The ice cores are collected using mechanical drills and stored
in various freezer facilities. A continuous ice core melter
system with discrete sampling facilitates major ion (low µg/L),
trace element (low ng/L), and stable water isotope analyses
progressively along the length of the ice core. However, the
concentrations of major ions provide the essential data stream
required from each ice core to develop a time scale and to
understand past climate change. The majority of sample
impurities can be traced to certain cations (sodium, potassium,
magnesium and calcium) and anions (chloride, nitrate, sulfate)
which are measured using ion chromatography (IC).
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