Radiocarbon records are critical to understanding the history of Earth’s climate, magnetic field, and the Sun’s activity, say researchers.
Radiocarbon records are critical to understanding the history of Earth’s climate, magnetic field, and the Sun’s activity, say researchers.
In an article published in the journal Science, scientists have highlighted how recent advances in our knowledge of past radiocarbon levels are improving our understanding of climate processes, solar activity, geophysics and the carbon cycle.
Understanding the past is essential to understanding our present and to projecting Earth’s potential changes in the future. Developing an accurate record of atmospheric radiocarbon extending back 55,000 years helps researchers understand Earth’s processes and consequently improve projections of climate change.
Radiocarbon also tells us about the possibility of past extreme solar storms, orders of magnitude greater than any instrumentally observed. Similar storms today would have the potential to catastrophically damage our communications networks and electricity grids.
Read more at University of Sheffield
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