Publication Date:
2012-03-31
Description:
The stable carbon isotope ratio of atmospheric CO(2) (delta(13)C(atm)) is a key parameter in deciphering past carbon cycle changes. Here we present delta(13)C(atm) data for the past 24,000 years derived from three independent records from two Antarctic ice cores. We conclude that a pronounced 0.3 per mil decrease in delta(13)C(atm) during the early deglaciation can be best explained by upwelling of old, carbon-enriched waters in the Southern Ocean. Later in the deglaciation, regrowth of the terrestrial biosphere, changes in sea surface temperature, and ocean circulation governed the delta(13)C(atm) evolution. During the Last Glacial Maximum, delta(13)C(atm) and atmospheric CO(2) concentration were essentially constant, which suggests that the carbon cycle was in dynamic equilibrium and that the net transfer of carbon to the deep ocean had occurred before then.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Schmitt, Jochen -- Schneider, Robert -- Elsig, Joachim -- Leuenberger, Daiana -- Lourantou, Anna -- Chappellaz, Jerome -- Kohler, Peter -- Joos, Fortunat -- Stocker, Thomas F -- Leuenberger, Markus -- Fischer, Hubertus -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 2012 May 11;336(6082):711-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1217161. Epub 2012 Mar 29.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. schmitt@climate.unibe.ch〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22461496" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Antarctic Regions
;
*Atmosphere
;
*Carbon Cycle
;
Carbon Dioxide
;
*Carbon Isotopes
;
*Climate Change
;
*Ice Cover
;
Oceans and Seas
;
*Seawater
;
Temperature
;
Time
;
Water Movements
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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