Accumulation rates over the past 260 years archived in Elbrus ice core, Caucasus

Abstract

In this study, we present a seasonally resolved accumulation record spanning from 1750 to 2009 Common Era (CE), based on a 181.8 m ice core obtained from the Elbrus Western Plateau in the Caucasus. We implemented various methods to account for uncertainties associated with glacier flow, layer thinning, and dating. Additionally, we applied a novel approach to calculate a seasonal calendar for meteorological data, enabling comparison with ice core records. The reconstructed accumulation data were compared with available meteorological data, gridded precipitation records, and paleo-reanalysis data. Reconstructed accumulation is representative for a large region south of the Eastern European plain and Black Sea region with summer precipitation being the primary driver of precipitation variability. We identified a statistically significant relationship between changes in regional precipitation and fluctuations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, which is, however, not stable over the entire period covered by the ice core.