Radiocarbon constraints on the extent and evolution of the South Pacific glacial carbon pool


Contact
Thomas.Ronge [ at ] awi.de

Abstract

During the last deglaciation, the opposing patterns of atmospheric CO2 and radiocarbon activities (D14C) suggest the release of 14C-depleted CO2 from old carbon reservoirs. Although evidences point to the deep Pacific as a major reservoir of this 14C-depleted carbon, its extent and evolution still need to be constrained. Here we use sediment cores retrieved along a South Pacific transect to reconstruct the spatio-temporal evolution of D14C over the last 30,000 years. In B2,500–3,600 m water depth, we find 14C-depleted deep waters with a maximum glacial offset to atmospheric 14C (DD14C = -1000 permil). Using a box model, we test the hypothesis that these low values might have been caused by an interaction of aging and hydrothermal CO2 influx. We observe a rejuvenation of circumpolar deep waters synchronous and potentially contributing to the initial deglacial rise in atmospheric CO2. These findings constrain parts of the glacial carbon pool to the deep South Pacific.



Item Type
Article
Authors
Divisions
Primary Division
Programs
Primary Topic
Publication Status
Published
Eprint ID
40850
DOI 10.1038/ncomms11487

Cite as
Ronge, T. , Tiedemann, R. , Lamy, F. , Köhler, P. , Alloway, B. V. , De Pol-Holz, R. , Pahnke, K. , Southon, J. and Wacker, L. (2016): Radiocarbon constraints on the extent and evolution of the South Pacific glacial carbon pool , Nature Communications, 7 , p. 11487 . doi: 10.1038/ncomms11487


Download
[thumbnail of Ronge2016.pdf]
Preview
PDF
Ronge2016.pdf

Download (1MB) | Preview
Cite this document as:

Share
Add to AnyAdd to TwitterAdd to FacebookAdd to LinkedinAdd to PinterestAdd to Email


Citation

Geographical region

Research Platforms

Campaigns
ANT > XXVI > 2


Actions
Edit Item Edit Item