Spatial-temporal dynamics of chemical composition of surface snow in East Antarctic along the transect Station Progress-Station Vostok

Abstract. This paper presents data on chemical composition of the Antarctic snow sampled during the 53rd Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE, 2008) along the first tractor traverse (TT) from Station Progress to Station Vostok (East Antarctica). Snow samples were obtained from the cores drilled at 55.3, 253, 337, 369, 403, 441, 480, 519, 560, 618, 819, and 1276 km from Station Progress. Data on horizontal and deep distribution of chemical components in the snow provide evidence of spatial and temporal variations of conditions for the snow cover formation along the transect under study. Sea salt was the main source for chemical composition of snow cover near the ice edge. Concentrations of marine-derived components decreased further inland. A hypothesis was put forward that some ions in the snow cover of the central part of East Antarctica were likely to be of continental origin. Elevated concentrations of sulphate ions of continental origin were recorded in some profiles of the transect at a depth of 130–150 cm which was attributed to buried signals of the Pinatubo volcano eruption (1991).