81Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice

Abstract Recovering earth’s climate history from ice cores requires reliable dating of the ice. 81Kr is ideal for radiometric dating up to more than one million years, but the isotope is so rare that it has long been a challenge to apply 81Kr dating on ice cores where sample size is limited. Here, w...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: F. Ritterbusch, J. S. Wang, X. Feng, S. Shackleton, M. Bender, E. Brook, J. Higgins, Z.-H. Jia, W. Jiang, Z.-T. Lu, J. P. Severinghaus, L.-T. Sun, G.-M. Yang, L. Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59264-6
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850243736758386688
author F. Ritterbusch
J. S. Wang
X. Feng
S. Shackleton
M. Bender
E. Brook
J. Higgins
Z.-H. Jia
W. Jiang
Z.-T. Lu
J. P. Severinghaus
L.-T. Sun
G.-M. Yang
L. Zhao
author_facet F. Ritterbusch
J. S. Wang
X. Feng
S. Shackleton
M. Bender
E. Brook
J. Higgins
Z.-H. Jia
W. Jiang
Z.-T. Lu
J. P. Severinghaus
L.-T. Sun
G.-M. Yang
L. Zhao
author_sort F. Ritterbusch
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Recovering earth’s climate history from ice cores requires reliable dating of the ice. 81Kr is ideal for radiometric dating up to more than one million years, but the isotope is so rare that it has long been a challenge to apply 81Kr dating on ice cores where sample size is limited. Here, we show 81Kr dating of 1-kg ice-core samples from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica. This is made possible by an advance in 81Kr detection with an all-optical realization of Atom Trap Trace Analysis. The achieved sample-size reduction facilitates 81Kr dating of basal ice-core sections with direct implications for open questions in paleoclimatology, such as the evolution of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau or the stability of the Greenland and West-Antarctic ice sheets.
format Article
id doaj-art-acd0213fd80049b38f2392626b50dbbb
institution OA Journals
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-acd0213fd80049b38f2392626b50dbbb2025-08-20T01:59:56ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-011611910.1038/s41467-025-59264-681Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic iceF. Ritterbusch0J. S. Wang1X. Feng2S. Shackleton3M. Bender4E. Brook5J. Higgins6Z.-H. Jia7W. Jiang8Z.-T. Lu9J. P. Severinghaus10L.-T. Sun11G.-M. Yang12L. Zhao13Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Physical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei National Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Physical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of ChinaWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionDepartment of Geosciences, Princeton UniversityCollege of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State UniversityDepartment of Geosciences, Princeton UniversityInstitute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Physical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Physical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of ChinaScripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), University of California, San DiegoInstitute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei National Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei National Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of ChinaAbstract Recovering earth’s climate history from ice cores requires reliable dating of the ice. 81Kr is ideal for radiometric dating up to more than one million years, but the isotope is so rare that it has long been a challenge to apply 81Kr dating on ice cores where sample size is limited. Here, we show 81Kr dating of 1-kg ice-core samples from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica. This is made possible by an advance in 81Kr detection with an all-optical realization of Atom Trap Trace Analysis. The achieved sample-size reduction facilitates 81Kr dating of basal ice-core sections with direct implications for open questions in paleoclimatology, such as the evolution of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau or the stability of the Greenland and West-Antarctic ice sheets.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59264-6
spellingShingle F. Ritterbusch
J. S. Wang
X. Feng
S. Shackleton
M. Bender
E. Brook
J. Higgins
Z.-H. Jia
W. Jiang
Z.-T. Lu
J. P. Severinghaus
L.-T. Sun
G.-M. Yang
L. Zhao
81Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice
Nature Communications
title 81Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice
title_full 81Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice
title_fullStr 81Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice
title_full_unstemmed 81Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice
title_short 81Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice
title_sort 81kr dating of 1 kg antarctic ice
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59264-6
work_keys_str_mv AT fritterbusch 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT jswang 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT xfeng 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT sshackleton 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT mbender 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT ebrook 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT jhiggins 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT zhjia 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT wjiang 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT ztlu 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT jpseveringhaus 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT ltsun 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT gmyang 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice
AT lzhao 81krdatingof1kgantarcticice