Natural Climate Variability During the Holocene

Abstract

High-precision radiocarbon age calibration for different terrestrial samples allows us to establish accurate boundaries for many climatic time series. At the same time, the fluctuations of 14C content reflect solar variability. A bispectrum analysis of long-term series of the 14C content deduced from decadal measurements in tree rings demonstrates the existence of amplitude modulation, with a period of main modulation of ~2400 yr. In 14C time series for the last 11 kyr, major oscillations are distinguished at 8.5-7.8, 5.4-4.7, 2.6-2.2, and 1.1-0.4 cal kyr BP with ~2400-yr periodicity. High amplitudes in cosmogenic isotope content with a periodicity of about 2400 yr appear synchronous to cooling events documented in Greenland ice cores, to the timing of worldwide Holocene glacier expansion, and to the periods of lake-level changes. This paper focuses on revealing solar forcing on the Earths climate and about the nature, significance, and impact of sharp Holocene climate variability on human societies and civilizations.