Abstract ID: 3.13856 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Mountain glaciers act as natural archives of atmospheric composition, preserving records of trace element deposition from both natural and anthropogenic sources. In this study, we analyze trace element concentrations in a deep ice core and multiple seasonal snow pits from a high-altitude Caucasus glacier. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) we investigate the temporal variability of heavy metals and assess their potential sources. Comparisons with Alpine ice core records reveal both local and long-range transport influences, including industrial emissions and regional atmospheric circulation patterns. Snow pit data provides insight into recent short-term variability and complements the long-term ice core record. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of trace element deposition processes in high-altitude glaciers, offering valuable data for climate model refinement and pollution reconstruction in the Caucasus region. This research enhances knowledge of atmospheric composition in complex environments and its implications for past and present environmental change.