Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

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Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years. / Loulergue, Laetitia; Schilt, Adrian; Spahni, Renato; Masson-Delmotte, Valérie; Blunier, Thomas; Lemieux, Bénédicte; Barnola, Jean-Marc; Raynaud, Dominique; Stocker, Thomas F; Chappellaz, Jérôme.

In: Nature, Vol. 453, No. 7193, 2008, p. 383-6.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Loulergue, L, Schilt, A, Spahni, R, Masson-Delmotte, V, Blunier, T, Lemieux, B, Barnola, J-M, Raynaud, D, Stocker, TF & Chappellaz, J 2008, 'Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years', Nature, vol. 453, no. 7193, pp. 383-6. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06950

APA

Loulergue, L., Schilt, A., Spahni, R., Masson-Delmotte, V., Blunier, T., Lemieux, B., Barnola, J-M., Raynaud, D., Stocker, T. F., & Chappellaz, J. (2008). Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years. Nature, 453(7193), 383-6. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06950

Vancouver

Loulergue L, Schilt A, Spahni R, Masson-Delmotte V, Blunier T, Lemieux B et al. Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years. Nature. 2008;453(7193):383-6. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06950

Author

Loulergue, Laetitia ; Schilt, Adrian ; Spahni, Renato ; Masson-Delmotte, Valérie ; Blunier, Thomas ; Lemieux, Bénédicte ; Barnola, Jean-Marc ; Raynaud, Dominique ; Stocker, Thomas F ; Chappellaz, Jérôme. / Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years. In: Nature. 2008 ; Vol. 453, No. 7193. pp. 383-6.

Bibtex

@article{e3560f90cce811dd9473000ea68e967b,
title = "Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years",
abstract = "Atmospheric methane is an important greenhouse gas and a sensitive indicator of climate change and millennial-scale temperature variability. Its concentrations over the past 650,000 years have varied between approximately 350 and approximately 800 parts per 10(9) by volume (p.p.b.v.) during glacial and interglacial periods, respectively. In comparison, present-day methane levels of approximately 1,770 p.p.b.v. have been reported. Insights into the external forcing factors and internal feedbacks controlling atmospheric methane are essential for predicting the methane budget in a warmer world. Here we present a detailed atmospheric methane record from the EPICA Dome C ice core that extends the history of this greenhouse gas to 800,000 yr before present. The average time resolution of the new data is approximately 380 yr and permits the identification of orbital and millennial-scale features. Spectral analyses indicate that the long-term variability in atmospheric methane levels is dominated by approximately 100,000 yr glacial-interglacial cycles up to approximately 400,000 yr ago with an increasing contribution of the precessional component during the four more recent climatic cycles. We suggest that changes in the strength of tropical methane sources and sinks (wetlands, atmospheric oxidation), possibly influenced by changes in monsoon systems and the position of the intertropical convergence zone, controlled the atmospheric methane budget, with an additional source input during major terminations as the retreat of the northern ice sheet allowed higher methane emissions from extending periglacial wetlands. Millennial-scale changes in methane levels identified in our record as being associated with Antarctic isotope maxima events are indicative of ubiquitous millennial-scale temperature variability during the past eight glacial cycles.",
author = "Laetitia Loulergue and Adrian Schilt and Renato Spahni and Val{\'e}rie Masson-Delmotte and Thomas Blunier and B{\'e}n{\'e}dicte Lemieux and Jean-Marc Barnola and Dominique Raynaud and Stocker, {Thomas F} and J{\'e}r{\^o}me Chappellaz",
note = "Keywords: Atmosphere; Greenhouse Effect; History, Ancient; Ice Cover; Methane; Temperature; Time Factors; Tropical Climate; Wetlands",
year = "2008",
doi = "10.1038/nature06950",
language = "English",
volume = "453",
pages = "383--6",
journal = "Nature",
issn = "0028-0836",
publisher = "nature publishing group",
number = "7193",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years

AU - Loulergue, Laetitia

AU - Schilt, Adrian

AU - Spahni, Renato

AU - Masson-Delmotte, Valérie

AU - Blunier, Thomas

AU - Lemieux, Bénédicte

AU - Barnola, Jean-Marc

AU - Raynaud, Dominique

AU - Stocker, Thomas F

AU - Chappellaz, Jérôme

N1 - Keywords: Atmosphere; Greenhouse Effect; History, Ancient; Ice Cover; Methane; Temperature; Time Factors; Tropical Climate; Wetlands

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Atmospheric methane is an important greenhouse gas and a sensitive indicator of climate change and millennial-scale temperature variability. Its concentrations over the past 650,000 years have varied between approximately 350 and approximately 800 parts per 10(9) by volume (p.p.b.v.) during glacial and interglacial periods, respectively. In comparison, present-day methane levels of approximately 1,770 p.p.b.v. have been reported. Insights into the external forcing factors and internal feedbacks controlling atmospheric methane are essential for predicting the methane budget in a warmer world. Here we present a detailed atmospheric methane record from the EPICA Dome C ice core that extends the history of this greenhouse gas to 800,000 yr before present. The average time resolution of the new data is approximately 380 yr and permits the identification of orbital and millennial-scale features. Spectral analyses indicate that the long-term variability in atmospheric methane levels is dominated by approximately 100,000 yr glacial-interglacial cycles up to approximately 400,000 yr ago with an increasing contribution of the precessional component during the four more recent climatic cycles. We suggest that changes in the strength of tropical methane sources and sinks (wetlands, atmospheric oxidation), possibly influenced by changes in monsoon systems and the position of the intertropical convergence zone, controlled the atmospheric methane budget, with an additional source input during major terminations as the retreat of the northern ice sheet allowed higher methane emissions from extending periglacial wetlands. Millennial-scale changes in methane levels identified in our record as being associated with Antarctic isotope maxima events are indicative of ubiquitous millennial-scale temperature variability during the past eight glacial cycles.

AB - Atmospheric methane is an important greenhouse gas and a sensitive indicator of climate change and millennial-scale temperature variability. Its concentrations over the past 650,000 years have varied between approximately 350 and approximately 800 parts per 10(9) by volume (p.p.b.v.) during glacial and interglacial periods, respectively. In comparison, present-day methane levels of approximately 1,770 p.p.b.v. have been reported. Insights into the external forcing factors and internal feedbacks controlling atmospheric methane are essential for predicting the methane budget in a warmer world. Here we present a detailed atmospheric methane record from the EPICA Dome C ice core that extends the history of this greenhouse gas to 800,000 yr before present. The average time resolution of the new data is approximately 380 yr and permits the identification of orbital and millennial-scale features. Spectral analyses indicate that the long-term variability in atmospheric methane levels is dominated by approximately 100,000 yr glacial-interglacial cycles up to approximately 400,000 yr ago with an increasing contribution of the precessional component during the four more recent climatic cycles. We suggest that changes in the strength of tropical methane sources and sinks (wetlands, atmospheric oxidation), possibly influenced by changes in monsoon systems and the position of the intertropical convergence zone, controlled the atmospheric methane budget, with an additional source input during major terminations as the retreat of the northern ice sheet allowed higher methane emissions from extending periglacial wetlands. Millennial-scale changes in methane levels identified in our record as being associated with Antarctic isotope maxima events are indicative of ubiquitous millennial-scale temperature variability during the past eight glacial cycles.

U2 - 10.1038/nature06950

DO - 10.1038/nature06950

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18480822

VL - 453

SP - 383

EP - 386

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

SN - 0028-0836

IS - 7193

ER -

ID: 9224179