scholarly journals Variation of Radiocarbon Content in Tree Rings During the Maunder Minimum of Solar Activity

Radiocarbon ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Kocharov ◽  
A. N. Peristykh ◽  
P. G. Kereselidze ◽  
Z. N. Lomtatidze ◽  
R. Ya. Metskhvarishvili ◽  
...  

We present here annual data on 14C abundance in tree rings during the Maunder minimum of solar activity (ad 1645–1715). We show that the solar modulation persisted during the minimum. We also compare these data with measurements of 10Be concentration in dated polar ice cores and with records of aurorae recurrence during this time interval.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Wacker ◽  
Nicolas Brehm ◽  
Alex Bayliss ◽  
Marcus Christl ◽  
Hans-Arno Synal ◽  
...  

<p>The influence of solar variability on the Earth’s climate is a major subject of interest for understanding past and predicting future climate changes. While the observational record of solar activity (e.g. sunspots) covers only the last about 400 yr, cosmogenic nuclides stored in tree rings (<sup>14</sup>C) or ice cores (<sup>10</sup>Be, <sup>36</sup>Cl) are used as proxies for solar activity and allow solar reconstructions reaching much further back in time <sup>1-3</sup>. Major drawbacks of cosmogenic nuclide based solar reconstructions are the presence of weather-induced noise (e.g. <sup>10</sup>Be in ice cores) or the low temporal resolution of long precisely dated records (<sup>14</sup>C in tree rings). Here, we present a continuous, annually resolved <sup>14</sup>C record from precisely dated tree rings covering the past about 1’000 yr (969-1933 AD) comprising almost 1’300 highest-precision <sup>14</sup>C measurements. The annually resolved <sup>14</sup>C record adds significantly to the radiocarbon calibration curve<sup>4</sup>, which has hitherto been based mainly on decay counting measurements. A multi box carbon cycle model is used to extract annual <sup>14</sup>C production changes from the tree ring data. The resulting high-resolution record of <sup>14</sup>C production is then used to reconstruct the solar modulation parameter over the last millennium. The comparison of solar modulation with global temperature provides evidence that low solar activity could have caused the temperature reduction during the Little Ice Age. The <sup>14</sup>C record further reveals for the first time the presence of the eleven-year solar cycle over the past 1’000 yr. The amplitude of this so called Schwabe cycle is found to correlate with the general level of the solar modulation with high amplitudes during periods of strong solar modulation and vice versa.</p><p> </p><p><sup>1</sup> Bard, E., Raisbeck, G., Yiou, F. & Jouzel, J. (2000) Solar irradiance during the last 1200 years based on cosmogenic nuclides. Tellus Series B-Chemical and Physical Meteorology 52, 985-992.</p><p><sup>2</sup> Muscheler, R. et al. (2007) Solar activity during the last 1000 yr inferred from radionuclide records. Quaternary Science Reviews 26, 82-97.</p><p><sup>3</sup> Usoskin, I.G. (2017) A history of solar activity over millennia, Living Rev. Sol. Phys. 14, 3.</p><p><sup>4</sup> Reimer, P. J. et al. (2013) Intcal13 and Marine13 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curves 0-50,000 Years Cal Bp. Radiocarbon 55, 1869-1887.</p>


2002 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio L. Betancourt ◽  
Henri D. Grissino-Mayer ◽  
Matthew W. Salzer ◽  
Thomas W. Swetnam

AbstractSo-called annual banding has been identified in a number of speleothems in which the number of bands approximates the time interval between successive U-series dates. The apparent annual resolution of speleothem records, however, remains largely untested. Here we statistically compare variations in band thickness from a late Holocene stalagmite in Carlsbad Cavern, Southern New Mexico, USA, with three independent tree-ring chronologies form the same region. We found no correspondence. Although there may be various explanations for the discordance, this limited exercise suggests that banded stalagmites should be held to the same rigorous standards in chronology building and climatic inference as annually resolved tree rings, corals, and ice cores.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Woong Yang ◽  
Amaëlle Landais ◽  
Margaux Brandon ◽  
Thomas Blunier ◽  
Frédéric Prié ◽  
...  

<p>The primary production, or oxygenic photosynthesis of the global biosphere, is one of the main source and sink of atmospheric oxygen (O<sub>2</sub>) and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), respectively. There has been a growing number of evidence that global gross primary productivity (GPP) varies in response to climate change. It is therefore important to understand the climate- and/or environment controls of the global biosphere primary productivity for better predicting the future evolution of biosphere carbon uptake. The triple-isotope composition of O<sub>2</sub> (Δ<sup>17</sup>O of O<sub>2</sub>) trapped in polar ice cores allows us to trace the past changes of global biosphere primary productivity as far back as 800,000 years before present (800 ka). Previously available Δ<sup>17</sup>O of O<sub>2</sub> records over the last ca. 450 ka show relatively low and high global biosphere productivity over the last five glacial and interglacial intervals respectively, with a unique pattern over Termination V (TV) - Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 11, as biosphere productivity at the end of TV is ~ 20 % higher than the four younger ones (Blunier et al., 2012; Brandon et al., 2020). However, questions remain on (1) whether the concomitant changes of global biosphere productivity and CO<sub>2</sub> were the pervasive feature of glacial periods over the last 800 ka, and (2) whether the global biosphere productivity during the “lukewarm” interglacials before the Mid-Brunhes Event (MBE) were lower than those after the MBE.<br>Here, we present an extended composite record of Δ<sup>17</sup>O of O<sub>2</sub> covering the last 800 ka, based on new Δ<sup>17</sup>O of O<sub>2</sub> results from the EPICA Dome C and reconstruct the evolution of global biosphere productivity over that time interval using the independent box models of Landais et al. (2007) and Blunier et al. (2012). We find that the glacial productivity minima occurred nearly synchronously with the glacial CO<sub>2</sub> minima at mid-glacial stage; interestingly millennia before the sea level reaches their minima. Following the mid-glacial minima, we also show slight productivity increases at the full-glacial stages, before deglacial productivity rises. Comparison of reconstructed interglacial productivity demonstrates a slightly higher productivity over the post-MBE (MISs 1, 5, 7, 9, and 11) than pre-MBE ones (MISs 13, 15, 17, and 19). However, the mean difference between post- and pre-MBE interglacials largely depends on the box model used for productivity reconstruction.</p>


