Collaborative Research: A High-sensitivity Beryllium-10 Record from an Ice Core at South Pole

An isotope of the element beryllium, 10Be, is produced in the atmosphere by high-energy protons (cosmic rays) that enter Earth's atmosphere from space. It is removed from the atmosphere by settling or by scavenging by rain or snowfall.

Hence, concentrations of 10Be in snow at the South Pole reflect the production rate of 10Be in the atmosphere. Because the rate of production of 10Be over Antarctica depends primarily on the strength of the Sun's magnetic field, measurements of 10Be in the South Pole ice core provide a record of changes in solar activity. To ain interpretation of the South Pole 10Be record, a climate model that can simulate the production of 10Be in the atmosphere, it's transport through the atmosphere, and its deposition at the snow surface in Antarctica is used to quantify the impact of climate noise on the 10Be signal.