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Portland State University

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

2006

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The Aeolian Flux Of Calcium, Chloride And Nitrate To The Mcmurdo Dry Valleys Landscape: Evidence From Snow Pit Analysis, Rebecca A. Witherow, W. Berry Lyons, Nancy A. Bertler, Kathleen A. Welch, Paul A. Mayewski, Sharon B. Sneed, Thomas H. Nylen, Michael J. Handley, Andrew G. Fountain Jan 2006

The Aeolian Flux Of Calcium, Chloride And Nitrate To The Mcmurdo Dry Valleys Landscape: Evidence From Snow Pit Analysis, Rebecca A. Witherow, W. Berry Lyons, Nancy A. Bertler, Kathleen A. Welch, Paul A. Mayewski, Sharon B. Sneed, Thomas H. Nylen, Michael J. Handley, Andrew G. Fountain

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

We have determined the flux of calcium, chloride and nitrate to the McMurdo Dry Valleys region by analysing snow pits for their chemical composition and their snow accumulation using multiple records spanning up to 48 years. The fluxes demonstrate patterns related to elevation and proximity to the ocean. In general, there is a strong relationship between the nitrate flux and snow accumulation, indicating that precipitation rates may have a great influence over the nitrogen concentrations in the soils of the valleys. Aeolian dust transport plays an important role in the deposition of some elements (e.g. Caý?) into the McMurdo Dry …