Ice-core record of atmospheric methane over the past 160,000 years

Chappellaz, J.; Barnola, Jean-Marc; Raynaud, Dominique; Korotkevich, Y. S.; Lorius, C.

doi:10.1038/345127a0

Cited by 434 publications

(175 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…methane ͉ paleoclimate ͉ Quaternary climate ͉ hydrate ͉ tar D ramatic changes in atmospheric methane concentrations have occurred on glacial-interglacial and millennial time scales and are typically attributed to varying biological production of CH 4 in wetlands (1). However, contributions from ''geologic'' methane sources, including thermogenic hydrocarbons in hydrates and͞or sedimentary reservoirs, remain largely unknown.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatically driven emissions of hydrocarbons from marine sediments during deglaciation

Hill

Kennett²,

Valentine³

et al. 2006

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Marine hydrocarbon seepage emits oil and gas, including methane (Ϸ30 Tg of CH4 per year), to the ocean and atmosphere. Sediments from the California margin contain preserved tar, primarily formed through hydrocarbon weathering at the sea surface. We present a record of variation in the abundance of tar in sediments for the past 32,000 years, providing evidence for increases in hydrocarbon emissions before and during Termination IA [16,000 years ago (16 ka) to 14 ka] and again over Termination IB (11-10 ka). Our study provides direct evidence for increased hydrocarbon seepage associated with deglacial warming through tar abundance in marine sediments, independent of previous geochemical proxies. Climate-sensitive gas hydrates may modulate thermogenic hydrocarbon seepage during deglaciation.methane ͉ paleoclimate ͉ Quaternary climate ͉ hydrate ͉ tar

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatically driven emissions of hydrocarbons from marine sediments during deglaciation

Hill

Kennett²,

Valentine³

et al. 2006

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Stuiver and Braziunas (1993) also showed that the differences among glacial, deglacial and interglacial conditions had only secondary effects, as follows from two facts; 1) the model-derived 14C production history agrees with the 14C rate derived from documented changes in the geomagnetic field over the past 30 ka; and 2) the global-scale 14C reservoirs respond relatively quickly to changes in ocean mixing processes, such Atkinson, Briffa and Coope (1987). Chappelar et al (1990) found distinct oscillations of methane in air bubbles of ice cores from the Vostok station at 13 and 10 ka BP. The methane concentration minimum occurred from 12-11 ka BP, corresponding to the cold period in the Younger Dryas.…”

Section: Manifestation Of Medium-and Long-term 14c Fluctuationsmentioning

confidence: 79%

Cosmogenic Radiocarbon and Cyclical Natural Processes

Dergachev

Chistyakov

1995

Radiocarbon

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ABSTRACT. We investigated relations among solar activity, climate and cosmogenic radiocarbon in a time series of various astrophysical, geophysical, archaeological and historical data. We studied records of tree-ring thickness, aurora borealis, the catalog of visible sunspots, sedimentary deposits from lakes and oceans, global glacial advance and retreat chronology, polar ice cores and human migrations. In these data, we searched for evidence of medium-and long-term solar cycles. Application of different spectral techniques to the atmospheric 14C concentration time series indicates the existence of spectral lines at a few dominant periodicities ranging from 11 yr to ca. 2 ka. Different laboratories have confirmed the presence of the ca. 210-and 2000-yr spectral features in long 14C series in tree rings. The ca. 210-yr 14C cycle is probably caused by heliomagnetic modulation of the cosmic-ray flux. The extrema of both the ca. 210-yr 14C period and solar activity correlate with the cold and warm epochs of global climate, at least for the past millennium, and this correlation has the correct sign.

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“…Air bubbles trapped in polar ice provide a continuous record of the atmospheric concentration of methane (e.g., Brook et al, 1996;Jouzel et al, 1993;Chappellaz et al, 1990;Legrand et al, 1988). Ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica now extend the record of atmospheric CH 4 , CO 2 and temperature back to 420,000 years BP (Petit et al, 1999), covering four glacial-interglacial cycles.…”

Section: Atmospheric Ch 4 In the Distant Pastmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Secondly, CH 4 is closely tied to atmospheric temperature records, decreasing and rising in phase with temperature at the inception and termination of glacial episodes (e.g., Petit et al, 1999;Raynaud et al, 1988). (Source : Jouzel, 1987: Jouzel, , 1996Chappellaz, 1990) The observed synchronicity between temperature and CH 4 concentrations has raised the question of the role of CH 4 in glacial-interglacial climate change. Do increasing CH 4 emissions actually help initiate climate change, or do they respond quickly to rising atmospheric temperatures?…”

Section: Atmospheric Ch 4 In the Distant Pastmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric Methane: Trends and Impacts

Wuebbles

Hayhoe

2000

Non-Co2 Greenhouse Gases: Scientific Understanding, Control and Implementation

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Abstract:The concentration of methane (CH 4 ), the most abundant organic trace gas in the atmosphere, has increased dramatically over the last few centuries, more than doubling its concentration. The increasing concentrations of methane are of special concern because of its effects on climate and atmospheric chemistry. On a per molecule basis, additional methane is much more effective as a greenhouse gas than additional CO 2 . Methane is also important to both tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry. Here, we examine past trends in the concentration of methane, the sources and sinks affecting its growth rate, and the factors that could affect its growth rate in the future. This study also examines the current understanding of the effects of methane on atmospheric chemistry and climate.

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Ice-core record of atmospheric methane over the past 160,000 years

Cited by 434 publications

References 40 publications

Climatically driven emissions of hydrocarbons from marine sediments during deglaciation

Climatically driven emissions of hydrocarbons from marine sediments during deglaciation

Cosmogenic Radiocarbon and Cyclical Natural Processes

Atmospheric Methane: Trends and Impacts

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