Interannual variation of water isotopologues at Vostok indicates a contribution from stratospheric water vapor

R. Winkler (1) , A. Landais (1, 2) , Camille Risi (3) , M. Baroni (4) , A. Ekaykin (5) , Jean Jouzel (1, 2) , J.R. Petit (6) , F. Prie (1, 2) , B. Minster (1, 2) , S. Falourd (1, 2)

1 LSCE - Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette]
2 GLACCIOS - Glaces et Continents, Climats et Isotopes Stables
3 LMD - Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539)
4 CEREGE - Centre européen de recherche et d'enseignement des géosciences de l'environnement
5 AARI - Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
6 LGGE - Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement

Combined measurements of water isotopologues of a snow pit at Vostok over the past 60 y reveal a unique signature that cannot be explained only by climatic features as usually done. Comparisons of the data using a general circulation model and a simpler isotopic distillation model reveal a stratospheric signature in the 17O-excess record at Vostok. Our data and theoretical considerations indicate that mass-independent fractionation imprints the isotopic signature of stratospheric water vapor, which may allow for a distinction between stratospheric and tropospheric influences at remote East Antarctic sites.

Mots clés: ice core; d-excess; triple oxygen; 17O-anomaly; beryllium-10

Domaines: Océan, Atmosphère

R. Winkler, A. Landais, Camille Risi, M. Baroni, A. Ekaykin, et al.. Interannual variation of water isotopologues at Vostok indicates a contribution from stratospheric water vapor. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2013, 110 (44), pp.17674-17679. ⟨10.1073/pnas.1215209110⟩. ⟨hal-01098639⟩