Assessing source areas of pollutants from studies of fly ash, charcoal, and pollen from Svalbard snow and ice

Temporal variations in the quantities of pollen, charcoal, and SCP (spheroidal carbonaceous particles) contained in the Lomonosovfonna ice core from Svalbard and in the surface snow of the ice cap are presented. The abundance of these microparticles is illustrated for the period A.D. 1850–1997 from the ice core, together with detailed snow pit stratigraphies for summer 2001 to spring 2002. Viewing SCP and pollen together is a new approach with relevance for tracing the possible origin of contaminants. The SCP are related to the pollution source while the pollen gives an indication of the vegetation at the point of origin. The deposition of SCP on the ice is also compared with deposition of SCP in northern Fennoscandia for the period A.D. 1982–1997. The quantity of pollen and the pollen types recorded suggest an origin in Fennoscandia rather than in North America. The temporal pattern of both SCP and charcoal deposition reflects that of Europe but may also contains a local signal.