Sodium,magnesium, potassium and calcium concentrations in ice cores from the Law Dome,Antarctica

The concentrations of Na, Mg, K and Ca have been determined in three ice cores drilled along a flow line on the Law Dome, Antarctica. Average cationic concentrations in the upper sections of the cores show a marked decrease in concentration with increasing distance from the coast. A depth profile of the core drilled 5 km from the coast near Cape Folger indicates that the ice below 260 m was precipitated in a colder climate regime, probably towards the end of the Wisconsin stage. The depth profile of the core located at the summit of the dome, 110 km from the coast, shows an unexpected steady increase in the concentration of cations with depth. This may indicate an increase in precipitation, or a gradual change in wind patterns on the dome over recent centuries.