Reconstruction of geomagnetic dipole moment variations for the last glacial period based on cosmogenic radionuclides from Greenland ice cores

Geomagnetic dipole moment variations, for example associated with polarity reversals and excursions, are linked to changes in cosmogenic radionuclide production rates. Therefore, it is possible to reconstruct past changes in the dipole moment based on cosmogenic radionuclide records from natural archives such as ice cores. Here we present a geomagnetic dipole moment reconstruction based on ¹⁰Be and ³⁶Cl data from two Greenland ice cores over the period from 11.7 ka to 108 ka BP (before present AD 1950). We find significant correlations between the cosmogenic radionuclides and climate proxies which may be due to the common transport and deposition processes of these species. In an attempt to minimize climate-related variations in our dipole moment reconstruction, we apply a multi-linear correction method by removing common variability between ¹⁰Be and ³⁶Cl and climate parameters (accumulation, δ¹⁸O and aerosol data) from the radionuclide records. The comparison of the resulting cosmogenic radionuclide-based dipole reconstruction with independent geomagnetic field records shows good agreement. This validates the use of cosmogenic radionuclides in ice cores to reconstruct past geomagnetic dipole moment variations after correction for the climate effect.