Temporal Variations in the 10Be Concentration Levels Found in the Dye 3 Ice Core, Greenland

In order to study in some detail the variability of the 10 Be concentration and its correlation with climatic parameters such as δ 18 O we have investigated 28 samples of the deep ice core from Dye 3, Greenland, covering the depth interval from 1 860 to 1 890 m which corresponds to the period 30 to 40 ka BP. The results show that the mean 10 Be concentration during this period is higher by a factor of 1.7 than during the twentieth century and that there is a correlation between 10 Be results and δ 18 O values. A possible explanation is that during cold periods (low δ 18 O values) precipitation rates are lower and therefore the number of 10 Be atoms per gram of ice is higher. However, processes strongly related to δ 18 O values alone cannot explain the entire variability of the 10 Be results.