Evans Piedmont Glacier clean snow pit sampling for recent decade trace element record and AWS (2004-2008) data collection

A 4m snow pit from the Evans Piedmont glacier, Victoria Dry Valleys was sampled using ultra-clean methodology at 1cm resolution and was used to provide a comparison of trace element seasonal fluctuations between the Evans Piedmont glacier and Whitehall glacier. The snow profile provides an approximately 13+ year record of snow accumulation. Transfer functions between meteorological data (automatic weather station located at the Evans Piedmont glacier, and Hallett Station) and trace element concentrations will be determined to better understand the mode of aerosol deposition in the Ross Sea Region and their potential use as paleoclimate proxies. This has been indicated in the strong correlation between Whitehall glacier magnesium concentration data and wind speed, suggesting the influence of short term storm events that are barely indicated in the d18O record.