Constructing the first D/H record of atmospheric methane covering the last two centuries

As this trend is liable to continue in the foreseeable future and CH4 is an important greenhouse gas, we need to improve our understanding of the biogeochemical processes that control CH4 emissions. In this context, records of variations in the atmospheric loading of trace gases found in ice cores provide fundamental boundary conditions for reconstructing historical emission records.

One way to refine our understanding of the cycling of bioactive trace gases and their emission records is to use stable isotope tracers trapped in the ice cores. The object of the current proposal is to measure the D/H ratio of CH4 (dDCH4) trapped in shallow ice at Siple Dome, Antarctica. A total of 20 individual samples from the SDM-E core were measured for dDCH4.