Reconstruction of fluxes and solubilities of atmospheric Fe from the pre-industrial times to the present recorded in an SE-Dome II ice core, Greenland

Abstract

Since the industrial revolution, trace metals, such as iron (Fe) and zinc, have been emitted to the atmosphere due to anthropogenic activities, affecting cloud formation processes, phytoplankton growth following their deposition to the ocean. In this study, we reconstructed the concentrations, chemical forms, and solubilities of Fe in aerosols preserved in the Southeastern Greenland Dome II (SE-Dome II) ice core in order to understand the changes in deposition flux and chemical properties of Fe in the atmosphere from the pre-industrial times to the present. Iron solubility increased until the 1970s and subsequently decreased until the present. This trend is likely associated with changes in the degree of Fe dissolution in the atmosphere, which can be attributed to changes in the flux of acidic materials and/or changes in the iron emission sources.