Raimund Muscheler

¹⁰Be deposition in ice cores is widely used for solar reconstructions, but its interpretation is complicated by volcanic influences. Using the state-of-the-art aerosol-climate model ECHAM6.3-HAM2.3-SALSA2.0: ¹⁰Be, we assess the impacts of three major volcanic eruptions: Agung (1963), El Chichón (1982) and Pinatubo (1991). All eruptions enhance stratospheric ¹⁰Be sedimentation, increasing atmospheric ¹⁰Be below the injection altitude for several months, followed by stratospheric ¹⁰Be depletion that takes years to recover. Increases in tropospheric ¹⁰Be and deposition coincide with periods of strong stratosphere–troposphere exchange. Aerosol-induced sedimentation significantly enhances polar ¹⁰Be deposition subsequent to the Pinatubo and El Chichón eruptions but plays a limited role after the Agung eruption. Sensitivity experiments reveal that higher SO₂ injections generally lead to nonlinear increases in global ¹⁰Be deposition. These results underscore the need to account for volcanic influences when interpreting and modeling polar ¹⁰Be records following major eruptions.