01254nas a2200145 4500008004100000245010600041210006900147260001200216300001600228490000700244520075400251100002601005700002501031856005201056 2024 eng d00aBrief communication: Significant biases in ERA5 output for the McMurdo Dry Valleys region, Antarctica0 aBrief communication Significant biases in ERA5 output for the Mc c03/2024 a1207 - 12130 v183 a

The ERA5 climate reanalysis dataset plays an important role in applications such as monitoring and modeling climate system changes in polar regions, so the calibration of the reanalysis to ground observations is of great relevance. Here, we compare the 2 m air temperature time series of the ERA5 reanalysis and the near-surface bias-corrected reanalysis to the near-ground air temperature measured at 17 automatic weather stations (AWSs) in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. We find that the reanalysis data have biases that change with the season of the year and do not clearly correlate with elevation. Our results show that future work should rely on secondary observations to calibrate when using the ERA5 reanalysis in polar regions.

1 aGarza-Girón, Ricardo1 aTulaczyk, Slawek, M. uhttps://tc.copernicus.org/articles/18/1207/202402505nas a2200325 4500008004100000022001400041245012700055210006900182260001200251300001800263490000800281520146500289653001701754653003701771653002401808653002401832100002701856700002101883700002301904700002201927700002201949700002501971700002001996700002202016700002202038700002202060700002202082700001402104856006102118 2023 eng d a2169-900300aCauses and characteristics of electrical resistivity variability in shallow (<4 m) soils in Taylor Valley, East Antarctica0 aCauses and characteristics of electrical resistivity variability c02/2023 ae2022JF0066960 v1283 a

Airborne electromagnetic surveys collected in December 2011 and November 2018 and three soil sampling transects were used to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of shallow (<4 m) soil properties in lower Taylor Valley (TV), East Antarctica. Soil resistivities from 2011 to 2018 ranged from ∼33 Ωm to ∼3,500 Ωm with 200 Ωm assigned as an upper boundary for brine-saturated sediments. Elevations below ∼50 m above sea level (masl) typically exhibit the lowest resistivities with resistivity increasing at high elevations on steeper slopes. Soil water content was empirically estimated from electrical resistivities using Archie's Law and range from ∼<1% to ∼68% by volume. An increase in silt- and clay-sized particles at low elevations increases soil porosity but decreases hydraulic conductivity, promoting greater residence times of soil water at low elevations near Lake Fryxell. Soil resistivity variability between 2011 and 2018 shows soils at different stages of soil freeze-thaw cycles, which are caused predominantly by solar warming of soils as opposed to air temperature. This study furthers the understanding of the hydrogeologic structure of the shallow subsurface in TV and identifies locations of soils that are potentially prone to greater rates of thaw and resulting ecosystem homogenization of soil properties from projected increases in hydrological connectivity across the region over the coming decades.

10aactive layer10aairborne electromagnetic surveys10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10apermafrost dynamics1 aGutterman, William, S.1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aVirginia, Ross, A.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aMyers, Krista, F.1 aTulaczyk, Slawek, M.1 aFoley, Neil, T.1 aMikucki, Jill, A.1 aDugan, Hilary, A.1 aGrombacher, Denys1 aBording, Thue, S.1 aAuken, E. uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022JF00669602152nas a2200253 4500008004100000245012600041210006900167260001200236300001600248490000700264520133900271100002201610700002101632700002501653700002001678700002201698700001701720700002201737700002201759700001901781700002201800700002301822856005301845 2021 eng d00aThermal legacy of a large paleolake in Taylor Valley, East Antarctica, as evidenced by an airborne electromagnetic survey0 aThermal legacy of a large paleolake in Taylor Valley East Antarc c08/2021 a3577 - 35930 v153 a

Previous studies of the lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys have attempted to constrain lake level history, and results suggest the lakes have undergone hundreds of meters of lake level change within the last 20 000 years. Past studies have utilized the interpretation of geologic deposits, lake chemistry, and ice sheet history to deduce lake level history; however a substantial amount of disagreement remains between the findings, indicating a need for further investigation using new techniques. This study utilizes a regional airborne resistivity survey to provide novel insight into the paleohydrology of the region. Mean resistivity maps revealed an extensive brine beneath the Lake Fryxell basin, which is interpreted as a legacy groundwater signal from higher lake levels in the past. Resistivity data suggest that active permafrost formation has been ongoing since the onset of lake drainage and that as recently as 1500–4000 years BP, lake levels were over 60 m higher than present. This coincides with a warmer-than-modern paleoclimate throughout the Holocene inferred by the nearby Taylor Dome ice core record. Our results indicate Mid to Late Holocene lake level high stands, which runs counter to previous research finding a colder and drier era with little hydrologic activity throughout the last 5000 years.

1 aMyers, Krista, F.1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aTulaczyk, Slawek, M.1 aFoley, Neil, T.1 aBording, Thue, S.1 aAuken, Esben1 aDugan, Hilary, A.1 aMikucki, Jill, A.1 aFoged, Nikolaj1 aGrombacher, Denys1 aVirginia, Ross, A. uhttps://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/3577/2021/02504nas a2200229 4500008004100000245007200041210006700113260001200180490000800192520178600200100001701986700002202003700002202025700002402047700001502071700002902086700002502115700002102140700002002161700002002181856007302201 2019 eng d00aThe Geochemistry of Englacial Brine From Taylor Glacier, Antarctica0 aGeochemistry of Englacial Brine From Taylor Glacier Antarctica c03/20190 v1243 a

Blood Falls is a hypersaline, iron‐rich discharge at the terminus of the Taylor Glacier in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. In November 2014, brine in a conduit within the glacier was penetrated and sampled using clean‐entry techniques and a thermoelectric melting probe called the IceMole. We analyzed the englacial brine sample for filterable iron (fFe), total Fe, major cations and anions, nutrients, organic carbon, and perchlorate. In addition, aliquots were analyzed for minor and trace elements and isotopes including δD and δ18O of water, δ34S and δ18O of sulfate, 234U, 238U, δ11B, 87Sr/86Sr, and δ81Br. These measurements were made in order to (1) determine the source and geochemical evolution of the brine and (2) compare the chemistry of the brine to that of nearby hypersaline lake waters and previous supraglacially sampled collections of Blood Falls outflow that were interpreted as end‐member brines. The englacial brine had higher Cl− concentrations than the Blood Falls end‐member outflow; however, other constituents were similar. The isotope data indicate that the water in the brine is derived from glacier melt. The H4SiO4 concentrations and U and Sr isotope suggest a high degree of chemical weathering products. The brine has a low N:P ratio of ~7.2 with most of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the form of NH4+. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations are similar to end‐member outflow values. Our results provide strong evidence that the original source of solutes in the brine was ancient seawater, which has been modified with the addition of chemical weathering products.

1 aLyons, Berry1 aMikucki, Jill, A.1 aGerman, Laura, A.1 aWelch, Kathleen, A.1 aWelch, Sue1 aGardner, Christopher, B.1 aTulaczyk, Slawek, M.1 aPettit, Erin, C.1 aKowalski, Julia1 aDachwald, Bernd uhttps://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2018JG004411