Constructing the first D/H record of atmospheric methane covering the last two centuries.

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0125900SowersThis award supports a project to improve the understanding of the biogeochemical processes that control CH4 emissions. Records of the concentration of methane in trapped gases in ice tell us about changes in atmospheric loading through time. Such records do not, however, provide information on the individual sources or sinks. One way to refine our understanding of the cycling of bioactive trace gases like methane is to use stable isotope records of trapped gases in ice cores. This project will measure the Deuterium/Hydrogen (D/H) ratio of methane trapped in shallow/recent ice (covering the last ~ 200 years) at Siple Dome, Antarctica. The proposed work will complement current efforts to measure the carbon-13 isotope ratio of methane in ice cores and will provide fundamental information on the various sources and sinks of atmospheric methane over the last 200 years.