Based on the horizon of
β activity and the density profiles, recent accumulation rate at Dome A, Antarctica is calculated to be 0.023 m water equivalent
per year. This value is comparative to the accumulation rates deduced from the other inland sites of Antarctica. Clear-sky
precipitation (or diamond dust) dominates the total precipitation at Dome A region. We speculate Dome A as a potential site
to discover the oldest ice in Antarctica due to its tremendous ice thickness (> 3000 m), extremely low accumulation rate,
and low ice velocity.
Keywords Antarctica - Dome A -
β activity - accumulation rate
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40576001) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant
No. 100 Talents Project and KZCX3-SW-354)