Solar forcing of ice-rafting in the North Atlantic during the Holocene?

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

This research revisits records of Holocene ice rafting (IRD) events in the North Atlantic that were originally interpreted as evidence that solar irradiance was an important driver for centennial- to millennial- scale climate changes in that region (Bond et al., 2001). The research addresses several key issues that have arisen since the original publication of the IRD records by: 1) replicating the published Holocene results using the same samples and techniques, 2) generating new Holocene records from cores throughout the region of interest, and 3) comparing results with beryllium-10 and radiocarbon records, which are proxies for solar variability through time. Results bear on the important question of whether and how small variations in solar forcing can influence climate. Funding supports a postdoctoral researcher.