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    Original Research Papers

    Atmospheric CO2 during the 13th century AD: reconciliation of data from ice core measurements and stomatal frequency analysis

    Authors:

    Thomas B. van Hoof ,

    Department of Palaeoecology, Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Utrecht University, NL
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    Karsten A. Kaspers,

    Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, NL
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    Friederike Wagner,

    Department of Palaeoecology, Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Utrecht University, NL
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    Roderik S. W. van de Wal,

    Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, NL
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    Wolfram M. Kürschner,

    Department of Palaeoecology, Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Utrecht University, NL
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    Henk Visscher

    Department of Palaeoecology, Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Utrecht University, NL
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    Abstract

    Atmospheric CO2 reconstructions are currently available from direct measurements of air enclosures in Antarctic ice and, alternatively, from stomatal frequency analysis performed on fossil leaves. A period where both methods consistently provide evidence for natural CO2 changes is during the 13th century ad. The results of the two independent methods differ significantly in the amplitude of the estimated CO2 changes (10 ppmv ice versus 34 ppmv stomatal frequency). Here, we compare the stomatal frequency and ice core results by using a firn diffusion model in order to assess the potential influence of smoothing during enclosure on the temporal resolution as well as the amplitude of the CO2 changes. The seemingly large discrepancies between the amplitudes estimated by the contrasting methods diminish when the raw stomatal data are smoothed in an analogous way to the natural smoothing which occurs in the firn.

    How to Cite: van Hoof, T.B., Kaspers, K.A., Wagner, F., van de Wal, R.S.W., Kürschner, W.M. and Visscher, H., 2005. Atmospheric CO2 during the 13th century AD: reconciliation of data from ice core measurements and stomatal frequency analysis. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 57(4), pp.351–355. DOI: http://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v57i4.16555
      Published on 01 Jan 2005
    Peer Reviewed
     CC BY 4.0
     Accepted on 22 Mar 2005            Submitted on 12 Nov 2004

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