Direct linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores at the Toba eruption (74 Ka BP)

Anders Svensson; Matthias Bigler; Thomas Blunier; Henrik Brink Clausen; Dorthe Dahl-Jensen; H. Fischer; Sigfus Johann Johnsen; K. Goto-Azuma; K.  Kawamura; S. Kipfstuhl; Trevor James Popp; Sune Olander Rasmussen; Inger Kathrine Seierstad; Jørgen Peder Steffensen; Paul Travis Vallelonga; Bo Møllesøe Vinther; Mai Winstrup

doi:10.5194/cp-9-749-2013

Direct linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores at the Toba eruption (74 Ka BP)

Anders Svensson, Matthias Bigler, Thomas Blunier, Henrik Brink Clausen, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, H. Fischer, Sigfus Johann Johnsen, K. Goto-Azuma, K. Kawamura, S. Kipfstuhl, Trevor James Popp, Sune Olander Rasmussen, Inger Kathrine Seierstad, Jørgen Peder Steffensen, Paul Travis Vallelonga, Bo Møllesøe Vinther, Mai Winstrup

Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth

39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Toba eruption that occurred some 74 ka ago in Sumatra, Indonesia, is among the largest volcanic events on Earth over the last 2 million years. Tephra from this eruption has been spread over vast areas in Asia, where it constitutes a major time marker close to the Marine Isotope Stage 4/5 boundary. As yet, no tephra associated with Toba has been identified in Greenland or Antarctic ice cores. Based on new accurate dating of Toba tephra and on accurately dated European stalagmites, the Toba event is known to occur between the onsets of Greenland interstadials (GI) 19 and 20. Furthermore, the existing linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores by gas records and by the bipolar seesaw hypothesis suggests that the Antarctic counterpart is situated between Antarctic Isotope Maxima (AIM) 19 and 20. In this work we suggest a direct synchronization of Greenland (NGRIP) and Antarctic (EDML) ice cores at the Toba eruption based on matching of a pattern of bipolar volcanic spikes. Annual layer counting between volcanic spikes in both cores allows for a unique match. We first demonstrate this bipolar matching technique at the already synchronized Laschamp geomagnetic excursion (41 ka BP) before we apply it to the suggested Toba interval. The Toba synchronization pattern covers some 2000 yr in GI-20 and AIM- 19/20 and includes nine acidity peaks that are recognized in both ice cores. The suggested bipolar Toba synchronization has decadal precision. It thus allows a determination of the exact phasing of inter-hemispheric climate in a time interval of poorly constrained ice core records, and it allows for a discussion of the climatic impact of the Toba eruption in a global perspective. The bipolar linking gives no support for a long-term global cooling caused by the Toba eruption as Antarctica experiences a major warming shortly after the event. Furthermore, our bipolar match provides a way to place palaeoenvironmental records other than ice cores into a precise climatic context.

Original language	English
Journal	Climate of the Past
Volume	9
Pages (from-to)	749-766
Number of pages	17
ISSN	1814-9324
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-749-2013
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2013

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Svensson, A., Bigler, M., Blunier, T., Clausen, H. B., Dahl-Jensen, D., Fischer, H., Johnsen, S. J., Goto-Azuma, K., Kawamura, K., Kipfstuhl, S., Popp, T. J., Rasmussen, S. O., Seierstad, I. K., Steffensen, J. P., Vallelonga, P. T., Vinther, B. M., & Winstrup, M. (2013). Direct linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores at the Toba eruption (74 Ka BP). Climate of the Past, 9, 749-766. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-749-2013

Svensson, A, Bigler, M, Blunier, T, Clausen, HB, Dahl-Jensen, D, Fischer, H, Johnsen, SJ, Goto-Azuma, K, Kawamura, K, Kipfstuhl, S, Popp, TJ, Rasmussen, SO, Seierstad, IK, Steffensen, JP, Vallelonga, PT, Vinther, BM & Winstrup, M 2013, 'Direct linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores at the Toba eruption (74 Ka BP)', Climate of the Past, vol. 9, pp. 749-766. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-749-2013

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title = "Direct linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores at the Toba eruption (74 Ka BP)",

abstract = "The Toba eruption that occurred some 74 ka ago in Sumatra, Indonesia, is among the largest volcanic events on Earth over the last 2 million years. Tephra from this eruption has been spread over vast areas in Asia, where it constitutes a major time marker close to the Marine Isotope Stage 4/5 boundary. As yet, no tephra associated with Toba has been identified in Greenland or Antarctic ice cores. Based on new accurate dating of Toba tephra and on accurately dated European stalagmites, the Toba event is known to occur between the onsets of Greenland interstadials (GI) 19 and 20. Furthermore, the existing linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores by gas records and by the bipolar seesaw hypothesis suggests that the Antarctic counterpart is situated between Antarctic Isotope Maxima (AIM) 19 and 20. In this work we suggest a direct synchronization of Greenland (NGRIP) and Antarctic (EDML) ice cores at the Toba eruption based on matching of a pattern of bipolar volcanic spikes. Annual layer counting between volcanic spikes in both cores allows for a unique match. We first demonstrate this bipolar matching technique at the already synchronized Laschamp geomagnetic excursion (41 ka BP) before we apply it to the suggested Toba interval. The Toba synchronization pattern covers some 2000 yr in GI-20 and AIM- 19/20 and includes nine acidity peaks that are recognized in both ice cores. The suggested bipolar Toba synchronization has decadal precision. It thus allows a determination of the exact phasing of inter-hemispheric climate in a time interval of poorly constrained ice core records, and it allows for a discussion of the climatic impact of the Toba eruption in a global perspective. The bipolar linking gives no support for a long-term global cooling caused by the Toba eruption as Antarctica experiences a major warming shortly after the event. Furthermore, our bipolar match provides a way to place palaeoenvironmental records other than ice cores into a precise climatic context.",

