Articles | Volume 20, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-663-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-663-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 Jan 2026
Research article |
| 26 Jan 2026
| 26 Jan 2026
Single particle ICP-TOFMS on previously characterised EGRIP ice core samples: new approaches, limitations, and challenges
Nicolas Stoll
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
David Clases
NanoMicroLAB, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Raquel Gonzalez de Vega
NanoMicroLAB, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Matthias Elinkmann
NanoMicroLAB, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Piers Larkman
Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
Department of Geosciences, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
Pascal Bohleber
Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
Department of Geosciences, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
Department of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Pascal Bohleber, Nicolas Stoll, Piers Larkman, Rachael H. Rhodes, and David Clases
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To avoid misinterpretation of impurity signals in ice cores, post-depositional changes need to be identified. Peak broadening with depth observed especially for S was previously related to diffusion in ice veins, but the exact physical mechanisms remain unclear. Our two-dimensional impurity maps by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were extended for the first time to S and Cl and support a view on diffusion not only through veins but also along grain boundaries.
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Short summary
Impurities in ice cores can be preferentially located at the boundaries between crystals of ice, impacting the interpretation of high-resolution data collected from ice core samples. Through use of a modelling framework, we demonstrate that one-dimensional signals can be significantly affected by this association, meaning high-resolution measurements must be carefully designed. Accounting for this effect is important for interpreting ice core data, especially for deep ice samples.
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The Cryosphere, 17, 2021–2043, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2021-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2021-2023, 2023
Short summary
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Impurities in polar ice play a role regarding its climate signal and internal deformation. We bridge different scales using different methods to investigate ice from the Last Glacial Period derived from the EGRIP ice core in Greenland. We characterise different types of cloudy bands, i.e. frequently occurring milky layers in the ice, and analyse their chemistry with Raman spectroscopy and 2D imaging. We derive new insights into impurity localisation and deposition conditions.
Ole Zeising, Tamara Annina Gerber, Olaf Eisen, M. Reza Ershadi, Nicolas Stoll, Ilka Weikusat, and Angelika Humbert
The Cryosphere, 17, 1097–1105, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1097-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1097-2023, 2023
Short summary
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Short summary
Short summary
We mapped and analysed solid inclusion in the upper 1340 m of the EGRIP ice core with Raman spectroscopy and microstructure mapping, based on bulk dust content derived via continuous flow analysis. We observe a large variety in mineralogy throughout the core and samples. The main minerals are sulfates, especially gypsum, and terrestrial dust minerals, such as quartz, mica, and feldspar. A change in mineralogy occurs around 900 m depth indicating a climate-related imprint.
Nicolas Stoll, Jan Eichler, Maria Hörhold, Tobias Erhardt, Camilla Jensen, and Ilka Weikusat
The Cryosphere, 15, 5717–5737, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5717-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5717-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We did a systematic analysis of the location of inclusions in the EGRIP ice core, the first ice core from an ice stream. We combine this with crystal orientation and grain size data, enabling the first overview about the microstructure of this unique ice core. Micro-inclusions show a strong spatial variability and patterns (clusters or horizontal layers); roughly one-third is located at grain boundaries. More holistic approaches are needed to understand deformation processes in the ice better.
Paul D. Bons, Tamara de Riese, Steven Franke, Maria-Gema Llorens, Till Sachau, Nicolas Stoll, Ilka Weikusat, Julien Westhoff, and Yu Zhang
The Cryosphere, 15, 2251–2254, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2251-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2251-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The modelling of Smith-Johnson et al. (The Cryosphere, 14, 841–854, 2020) suggests that a very large heat flux of more than 10 times the usual geothermal heat flux is required to have initiated or to control the huge Northeast Greenland Ice Stream. Our comparison with known hotspots, such as Iceland and Yellowstone, shows that such an exceptional heat flux would be unique in the world and is incompatible with known geological processes that can raise the heat flux.
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Short summary
We analyse 8 samples from the East Greenland Ice-core Project (EGRIP) ice core, Greenland, using an underexplored method: single particle time of flight analysis. For the first time, we investigated thousands of particles from different climatic stages while applying a new approach to estimate particle sizes based on prior data. We characterise particles and clusters providing new insights on trace elements in ice sheets. This approach has enormous potential for analysing million-year-old ice.
We analyse 8 samples from the East Greenland Ice-core Project (EGRIP) ice core, Greenland, using...
