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Radiocarbon : A key tracer for studying Earth’s dynamo, climate system, carbon cycle, and Sun

Heaton, T. J. ; Bard, E. ; Ramsey, C. Bronk ; Butzin, M. ; Köhler, P. ; Muscheler, R. LU orcid ; Reimer, P. J. and Wacker, L. (2021) In Science 374(6568).
Abstract

Radiocarbon (14C), as a consequence of its production in the atmosphere and subsequent dispersal through the carbon cycle, is a key tracer for studying the Earth system. Knowledge of past 14C levels improves our understanding of climate processes, the Sun, the geodynamo, and the carbon cycle. Recently updated radiocarbon calibration curves (IntCal20, SHCal20, and Marine20) provide unprecedented accuracy in our estimates of 14C levels back to the limit of the 14C technique (~55,000 years ago). Such improved detail creates new opportunities to probe the Earth and climate system more reliably and at finer scale. We summarize the advances that have underpinned this revised set of radiocarbon... (More)

Radiocarbon (14C), as a consequence of its production in the atmosphere and subsequent dispersal through the carbon cycle, is a key tracer for studying the Earth system. Knowledge of past 14C levels improves our understanding of climate processes, the Sun, the geodynamo, and the carbon cycle. Recently updated radiocarbon calibration curves (IntCal20, SHCal20, and Marine20) provide unprecedented accuracy in our estimates of 14C levels back to the limit of the 14C technique (~55,000 years ago). Such improved detail creates new opportunities to probe the Earth and climate system more reliably and at finer scale. We summarize the advances that have underpinned this revised set of radiocarbon calibration curves, survey the broad scientific landscape where additional detail on past 14C provides insight, and identify open challenges for the future.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Science
volume
374
issue
6568
publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85120069381
  • pmid:34735228
ISSN
0036-8075
DOI
10.1126/science.abd7096
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c17a692c-0d62-44eb-ae76-65fd2b974443
date added to LUP
2021-12-15 12:04:10
date last changed
2024-06-17 01:27:26
@article{c17a692c-0d62-44eb-ae76-65fd2b974443,
  abstract     = {{<p>Radiocarbon (<sup>14</sup>C), as a consequence of its production in the atmosphere and subsequent dispersal through the carbon cycle, is a key tracer for studying the Earth system. Knowledge of past <sup>14</sup>C levels improves our understanding of climate processes, the Sun, the geodynamo, and the carbon cycle. Recently updated radiocarbon calibration curves (IntCal20, SHCal20, and Marine20) provide unprecedented accuracy in our estimates of <sup>14</sup>C levels back to the limit of the <sup>14</sup>C technique (~55,000 years ago). Such improved detail creates new opportunities to probe the Earth and climate system more reliably and at finer scale. We summarize the advances that have underpinned this revised set of radiocarbon calibration curves, survey the broad scientific landscape where additional detail on past <sup>14</sup>C provides insight, and identify open challenges for the future.</p>}},
  author       = {{Heaton, T. J. and Bard, E. and Ramsey, C. Bronk and Butzin, M. and Köhler, P. and Muscheler, R. and Reimer, P. J. and Wacker, L.}},
  issn         = {{0036-8075}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6568}},
  publisher    = {{American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}},
  series       = {{Science}},
  title        = {{Radiocarbon : A key tracer for studying Earth’s dynamo, climate system, carbon cycle, and Sun}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abd7096}},
  doi          = {{10.1126/science.abd7096}},
  volume       = {{374}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}