Abstract
δ18O in polar precipitation is usually correlated with the condensation temperature1,2. Here, observations of the oxygen isotopic composition of coastal Antarctic precipitation at Syowa Station3,4 during 1974 are re-evaluated, and it is demonstrated that monthly average δ18O is more closely associated with the preceding month's mean temperature than that at the time of sampling. Linear regression indicates that the lag between temperature and isotopic ratio occurs because sea ice extent is a dominant factor for δ18O values in Antarctic precipitation (Fig. 1). The annual growth and decay of Antarctic sea ice parallels the migration of the primary moisture source region which is located in the vicinity of the 0 or 1 °C sea surface isotherm We conclude that the meridional distance from the primary moisture source is the main determinant of δ18O values in coastal Antarctic precipitation.
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Bromwich, D., Weaver, C. Latitudinal displacement from main moisture source controls δ18O of snow in coastal Antarctica. Nature 301, 145–147 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/301145a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/301145a0
