Correlation of marine 14C ages from the Nordic Seas with the GISP2 isotope record: Implications for 14C calibration beyond 25 ka BP

• Main Authors: Antje H. L. Voelker, Michael Sarnthein, Pieter M. Grootes, Markus Schleicher
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1998
• Subjects: ice core; Iceland; Nordic Seas
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.459.3368

ABSTRACT. We present two new high-resolution sediment records from the southwestern Iceland and Norwegian Seas that were dated by numerous 14C ages up to 5414C ka BP. Based on various lines of evidence, the local 14C reservoir effect was restricted to 400-1600 yr. The planktic stable isotope records reveal several meltwater spikes that were sampled with an aver-age time resolution of 50 yr in PS2644 and 130 yr in core 23071 during isotope stage 3. Most of the 6180 spikes correlate peak-by-peak to the stadials and cold rebounds of the Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles in the annual-layer counted GISP2 ice core, with the major spikes reflecting the Heinrich events 1-6. This correlation indicates large fluctuations in the calibration of 14C ages between 20 and 54 i4C ka BP. Generally the results confirm the 14C age shifts as predicted by the geomagnetic model of Laj, Mazaud and Duplessy (1996). However, the amplitude and speed of the abrupt decrease and subsequent major increase of our 14C shifts after 4514C ka BP clearly exceed the geomagnetic prediction near 40-43 and 32-34 calendar (cal) ka BP. At these times, the geomagnetic field intensity minima linked to the Laschamp and the Mono Lake excursions and confirmed by a local geomagnetic record, probably led to a sudden increase in cosmogenic 14C and 10Be production, giving rise to excess 14C in the atmosphere of up to 1200%o.