Reality of a UV window during the geomagnetic excursion event of Mono Lake-Laschamps and possible link to the disappearance of the Neanderthals

Project Information

REVA

Grant agreement ID: 101018098

DOI

10.3030/101018098

Project closed

EC signature date 9 March 2021

Start date 1 May 2021

End date 30 April 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 196 707,84

EU contribution

€ 196 707,84

Coordinated by

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - REVA (Reality of a UV window during the geomagnetic excursion event of Mono Lake-Laschamps and possible link to the disappearance of the Neanderthals)

Reporting period: 2021-05-01 to 2023-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

This Marie Skłodowska Curie Action (MSCA) action is titled ‘Reality of a UV Window during the Laschmap Geomagentic Excursion’. The project investigates the possibility of destruction/thinning of the ozone layer and thereby formation of a ‘window’ in Earth’s atmosphere for the penetration of UV rays during major changes in the Earth’s magnetic field (i.e. Geomagnetic Excursions).


This topic is important for both science and society as such geomagnetic excursion events are likely to also occur in the future. The penetration of UV radiation into the troposphere during such events can have major implications for the environment, ecology, and above all for life on the planet. So far, it had remained unclear if such events could trigger the formation of UV windows or not.

The overall objective is to investigate geomagnetic excursions in the past caused a massive depletion of the ozone layer or not creating UV windows.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Sulfate was isolated from Vostok 3G ice cores and a 800 year record of sulfate concentrations was established. Ice was also acquired from Greenland ice core consortium and the same analysis was conducted. Triple sulfur isotopes were measured on these samples using Neptune MC-ICP-MS facility at CPRG Nancy.

Two papers were published during the course of this project. The first paper focusing on the use of sulfur isotopes in ice core sulfate as a tracer for ozone depletion, and the second paper on testing the precision of a novel laser-based technique for the simultaneous measurements of S-isotopes of H2S. A final paper is underway encompassing the main findings of the project. We expect the publication in 2023-24

The work has been presented in major conferences.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Impacts anticipated by project REVA is to broaden the scope of S-isotope geochemistry, foster new collaborations between isotope geochemists, physio-climate modelers and possibly anthropologists/archaeologists. Key findings from this project are relevant for the (1) Scientific panels related to ozone such as the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) of United Nations Environmental Program;(2) Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). A final aspect is the appeal for general public as the findings serve as basis for predicting possible threats to the human civilization in the future from changes in the magnetic field intensity.

Earth's ozone layer a threat from magnetic field collapses