Climate response to astronomical forcing

Power spectrum analysis of the oxygen isotopic records of deep-sea cores cannot be directly used for correlation studies with the astronomical forcing functions because of the rapidity of the major deglaciations. The ensuing step change in the isotopic curves, repeated at somewhat irregular intervals, produces, in fact, substantial spectral energy in a wide frequency band that includes the frequencies of the precessional parameters. The isotopic fluctuations within the ramp sections of a composite core curve have been found to be highly correlated with the precessional parameters, indicating a linear response of climate to these parameters and verifying, at the same time, the essential correctness of the time scale adopted. A direct correlation of eccentricity with the major glacial/interglacial cycle is doubtful because some of the eccentricity minima have absolute values of the same order as some of the maxima, while the isotopic amplitude remains essentially constant. In order to test if the major cycle could be related to a terrestrial parameter exhibiting an asymmetric relaxation fluctuation, we have added an asymmetric saw-tooth function to an artificial curve constructed from the precessional parameters on the basis of optimal response amplitude. The curve thus generated reproduces the original isotopic curve with a similarity sufficient to warrant a close search and analysis of the relaxation process.