Climate oscillations and abrupt changes in C14 data

The radiocarbon series are analysed by a method of non-linear spectral analysis to detect time intervals of appearance of non-stationary oscillations of large amplitude, and the times of abrupt changes of their oscillation regime. The analysis shows that the most powerful cycles of the spectra can be interpreted in terms of periods (and their respective higher harmonics) of astronomical origin. An intense stationary sinusoid from the spectrum with period Tsimilar to6500 yr, the 4th harmonic of the period of equinox precession, correlates with the time variations of the geomagnetic dipole moment. The most powerful non-stationary sinusoid with mean period T = 2230 yr, reflects oscillations in C14 data related to the non-dipole part of the geomagnetic field, and correlates with periods of climate warming/cooling. The apparent regularities that can be inferred in the interaction of such two powerful cycles (i.e. stationary and non-stationary parts of the uniform mechanism of the geomagnetic field generation) permit to forecast a tendency of the climate changes. A possible physical mechanism is presented based on a possible transformation, of some signals caused by perturbation of the tidal forces of astronomical origin (that can arise along the orbit of the Earth), into effects that control geophysical systems through small variations of the dissipative parameters of a dynamo system. (C) 2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.