Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Early 14 C increase in high-latitude trees at 665–664 BC

Bibliographic Data

ID8130579
AuthorsJunghun Park (0000-0002-8613-4418, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources), Joonas Uusitalo (0000-0001-6944-0264, University of Helsinki, corresponding author), Wan Hong (0000-0003-1691-4723, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources), G Park (0000-0002-4714-4410, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources), Kilho Sung (Gesellschaft für Nuklear Service (Germany)), Thomas Hackman (University of Helsinki), Samuli Helama (0000-0002-9777-3354, Natural Resources Institute Finland), Harri Mäkinen (0000-0002-1820-6264, Natural Resources Institute Finland), Pekka Nöjd (Natural Resources Institute Finland), Markku Oinonen (0000-0002-0881-7643, University of Helsinki)
Year2026
Volume68
Issue2
Pages1-10
Publication date2026-03-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueRadiocarbon (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-8222 • E-ISSN: 1945-5755
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/rdc.2026.10195
OpenAlexW7133359028
LanguageEN
References cited39

The discovery of radiocarbon ( 14 C) peaks in AD 774–775 and AD 993–994 sparked the search for other anomalous events, leading to the identification of one around 660 BC. However, the ∼660 BC event appears to show a more prolonged increase, raising the question whether the event is qualitatively different. To investigate this, we measured high-latitude tree rings from Finnish Lapland, expected to be highly sensitive to energetic particle events. We measured the 14 C content of full rings, as well as their separated earlywood and latewood components. We found that the 14 C concentrations start rising already in the latewood of 665 BC and reach almost its full intensity by 664 BC. This rapid increase is similar to that at another high-latitude site (Yamal, Russia) but contrasts with that of low-latitude sites, which show a later peak. The earlier increase of the 14 C at high-latitude tree rings compared to lower latitudes is consistent with similar observations for the AD 774 and AD 993 Miyake events. Based on carbon-cycle box modeling, the structure of the subsequent amplitude increase can be explained by either single or double initial 14 C pulses. The fast increase coupled with a slower subsequent peak structure suggests similar mechanisms behind the high-latitude observations, i.e., tropospheric 14 C production and/or a fast component of polar air flow across the tropopause combined with the full stratospheric-tropospheric CO 2 exchange. Our results strongly emphasize the need for dynamic carbon cycle models to understand the observed differences between high- and lower-latitude data

Carbon cycle · Event (particle physics · Latitude · Polar · Radiocarbon dating · Tropopause · Troposphere · Astro and Planetary Science · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Tree-ring climate responses

  • A signature of cosmic-ray increase in ad 774–775 from tree rings in Japan

    Open Access•Fusa Miyake, Kentaro Nagaya et al.•Nature•2012

  • More Rapid 14 C Excursions in the Tree-Ring Record

    Open Access•A J T Jull, Irina Panyushkina et al.•Radiocarbon•2018

  • A New 1MV AMS Facility at Kigam

    Open Access•Wan Hong, Jung Hun Park et al.•Radiocarbon•2010

  • Relationship between solar activity and Δ 14 C peaks in AD 775, AD 994, and 660 BC

    Open Access•Junghun Park, John Southon et al.•Radiocarbon•2017

  • Years of Tropospheric 14 C Observations in Central Europe

    Open Access•Ingeborg Levin, Bernd Kromer et al.•Radiocarbon•1985

  • Radiocarbon Concentration in Sub-Annual Tree Rings From Poland Around 660 Bce

    Open Access•Andrzej Rakowski, Jacek Pawlyta et al.•Radiocarbon•2024

  • Establishment of Chemical Preparation Methods and Development of an Automated Reduction System for AMS Sample Preparation at Kigam

    Open Access•Wan Hong, Jung Hun Park et al.•Radiocarbon•2010

  • Can the 14 C Production in 1055 Ce Be Affected by Sn1054

    Open Access•F Terrasi, Fabio Marzaioli et al.•Radiocarbon•2020

  • Atmospheric Radiocarbon for the Period 1950–2010

    Open Access•Quan Hua, Mike Barbetti et al.•Radiocarbon•2013

  • Estimation of the Occurrence Time of the Δ 14 C Peak in Ad 775 Based on the Oxidation Time of 14 C in the Atmosphere and Δ 14 C Values in Subannual Tree Rings

    Open Access•Junghun Park, Jeong-Wook Seo et al.•Radiocarbon•2020

Citation velocityhistorical
Highly citedNo
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae