Bromine Enrichment Signal in Svalbard Shallow Cores Reflects Changes of Seasonal Sea Ice Variability
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Bromine enrichment has been widely used as a proxy for past sea ice reconstructions. In this study, three firn cores drilled on Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard) were analyzed for trace elements. Excluding a single year data, a positive correlation was observed between and springtime sea ice variability in the potential source region during 2005–2016. Accounting for different sea ice ages, signal resulted significantly correlated only with first‐year sea ice, reinforcing its role as a major contributor to springtime gas‐phase bromine emissions. Comparisons between Na and Br concentrations in shallow cores and temporally corresponding values in annual snow pits collected at the same site reveal that elemental reallocation similarly affects both chemicals, resulting in a generally stable signal over time. Finally, the negative correlation with the temperature proxy further supports the capability of to capture past climate‐change‐driven sea ice fluctuations.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2025gl120091
Institutions: Ca' Foscari University of Venice, National Research Council, Istituto di Scienze Polari, Institut polytechnique de Grenoble, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université Grenoble Alpes, University of Basel, University of Perugia, Norwegian Polar Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
Awards: G1427306281, G2645969370, G3622188073, G3865202723, G4623777296, G5202844266, G5743385344, LinkIng and QUantifying the Impacts of climate change on inlanD ICE, snow cover, and permafrost on water resources and society in vulnerable regions, G712364158, The European network for observing our changing planet
OpenAlex ID: W7154475978