals and the sections combined resulting in 16 samples. Some length was lost during transit, especially in the top cores. It was assumed that the lost length was from the breaks in the core as the ends rubbed against each other during transport, and was evenly lost from each break, using the field notes to help.