Large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores.
Biomass burning drives changes in greenhouse gases, climate-forcing aerosols, and global atmospheric chemistry. There is controversy about the magnitude and timing of changes in biomass burning emissions on millennial time scales from preindustrial to present and about the relative importance of cli...
Published in: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
eScholarship, University of California
2018
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9ts8v0gj |
id |
ftcdlib:qt9ts8v0gj |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcdlib:qt9ts8v0gj 2023-05-15T14:03:27+02:00 Large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores. Nicewonger, MR Aydin, M Prather, MJ Saltzman, ES 2018-11-19 application/pdf http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9ts8v0gj english eng eScholarship, University of California qt9ts8v0gj http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9ts8v0gj public Nicewonger, MR; Aydin, M; Prather, MJ; & Saltzman, ES. (2018). Large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. doi:10.1073/pnas.1807172115. UC Irvine: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9ts8v0gj article 2018 ftcdlib https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807172115 2018-12-07T23:52:21Z Biomass burning drives changes in greenhouse gases, climate-forcing aerosols, and global atmospheric chemistry. There is controversy about the magnitude and timing of changes in biomass burning emissions on millennial time scales from preindustrial to present and about the relative importance of climate change and human activities as the underlying cause. Biomass burning is one of two notable sources of ethane in the preindustrial atmosphere. Here, we present ice core ethane measurements from Antarctica and Greenland that contain information about changes in biomass burning emissions since 1000 CE (Common Era). The biomass burning emissions of ethane during the Medieval Period (1000-1500 CE) were higher than present day and declined sharply to a minimum during the cooler Little Ice Age (1600-1800 CE). Assuming that preindustrial atmospheric reactivity and transport were the same as in the modern atmosphere, we estimate that biomass burning emissions decreased by 30 to 45% from the Medieval Period to the Little Ice Age. The timing and magnitude of this decline in biomass burning emissions is consistent with that inferred from ice core methane stable carbon isotope ratios but inconsistent with histories based on sedimentary charcoal and ice core carbon monoxide measurements. This study demonstrates that biomass burning emissions have exceeded modern levels in the past and may be highly sensitive to changes in climate. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Greenland ice core University of California: eScholarship Greenland Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115 49 12413 12418 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
English |
description |
Biomass burning drives changes in greenhouse gases, climate-forcing aerosols, and global atmospheric chemistry. There is controversy about the magnitude and timing of changes in biomass burning emissions on millennial time scales from preindustrial to present and about the relative importance of climate change and human activities as the underlying cause. Biomass burning is one of two notable sources of ethane in the preindustrial atmosphere. Here, we present ice core ethane measurements from Antarctica and Greenland that contain information about changes in biomass burning emissions since 1000 CE (Common Era). The biomass burning emissions of ethane during the Medieval Period (1000-1500 CE) were higher than present day and declined sharply to a minimum during the cooler Little Ice Age (1600-1800 CE). Assuming that preindustrial atmospheric reactivity and transport were the same as in the modern atmosphere, we estimate that biomass burning emissions decreased by 30 to 45% from the Medieval Period to the Little Ice Age. The timing and magnitude of this decline in biomass burning emissions is consistent with that inferred from ice core methane stable carbon isotope ratios but inconsistent with histories based on sedimentary charcoal and ice core carbon monoxide measurements. This study demonstrates that biomass burning emissions have exceeded modern levels in the past and may be highly sensitive to changes in climate. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nicewonger, MR Aydin, M Prather, MJ Saltzman, ES |
spellingShingle |
Nicewonger, MR Aydin, M Prather, MJ Saltzman, ES Large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores. |
author_facet |
Nicewonger, MR Aydin, M Prather, MJ Saltzman, ES |
author_sort |
Nicewonger, MR |
title |
Large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores. |
title_short |
Large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores. |
title_full |
Large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores. |
title_fullStr |
Large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores. |
title_sort |
large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores. |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9ts8v0gj |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Greenland ice core |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Greenland ice core |
op_source |
Nicewonger, MR; Aydin, M; Prather, MJ; & Saltzman, ES. (2018). Large changes in biomass burning over the last millennium inferred from paleoatmospheric ethane in polar ice cores. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. doi:10.1073/pnas.1807172115. UC Irvine: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9ts8v0gj |
op_relation |
qt9ts8v0gj http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9ts8v0gj |
op_rights |
public |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807172115 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
container_volume |
115 |
container_issue |
49 |
container_start_page |
12413 |
op_container_end_page |
12418 |
_version_ |
1766274116709515264 |