author = "Anders Svensson and Matthias Bigler and Thomas Blunier and Clausen, {Henrik Brink} and Dorthe Dahl-Jensen and H. Fischer and Johnsen, {Sigfus Johann} and K. Goto-Azuma and K. Kawamura and S. Kipfstuhl and Popp, {Trevor James} and Rasmussen, {Sune Olander} and Seierstad, {Inger Kathrine} and Steffensen, {J{\o}rgen Peder} and Vallelonga, {Paul Travis} and Vinther, {Bo M{\o}lles{\o}e} and Mai Winstrup",

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T1 - Direct linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores at the Toba eruption (74 Ka BP)

AU - Svensson, Anders

AU - Bigler, Matthias

AU - Blunier, Thomas

AU - Clausen, Henrik Brink

AU - Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe

AU - Fischer, H.

AU - Johnsen, Sigfus Johann

AU - Goto-Azuma, K.

AU - Kawamura, K.

AU - Kipfstuhl, S.

AU - Popp, Trevor James

AU - Rasmussen, Sune Olander

AU - Seierstad, Inger Kathrine

AU - Steffensen, Jørgen Peder

AU - Vallelonga, Paul Travis

AU - Vinther, Bo Møllesøe

AU - Winstrup, Mai

PY - 2013/5/1

Y1 - 2013/5/1

N2 - The Toba eruption that occurred some 74 ka ago in Sumatra, Indonesia, is among the largest volcanic events on Earth over the last 2 million years. Tephra from this eruption has been spread over vast areas in Asia, where it constitutes a major time marker close to the Marine Isotope Stage 4/5 boundary. As yet, no tephra associated with Toba has been identified in Greenland or Antarctic ice cores. Based on new accurate dating of Toba tephra and on accurately dated European stalagmites, the Toba event is known to occur between the onsets of Greenland interstadials (GI) 19 and 20. Furthermore, the existing linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores by gas records and by the bipolar seesaw hypothesis suggests that the Antarctic counterpart is situated between Antarctic Isotope Maxima (AIM) 19 and 20. In this work we suggest a direct synchronization of Greenland (NGRIP) and Antarctic (EDML) ice cores at the Toba eruption based on matching of a pattern of bipolar volcanic spikes. Annual layer counting between volcanic spikes in both cores allows for a unique match. We first demonstrate this bipolar matching technique at the already synchronized Laschamp geomagnetic excursion (41 ka BP) before we apply it to the suggested Toba interval. The Toba synchronization pattern covers some 2000 yr in GI-20 and AIM- 19/20 and includes nine acidity peaks that are recognized in both ice cores. The suggested bipolar Toba synchronization has decadal precision. It thus allows a determination of the exact phasing of inter-hemispheric climate in a time interval of poorly constrained ice core records, and it allows for a discussion of the climatic impact of the Toba eruption in a global perspective. The bipolar linking gives no support for a long-term global cooling caused by the Toba eruption as Antarctica experiences a major warming shortly after the event. Furthermore, our bipolar match provides a way to place palaeoenvironmental records other than ice cores into a precise climatic context.

AB - The Toba eruption that occurred some 74 ka ago in Sumatra, Indonesia, is among the largest volcanic events on Earth over the last 2 million years. Tephra from this eruption has been spread over vast areas in Asia, where it constitutes a major time marker close to the Marine Isotope Stage 4/5 boundary. As yet, no tephra associated with Toba has been identified in Greenland or Antarctic ice cores. Based on new accurate dating of Toba tephra and on accurately dated European stalagmites, the Toba event is known to occur between the onsets of Greenland interstadials (GI) 19 and 20. Furthermore, the existing linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores by gas records and by the bipolar seesaw hypothesis suggests that the Antarctic counterpart is situated between Antarctic Isotope Maxima (AIM) 19 and 20. In this work we suggest a direct synchronization of Greenland (NGRIP) and Antarctic (EDML) ice cores at the Toba eruption based on matching of a pattern of bipolar volcanic spikes. Annual layer counting between volcanic spikes in both cores allows for a unique match. We first demonstrate this bipolar matching technique at the already synchronized Laschamp geomagnetic excursion (41 ka BP) before we apply it to the suggested Toba interval. The Toba synchronization pattern covers some 2000 yr in GI-20 and AIM- 19/20 and includes nine acidity peaks that are recognized in both ice cores. The suggested bipolar Toba synchronization has decadal precision. It thus allows a determination of the exact phasing of inter-hemispheric climate in a time interval of poorly constrained ice core records, and it allows for a discussion of the climatic impact of the Toba eruption in a global perspective. The bipolar linking gives no support for a long-term global cooling caused by the Toba eruption as Antarctica experiences a major warming shortly after the event. Furthermore, our bipolar match provides a way to place palaeoenvironmental records other than ice cores into a precise climatic context.

U2 - 10.5194/cp-9-749-2013

DO - 10.5194/cp-9-749-2013

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1814-9324

VL - 9

SP - 749

EP - 766

JO - Climate of the Past

JF - Climate of the Past

ER -

Direct linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores at the Toba eruption (74 Ka BP)

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