Source IDentification of (mineral) Dust to AntaRcTicA

SIDDARTA project aims to identify the main areas of origin of the mineral dust that reaches Dome C. This is relevant in the study of the evolution of atmospheric circulation in the Southern Hemisphere as a possible cause/consequence of climatic variations and for improving the interpretation of the records from the ice cores. Since the annual snow accumulation on the Antarctic Plateau is very low (about 10 cm/year), it is difficult to identify a seasonal pattern of dust deposited on the snow. For this reason, this project aims to characterise the atmosphere particulate matter, thus sampling the aerosol with special samplers installed at Dome C. Given the modest amount of particulate present in the Antarctic plateau, sampling is performed on a monthly basis. In addition, the project includes the collection of surface snow samples (3 samples each month) and snow pit samplings (up to a depth of 6 m). The analysis of these samples includes elemental composition by PIXE and PIGE, main and trace metal determination and isotopic composition (Pb and Sr). The same measurements are also carried out on soil samples previously collected in Patagonia and Pampas and along a N-S transect in Australia, to allow a direct comparison and thus reinforce the source apportionment.