Strong carbon release from the deep ocean induced a major atmospheric 14C drop over Heinrich Stadial 1

Using the modern global distributions of apparent 14C ventilation ages and DIC we established a transfer function to trace past changes in the carbon storage of ocean waters >2000 m water depth. On this basis we concluded that the LGM carbon inventory was approximately 730-980 Gt larger than during pre-industrial times. This amount compares well with an estimated glacial transfer of 530-700 Gt from both the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere in addition to a major DIC relocation from ocean intermediate waters. We consider that the LGM atmosphere contained 190 ppm CO2 (~375 Gt C) with a 14C concentration 1.4 times higher than that of the standard modern atmosphere (fMC) (Reimer et al. 2009). The LGM deep ocean had an average reservoir age of 2100 yr, which means that its 14C concentration was 0.77 times that of the LGM atmosphere, 1.08 times that of the modern atmosphere (fMC). During the subsequent early deglac¬ial Heinrich Stadial 1, a large portion of this 14C depleted carbon was released to the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere (Monnin et al. 2001; Ciais et al. 2012). Our estimates suggest that the ocean-atmosphere exchange, producing this deglacial transfer of deep-ocean carbon, was sufficient to account for a 190-permil drop in atmospheric 14C. Thus an alleged major 'mystery' of last deglacial times, the source of 14C-depleted additional atmospheric carbon, appears solved. -- Ciais, P., Tagliabue, A., Cuntz, M., Bopp, L., et al. (2012), Large inert carbon pool in the terrestrial biosphere during the Last Glacial Maximum. Nature Geoscience 5, 74-79. Monnin, E., et al. (2001), Atmospheric CO2 concentrations over the last glacial termination. Science 291, 112-114. Reimer, P., et al. (2009), INTCAL09 and MARINE09 radiocarbon age calibration curves, 0-50,000 years cal. BP. Radiocarbon 51, 1111-1150.