Photochemical Modification of Greenhouse Gas Concentrations in Antarctic Blue Ice

We present evidence of greenhouse gases produced in-situ via photochemical reactions in Antarctic blue ice. Within near-surface layers (< 4.6 m), the air in bubbles exhibit markedly elevated concentrations of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O. Considering the upward advection of the ice strata, these excess gas species are inferred to have originated within recent decades or the past century. Analytical evidences indicate that these excess greenhouse gases are products of photochemical reactions. The isotopic signatures of CO₂ and CH₄ elucidate that the carbon precursors are both organic and inorganic constituents embedded in the ice matrix.

To elucidate the kinetic pathways, we plan to perform laboratory simulations involving UV irradiation of ice samples, followed by rigorous analyses of the generated gas phases. Additionally, synthetic bubbly ice with precise gas compositions and specific ionic dopants, is being utilized to isolate the variables governing these reactions. We contend that occluded gas bubbles act as receptive vessels that preserve photochemical derivatives, thereby amplifying the detectability of minute chemical alterations. Our near future investigations will also address the isotopic fractionation dynamics occurring between the parent substrates and the resultant greenhouse gases.