Polar ice cores provide a wide range of information on past atmospheric climate (temperature, precipitation) and environment (gas and aerosol concentrations). The dating can be very accurate for the more recent part of the records but accuracy decreases with depth and time. Measurements of cosmogenic isotope concentrations (such as 10 Be) provide information on palaeo-precipitation rates and particular events can be used to correlate ice core records. Besides these climatic applications, 10 Be concentration records in ice cores also contain information on solar activity changes.


Radiocarbon ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 31 (03) ◽  
pp. 585-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
N J Conard ◽  
P W Kubik ◽  
H E Gove ◽  
David Elmore

We have measured the concentration of 36Cl in 67 samples from the upper portion of the Camp Century ice core. The profile extends from AD 1265 to 1865 and covers the times of the Wolf (AD 1282–1342), Spoerer (AD 1416–1534) and Maunder (AD 1645–1715) minima in sunspot number. Although the profile exhibits much short-term variation, a smoothed plot of the data shows a strong peak in 36Cl concentration over the time of the Maunder Minimum. The deeper part of the core suggests increased deposition of 36Cl over the periods of the Wolf and Spoerer minima. The time resolution of the profile is inadequate for testing for an 11-year periodicity in our data. The data augment evidence from 10Be and 14C studies which indicate solar modulation of radioisotope production. Since, however, much of the short-term variation of 36Cl seems to be independent of solar activity, other factors must affect the deposition of 36Cl in ice. These variations could be due in part to mechanisms affecting the transport of 36Cl in the atmosphere. Based on our data from Camp Century, we calculate an average input of 36Cl of 24 atoms/m2 sec.


2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 769-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Lundstedt ◽  
L. Liszka ◽  
R. Lundin ◽  
R. Muscheler

Abstract. Long-term solar activity has been studied with a set of wavelet methods. The following indicators of long-term solar activity were used; the group sunspot number, the sunspot number, and the 14C production rate. Scalograms showed the very long-term scales of 2300 years (Hallstat cycle), 900-1000 years, 400-500 years, and 200 years (de Vries cycle). Scalograms of a newly-constructed 14C production rate showed interesting solar modulation during the Maunder minimum. Multi-Resolution Analysis (MRA) revealed the modulation in detail, as well as peaks of solar activity not seen in the sunspot number. In both the group sunspot number scalogram and the 14C production rate scalogram, a process appeared, starting or ending in late 1700. This process has not been discussed before. Its solar origin is unclear. The group sunspot number ampligram and the sunspot number ampligram showed the Maunder and the Dalton minima, and the period of high solar activity, which already started about 1900 and then decreased again after mid 1990. The decrease starts earlier for weaker components. Also, weak semiperiodic activity was found. Time Scale Spectra (TSS) showed both deterministic and stochastic processes behind the variability of the long-term solar activity. TSS of the 14C production rate, group sunspot number and Mt. Wilson sunspot index and plage index were compared in an attempt to interpret the features and processes behind the long-term variability.


In a very short period of time, 10 Be data have significantly improved our knowledge in various fields of Earth and planetary sciences. Examples are: (a) solar modulation of isotope production, revealed in 10 Be ice-core profiles; (b)geomagnetic m odulation of isotope production, revealed in 10 Be ice-core (from the past 10 ka) and ocean-sediment profiles (geomagnetic reversals); (c) climatic effects reflected in 10 Be profiles in loess and polar ice cores ( 10 Be behaviour in atmosphere); (d) comparison of 10 Be and 14 C variations (tree rings) from carbon-cycle models and inform ation on ocean circulation history from 14 C m easurements on benthic and planktonic Foram inifera in ocean sediments. An overview on work in collaboration with the Zurich AMS facility (with Professor W. Wolfli) is given.


2012 ◽  
Vol 109 (16) ◽  
pp. 5967-5971 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Steinhilber ◽  
J. A. Abreu ◽  
J. Beer ◽  
I. Brunner ◽  
M. Christl ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Stangl ◽  
Ulrich Foelsche

Abstract. This paper deals with the climate in the former Grand Duchy of Transylvania, now one of the three major geographical provinces of Romania, within the so-called Maunder Minimum (MM) (1645–1715), an astrophysically defined part of the Little Ice Age (LIA), which was characterized by reduced solar activity. The historical data from Transylvania are compared with that from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This comparison for the period 1645–1715 shows good agreement but also reveals geographic characteristics of the region. For the first time, we present here a comparison between the four geographic areas in text and tabular form. Quotes from mostly German-language sources are reproduced in English translation. Furthermore, we examine for a longer period (1500–1950) the extent to which the climate of Transylvania might have been affected by long-term fluctuations in solar activity, as deduced from isotopic reconstructions from ice cores. This comparison suggests a certain solar influence but the agreement is not very pronounced. Future investigation in a pan-European context is needed to reach reliable statements. Some results are unexpected – like an unusually small number of severe winters during the last decades of the MM, where extreme cold was restricted to a few years, like the extreme winters 1699/1700 and 1708/1709.


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