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A 305-year continuous monthly rainfall series for the island of Ireland (1711–2016)

This work reconstructs a continuous 305-year rainfall record for Ireland. The series reveals remarkable variability in decadal rainfall – far in excess of the typical period of digitised data. Notably, the series sheds light on exceptionally wet winters in the 1730s and wet summers in the 1750s. The derived record, one of the longest continuous series in Europe, offers a firm basis for benchmarking other long-term records and reconstructions of past climate both locally and across Europe.

Simulation of climate, ice sheets and CO2 evolution during the last four glacial cycles with an Earth system model of intermediate complexity

Ice cores reveal that atmospheric CO₂ concentration varied synchronously with the global ice volume. Explaining the mechanism of glacial–interglacial variations of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and the link between CO₂ and ice sheets evolution still remains a challenge. Here using the Earth system model of intermediate complexity we performed for the first time simulations of co-evolution of climate, ice sheets and carbon cycle using the astronomical forcing as the only external forcing.

Latest Permian carbonate carbon isotope variability traces heterogeneous organic carbon accumulation and authigenic carbonate formation

Stratigraphic trends in the carbon isotope composition of calcium carbonate rock can be used as a stratigraphic tool. An important assumption when using these isotope chemical records is that they record a globally universal signal of marine water chemistry. We show that carbon isotope scatter on a confined centimetre stratigraphic scale appears to represent a signal of microbial activity. However, long-term carbon isotope trends are still compatible with a primary isotope imprint.

Climate of migration? How climate triggered migration from southwest Germany to North America during the 19th century

This paper presents the extent to which climate, harvest and prices influenced the major migration waves from southwest Germany into North America during the 19th century, a century of dramatic climatic and societal changes.

Regional Antarctic snow accumulation over the past 1000 years

Regional Antarctic snow accumulation derived from 79 ice core records is evaluated as part of the PAGES Antarctica 2k working group. Our results show that surface mass balance for the total Antarctic ice sheet has increased at a rate of 7 ± 0.13 Gt dec^-1 since 1800 AD, representing a net reduction in sea level of ~ 0.02 mm dec^-1 since 1800 and ~ 0.04 mm dec^-1 since 1900 AD. The largest contribution is from the Antarctic Peninsula.

The Plio-Pleistocene climatic evolution as a consequence of orbital forcing on the carbon cycle

Ice ages are paced by astronomical parameters. On longer timescales, the astronomy also acts on climate, as evidenced by the 400 kyr signature observed in carbon isotopic records. In this paper, I present a conceptual model that links the astronomy to the dynamics of organic carbon in coastal areas. The model reproduces the carbon isotopic records and a two-step decrease in atmospheric CO₂that would explain the Pleistocene (~ 2.8 Myr BP) and mid-Pleistocene (~ 0.8 Myr BP) transition.

Astronomical calibration of the Ypresian timescale: implications for seafloor spreading rates and the chaotic behavior of the solar system?

We assembled a very accurate geological timescale from the interval 47.8 to 56.0 million years ago, also known as the Ypresian stage. We used cyclic variations in the data caused by periodic changes in Earthäs orbit around the sun as a metronome for timescale construction. Our new data compilation provides the first geological evidence for chaos in the long-term behavior of planetary orbits in the solar system, as postulated almost 30 years ago, and a possible link to plate tectonics events.

Periodic input of dust over the Eastern Carpathians during the Holocene linked with Saharan desertification and human impact

We present the first record of dust input into an eastern European bog over the past 10 800 years. We find significant changes in past dust deposition, with large inputs related to both natural and human influences. We show evidence that Saharan desertification has had a significant impact on dust deposition in eastern Europe for the past 6100 years.

A record of Neogene seawater δ11B reconstructed from paired δ11B analyses on benthic and planktic foraminifera

Understanding the boron isotopic composition of seawater (δ¹¹B_sw) is key to calculating absolute estimates of CO₂ using the boron isotope pH proxy. Here we use the boron isotope gradient, along with an estimate of pH gradient, between the surface and deep ocean to show that the δ¹¹B_sw varies by ~ 2 ‰ over the past 23 million years. This new record has implications for both δ¹¹B_sw and CO₂ records and understanding changes in the ocean isotope composition of a number of ions through time.

Last Interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice sheet–climate model

We simulate the climate, ice sheet, and sea-level evolution during the Last Interglacial (~ 130 to 115 kyr BP), the most recent warm period in Earth’s history. Our Earth system model includes components representing the atmosphere, the ocean and sea ice, the terrestrial biosphere, and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. Our simulation is in good agreement with available data reconstructions and gives important insights into the dominant mechanisms that caused ice sheet changes in the past.

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