81Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice

F. Ritterbusch; J. S. Wang; X. Feng; S. Shackleton; M. Bender; E. Brook; J. Higgins; Z. H. Jia; W. Jiang; Z. T. Lu; J. P. Severinghaus; L. T. Sun; G. M. Yang; L. Zhao

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-59264-6

⁸¹Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice

F. Ritterbusch, J. S. Wang, X. Feng, S. Shackleton, M. Bender, E. Brook, J. Higgins, Z. H. Jia, W. Jiang, Z. T. Lu, J. P. Severinghaus, L. T. Sun, G. M. Yang, L. Zhao

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Recovering earth’s climate history from ice cores requires reliable dating of the ice. ⁸¹Kr is ideal for radiometric dating up to more than one million years, but the isotope is so rare that it has long been a challenge to apply ⁸¹Kr dating on ice cores where sample size is limited. Here, we show ⁸¹Kr dating of 1-kg ice-core samples from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica. This is made possible by an advance in ⁸¹Kr detection with an all-optical realization of Atom Trap Trace Analysis. The achieved sample-size reduction facilitates ⁸¹Kr dating of basal ice-core sections with direct implications for open questions in paleoclimatology, such as the evolution of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau or the stability of the Greenland and West-Antarctic ice sheets.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	4394
Journal	Nature communications
Volume	16
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59264-6
State	Published - Dec 2025

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1038/s41467-025-59264-6

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title = "81Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice",

abstract = "Recovering earth{\textquoteright}s climate history from ice cores requires reliable dating of the ice. 81Kr is ideal for radiometric dating up to more than one million years, but the isotope is so rare that it has long been a challenge to apply 81Kr dating on ice cores where sample size is limited. Here, we show 81Kr dating of 1-kg ice-core samples from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica. This is made possible by an advance in 81Kr detection with an all-optical realization of Atom Trap Trace Analysis. The achieved sample-size reduction facilitates 81Kr dating of basal ice-core sections with direct implications for open questions in paleoclimatology, such as the evolution of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau or the stability of the Greenland and West-Antarctic ice sheets.",

author = "F. Ritterbusch and Wang, {J. S.} and X. Feng and S. Shackleton and M. Bender and E. Brook and J. Higgins and Jia, {Z. H.} and W. Jiang and Lu, {Z. T.} and Severinghaus, {J. P.} and Sun, {L. T.} and Yang, {G. M.} and L. Zhao",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-025-59264-6",

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AU - Ritterbusch, F.

AU - Wang, J. S.

AU - Feng, X.

AU - Shackleton, S.

AU - Bender, M.

AU - Brook, E.

AU - Higgins, J.

AU - Jia, Z. H.

AU - Jiang, W.

AU - Lu, Z. T.

AU - Severinghaus, J. P.

AU - Sun, L. T.

AU - Yang, G. M.

AU - Zhao, L.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Recovering earth’s climate history from ice cores requires reliable dating of the ice. 81Kr is ideal for radiometric dating up to more than one million years, but the isotope is so rare that it has long been a challenge to apply 81Kr dating on ice cores where sample size is limited. Here, we show 81Kr dating of 1-kg ice-core samples from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica. This is made possible by an advance in 81Kr detection with an all-optical realization of Atom Trap Trace Analysis. The achieved sample-size reduction facilitates 81Kr dating of basal ice-core sections with direct implications for open questions in paleoclimatology, such as the evolution of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau or the stability of the Greenland and West-Antarctic ice sheets.

AB - Recovering earth’s climate history from ice cores requires reliable dating of the ice. 81Kr is ideal for radiometric dating up to more than one million years, but the isotope is so rare that it has long been a challenge to apply 81Kr dating on ice cores where sample size is limited. Here, we show 81Kr dating of 1-kg ice-core samples from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica. This is made possible by an advance in 81Kr detection with an all-optical realization of Atom Trap Trace Analysis. The achieved sample-size reduction facilitates 81Kr dating of basal ice-core sections with direct implications for open questions in paleoclimatology, such as the evolution of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau or the stability of the Greenland and West-Antarctic ice sheets.

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⁸¹Kr dating of 1 kg Antarctic ice

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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