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What Do Cosmogenic Isotopes Tell Us about Past Solar Forcing of Climate?

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Solar Variability and Planetary Climates

Part of the book series: Space Sciences Series of ISSI ((SSSI,volume 23))

Abstract

In paleoclimate studies, cosmogenic isotopes are frequently used as proxy indicators of past variations in solar irradiance on centennial and millennial timescales. These isotopes are spallation products of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) impacting Earth’s atmosphere, which are deposited and stored in terrestrial reservoirs such as ice sheets, ocean sediments and tree trunks. On timescales shorter than the variations in the geomagnetic field, they are modulated by the heliosphere and thus they are, strictly speaking, an index of heliospheric variability rather than one of solar variability. Strong evidence of climate variations associated with the production (as opposed to the deposition) of these isotopes is emerging. This raises a vital question: do cosmic rays have a direct influence on climate or are they a good proxy indicator for another factor that does (such as the total or spectral solar irradiance)? The former possibility raises further questions about the possible growth of air ions generated by cosmic rays into cloud condensation nuclei and/or the modulation of the global thunderstorm electric circuit. The latter possibility requires new understanding about the required relationship between the heliospheric magnetic fields that scatter cosmic rays and the photospheric magnetic fields which modulate solar irradiance.

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  1. Space Science and Technology Department, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK

    M. Lockwood

  2. University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, UK

    M. Lockwood

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  1. International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern, Switzerland, Reading, UK

    Y. Calisesi  & R. -M. Bonnet  & 

  2. European Space Agency — European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA-ESTEC), Noordwijk, The Netherlands

    L. Gray  & J. Langen  & 

  3. CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK

    M. Lockwood

  4. University of Southhampton, Southhampton, UK

    M. Lockwood

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Lockwood, M. (2006). What Do Cosmogenic Isotopes Tell Us about Past Solar Forcing of Climate?. In: Calisesi, Y., Bonnet, R.M., Gray, L., Langen, J., Lockwood, M. (eds) Solar Variability and Planetary Climates. Space Sciences Series of ISSI, vol 23. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-48341-2_8

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