Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years
International audience Atmospheric methane is an important greenhouse gas and a sensitive indicator of climate change and millennial-scale temperature variability. Its concentrations over the past 650,000 years have varied between 350 and 800 parts per 109 by volume (p.p.b.v.) during glacial and int...
Published in: | Nature |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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HAL CCSD
2008
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Online Access: | https://insu.hal.science/insu-00379657 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06950 |
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Université Grenoble Alpes: HAL |
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English |
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[SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology |
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[SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology Loulergue, Laetitia Schilt, Adrian Spahni, Renato Masson-Delmotte, Valérie Blunier, Thomas Lemieux, Bénédicte Barnola, Jean-Marc Raynaud, Dominique F. Stocker, Thomas Chappellaz, Jérôme Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years |
topic_facet |
[SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology |
description |
International audience Atmospheric methane is an important greenhouse gas and a sensitive indicator of climate change and millennial-scale temperature variability. Its concentrations over the past 650,000 years have varied between 350 and 800 parts per 109 by volume (p.p.b.v.) during glacial and interglacial periods, respectively. In comparison, present-day methane levels of 1,770 p.p.b.v. have been reported. Insights into the external forcing factors and internal feedbacks controlling atmospheric methane are essential for predicting the methane budget in a warmer world. Here we present a detailed atmospheric methane record from the EPICA Dome C ice core that extends the history of this greenhouse gas to 800,000 yr before present. The average time resolution of the new data is 380 yr and permits the identification of orbital and millennial-scale features. Spectral analyses indicate that the long-term variability in atmospheric methane levels is dominated by 100,000 yr glacial–interglacial cycles up to 400,000 yr ago with an increasing contribution of the precessional component during the four more recent climatic cycles. We suggest that changes in the strength of tropical methane sources and sinks (wetlands, atmospheric oxidation), possibly influenced by changes in monsoon systems and the position of the intertropical convergence zone, controlled the atmospheric methane budget, with an additional source input during major terminations as the retreat of the northern ice sheet allowed higher methane emissions from extending periglacial wetlands. Millennial-scale changes in methane levels identified in our record as being associated with Antarctic isotope maxima events are indicative of ubiquitous millennial-scale temperature variability during the past eight glacial cycles. |
author2 |
Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement (LGGE) Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG) Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Climate and Environmental Physics Bern (CEP) Physikalisches Institut Bern Universität Bern = University of Bern = Université de Berne (UNIBE)-Universität Bern = University of Bern = Université de Berne (UNIBE) Centre for Ice and Climate Copenhagen Niels Bohr Institute Copenhagen (NBI) Faculty of Science Copenhagen University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH)-University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH)-Faculty of Science Copenhagen University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH)-University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH) School of Earth Sciences Bristol University of Bristol Bristol Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement Gif-sur-Yvette (LSCE) Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)) Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) Glaces et Continents, Climats et Isotopes Stables (GLACCIOS) Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Loulergue, Laetitia Schilt, Adrian Spahni, Renato Masson-Delmotte, Valérie Blunier, Thomas Lemieux, Bénédicte Barnola, Jean-Marc Raynaud, Dominique F. Stocker, Thomas Chappellaz, Jérôme |
author_facet |
Loulergue, Laetitia Schilt, Adrian Spahni, Renato Masson-Delmotte, Valérie Blunier, Thomas Lemieux, Bénédicte Barnola, Jean-Marc Raynaud, Dominique F. Stocker, Thomas Chappellaz, Jérôme |
author_sort |
Loulergue, Laetitia |
title |
Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years |
title_short |
Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years |
title_full |
Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years |
title_fullStr |
Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years |
title_full_unstemmed |
Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years |
title_sort |
orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric ch4 over the past 800,000 years |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://insu.hal.science/insu-00379657 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06950 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic EPICA ice core Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic EPICA ice core Ice Sheet |
op_source |
ISSN: 0028-0836 EISSN: 1476-4687 Nature https://insu.hal.science/insu-00379657 Nature, 2008, 453 (7193), pp.383 à 386. ⟨10.1038/nature06950⟩ |
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info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1038/nature06950 insu-00379657 https://insu.hal.science/insu-00379657 doi:10.1038/nature06950 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06950 |
container_title |
Nature |
container_volume |
453 |
container_issue |
7193 |
container_start_page |
383 |
op_container_end_page |
386 |
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1810494592503513088 |
spelling |
ftunigrenoble:oai:HAL:insu-00379657v1 2024-09-15T17:46:27+00:00 Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years Loulergue, Laetitia Schilt, Adrian Spahni, Renato Masson-Delmotte, Valérie Blunier, Thomas Lemieux, Bénédicte Barnola, Jean-Marc Raynaud, Dominique F. Stocker, Thomas Chappellaz, Jérôme Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement (LGGE) Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG) Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Climate and Environmental Physics Bern (CEP) Physikalisches Institut Bern Universität Bern = University of Bern = Université de Berne (UNIBE)-Universität Bern = University of Bern = Université de Berne (UNIBE) Centre for Ice and Climate Copenhagen Niels Bohr Institute Copenhagen (NBI) Faculty of Science Copenhagen University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH)-University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH)-Faculty of Science Copenhagen University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH)-University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH) School of Earth Sciences Bristol University of Bristol Bristol Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement Gif-sur-Yvette (LSCE) Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)) Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) Glaces et Continents, Climats et Isotopes Stables (GLACCIOS) Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)) 2008 https://insu.hal.science/insu-00379657 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06950 en eng HAL CCSD Nature Publishing Group info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1038/nature06950 insu-00379657 https://insu.hal.science/insu-00379657 doi:10.1038/nature06950 ISSN: 0028-0836 EISSN: 1476-4687 Nature https://insu.hal.science/insu-00379657 Nature, 2008, 453 (7193), pp.383 à 386. ⟨10.1038/nature06950⟩ [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2008 ftunigrenoble https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06950 2024-07-29T23:39:57Z International audience Atmospheric methane is an important greenhouse gas and a sensitive indicator of climate change and millennial-scale temperature variability. Its concentrations over the past 650,000 years have varied between 350 and 800 parts per 109 by volume (p.p.b.v.) during glacial and interglacial periods, respectively. In comparison, present-day methane levels of 1,770 p.p.b.v. have been reported. Insights into the external forcing factors and internal feedbacks controlling atmospheric methane are essential for predicting the methane budget in a warmer world. Here we present a detailed atmospheric methane record from the EPICA Dome C ice core that extends the history of this greenhouse gas to 800,000 yr before present. The average time resolution of the new data is 380 yr and permits the identification of orbital and millennial-scale features. Spectral analyses indicate that the long-term variability in atmospheric methane levels is dominated by 100,000 yr glacial–interglacial cycles up to 400,000 yr ago with an increasing contribution of the precessional component during the four more recent climatic cycles. We suggest that changes in the strength of tropical methane sources and sinks (wetlands, atmospheric oxidation), possibly influenced by changes in monsoon systems and the position of the intertropical convergence zone, controlled the atmospheric methane budget, with an additional source input during major terminations as the retreat of the northern ice sheet allowed higher methane emissions from extending periglacial wetlands. Millennial-scale changes in methane levels identified in our record as being associated with Antarctic isotope maxima events are indicative of ubiquitous millennial-scale temperature variability during the past eight glacial cycles. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic EPICA ice core Ice Sheet Université Grenoble Alpes: HAL Nature 453 7193 383 386 |