Chlorine 36 fallout in the Summit Greenland Ice Core Project ice core

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
• Main Authors: Baumgartner, S., Beer, J., Suter, M., Dittrich-Hannen, B., Synal, H.-A., Kubik, P.W., Hammer, C., Johnsen, S.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1997
• Subjects: Greenland; Greenland ice core; Greenland Ice core Project; ice core
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1029/97jc00166

The natural cosmogenic radioisotope 36 Cl has been measured in the Greenland Ice Core Project ice core from Summit, Greenland. Generally, a good correlation between 36 Cl and δ 18 O was found, even in glacial periods with strong δ 18 O oscillations. The 36 Cl flux is calculated assuming an exponential relationship between accumulation rate and δ 18 O. A prominent excursion is detected between 35 and 40 kyr B.P., which coincides with a similar 10 Be peak measured in the same samples. This sheds light on possible causes of this excursion. In the lowest part of the ice core the flux decreases smoothly. This can be interpreted as radioactive decay of 36 Cl ( T 1/2 =300 kyr).