The changes in isotope composition and accumulation of snow at Vostok station, East Antarctica, over the past 200 years 

Annals of Glaciology, Vol 39, p. 569-575, 2004 

A.A. Ekaykin, V. Ya. Lipenkov and I.N. Kuzmina
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, 38 Beringa Street, 199397 St Petersburg, Russia
A.A. Ekaykin and J. R. Petit
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement du CNRS, 54 rue Molière, BP 96, 38402 Saint-Martin-d'Hères Cedex, France
V. Masson-Delmotte
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, Orme des Merisiers, CE Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
S.J. Johnsen
Ice and Climate, The Niels Bohr Institute, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

ABSTRACT.
High-resolution records of isotope composition (δD) and accumulation of snow have been obtained from 10-12 m deep snow pits dug in the vicinity of Vostok station during the 1979/80 and 1999/2000 Antarctic field seasons. We employ meteorological, balloon-sounding and snow-stake data to interpret the isotope record in terms of past temperature changes. Our reconstruction suggests that snow accumulation rate and the near-surface air temperature at Vostok have varied during the past 200 years between 15 and 30 kg m^-2a^-1, and between -56 and -55^oC, respectively, with a slight general tendency to increase from the past to the present. Both parameters reveal a 50 year periodicity that correlates with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index, implying a climatic teleconnection between central Antarctica and the tropical Pacific.