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Updated: Jan 11, 2026
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Quantifying Mixing using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: January 25, 2012
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Joint Inversion of Radionuclide Production Rate Data and Thermoremanent Magnetic Records over the Holocene
Maximilian Arthus Schanner1, Andreas Nilsson2, Raimund Muscheler2
1GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Section 2.3 Geomagnetism, Potsdam, Germany.
Solar Physics
|November 10, 2025
Summary
This study reconstructs past solar activity and Earth's magnetic field using a Bayesian model. It reveals distinct periods of low solar activity (grand solar minima) and normal solar behavior over the Holocene epoch.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Solar Physics
- Geophysics
Background:
- Long-term solar variability is crucial for understanding past climate change.
- Direct solar observations are limited to the last 400 years.
- Cosmogenic radionuclides (Carbon-14 and Beryllium-10) provide indirect solar activity proxies over millennia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct solar modulation and the global geomagnetic field throughout the Holocene.
- To develop a Bayesian model integrating radionuclide and paleomagnetic data.
- To identify long-term trends and distinct modes of solar activity.
Main Methods:
- Bayesian modeling approach.
- Joint reconstruction of solar modulation and geomagnetic field.
- Incorporation of Carbon-14 and Beryllium-10 production rate data.
- Integration of thermoremanent magnetic records.
Main Results:
- Successful reconstruction of solar modulation and geomagnetic field over the Holocene.
- Clear identification of grand solar minima and a normal solar activity mode.
- Evidence for long-term trends and potential recovery of the 11-year solar cycle.
Conclusions:
- The Bayesian model effectively reconstructs past solar and geomagnetic activity.
- Past solar variability exhibits distinct modes, including prolonged periods of low activity.
- This research enhances our understanding of the Sun's influence on Earth's climate over geological timescales.
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