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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Paleoclimatology
  • Geochemistry

Background:

  • Past mercury (Hg) emissions persist globally, but historical data are limited.
  • Ice cores offer high-resolution archives of atmospheric deposition, crucial for understanding past Hg levels.
  • Mount Logan's ice core provides a record of atmospheric Hg deposition from AD 1410 to 1998.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reconstruct past atmospheric mercury deposition using an ice core record.
  • To identify historical periods of significant mercury emissions and their sources.
  • To assess the relationship between anthropogenic activities and mercury deposition.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of total mercury (HgT) in an ice core from Mount Logan, Yukon, Canada.
  • Dating the ice core record to cover the period from AD 1410 to 1998.
  • Comparing mercury flux data with historical emission estimates.

Main Results:

  • The majority (78%) of anthropogenic Hg deposition occurred during the 20th Century.
  • Peak HgT fluxes (1940-1975) correlate with commercial and industrial Hg emissions.
  • Colonial Period (8%) and Gold Rush (14%) contributed minor fractions of total anthropogenic Hg deposition.
  • Declines in HgT fluxes followed emission reductions, while recent increases suggest rising unregulated emissions.

Conclusions:

  • Atmospheric mercury deposition is strongly influenced by anthropogenic emissions.
  • Ice core records are valuable for tracking historical mercury pollution.
  • Recent increases in mercury deposition may indicate a resurgence of emissions from coal burning and small-scale gold mining.