Synchronizing ¹⁰Be in two varved lake sediment records to IntCal13 ¹⁴C during three grand solar minima

Abstract

Timescale uncertainties between paleoclimate reconstructions often inhibit studying the exact timing, spatial expression and driving mechanisms of climate variations. Detecting and aligning the globally common cosmogenic radionuclide production signal via a curve fitting method provides a tool for the quasi-continuous synchronization of paleoclimate archives. In this study, we apply this approach to synchronize 10Be records from varved sediments of Tiefer See and Lake Czechowskie covering the Maunder, Homeric and 5500 a BP grand solar minima with 14C production rates inferred from the IntCal13 calibration curve. Our analyses indicate best fits with 14C production rates when the 10Be records from Tiefer See were shifted for 8 (−12∕ + 4) (Maunder Minimum), 31 (−16∕ + 12) (Homeric Minimum) and 86 (−22∕ + 18) years (5500 a BP grand solar minimum) towards the past. The best fit between the Lake Czechowskie 10Be record for the 5500 a BP grand solar minimum and 14C production was obtained when the 10Be time series was shifted 29 (−8∕ + 7) years towards present. No significant fits were detected between the Lake Czechowskie 10Be records for the Maunder and Homeric minima and 14C production, likely due to intensified in-lake sediment resuspension since about 2800 a BP, transporting old 10Be to the coring location. Our results provide a proof of concept for facilitating 10Be in varved lake sediments as a novel synchronization tool required for investigating leads and lags of proxy responses to climate variability. However, they also point to some limitations of 10Be in these archives, mainly connected to in-lake sediment resuspension processes.