Is There Cosmogenic Radiomethane in Polar Firn?

提案：极地地区是否存在宇宙成因的放射性甲烷：Jeffrey P severinghaus加州大学圣地亚哥分校斯克里普斯海洋研究所提案# 0806450加州大学圣地亚哥分校的研究人员美国斯克里普斯海洋学研究所已经获得了一笔资金，用于测试宇宙射线在雪变成冰的上层产生少量甲烷（14CH4）的14C同位素的假设。这项研究将有助于确定现在和过去大气中甲烷的来源，并改善我们对甲烷的理解。美国在气候变暖中的作用。在格陵兰的Summit，甲烷和其他气体将通过在真空下融化1.5吨的雪来提取。14CH4和12CH4的比例将被确定，以验证宇宙射线产生14C原子的假设，14C原子与氢在冰中反应产生14CH4。预计这项研究将对化石来源的甲烷促成了末次冰期末期甲烷浓度的迅速增加这一假设提供一个明确的检验。

Proposal: Is There Cosmogenic Radiomethane in Polar Firn?P.I.:Jeffrey P SeveringhausUniversity of California-San Diego Scripps Inst of OceanographyProposal # 0806450Researchers at the University of California - San Diego?s Scripps Institute of Oceanography have received funding to test the hypothesis that cosmic rays produce small amounts of the 14C isotope of methane (14CH4) in the upper layers of snow turning in to ice (firn). This research will help determine present and past sources of methane in the atmosphere and refine our understanding of methane?s role in climate warming. Methane and other gases will be extracted from firn at Summit, Greenland by melting 1.5 tons of firn under vacuum. The ratio of 14CH4 to 12CH4 will be determined to test the hypothesis that cosmic rays generate 14C atoms that react with hydrogen to produce 14CH4 in the ice. The study is expected to provide a definitive test of the hypothesis that fossil sources of methane contributed to the rapid increases in methane concentration at the end of the last glacial period.