Trace Elements in Antarctic Air and Snowfall

Air quality and trace elements biomonitoring in Tehran urban areas using epiphytic lichen

Background and Objective: Air quality and distribution of trace elements in the Tehran metropolis were evaluated using transplants of the epiphytic lichen Ramalina sinensis. Materials and Methods: Thalli of R. sinensis were collected from a non-contaminated area and transplanted in the six urban sites of Tehran for six months. After the end of the exposure period, the content of twelve element...

Twentieth century Antarctic air temperature and snowfall simulations by IPCC climate models

[1] We compare new observationally-based data sets of Antarctic near-surface air temperature and snowfall accumulation with 20th century simulations from global climate models (GCMs) that support the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report. Annual Antarctic snowfall accumulation trends in the GCMs agree with observations during 1960–1999, and the sensitivity of snowfa...

Insignificant change in Antarctic snowfall since the International Geophysical Year.

Antarctic snowfall exhibits substantial variability over a range of time scales, with consequent impacts on global sea level and the mass balance of the ice sheets. To assess how snowfall has affected the thickness of the ice sheets in Antarctica and to provide an extended perspective, we derived a 50-year time series of snowfall accumulation over the continent by combining model simulations an...

Concentration of trace elements in feathers of three Antarctic penguins: geographical and interspecific differences.

Antarctica is often considered as one of the last pristine regions, but it could be affected by pollution at global and local scale. Concentrations of Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd and Pb were determinated by ICP-MS in feathers (n = 207 individuals) of gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguin collected in 8 locations throughout the Antarctic Peninsula (2006-2007). The highest levels of sev...

Trace elements.