Abstract
Improved reconstructions of cosmogenic isotope production through time are crucial to understand past solar variability. As a preliminary step to derive atmospheric 36Cl/Cl solar proxy time‐series from speleothems, we quantify 36Cl sources in cave dripwaters. Atmospheric 36Cl fallout rates are a potential proxy for solar output; however extraneous 36Cl derived from in‐situ production in cave host‐rocks could complicate the solar signal. Results from numerical modeling and preliminary geochemical data presented here show that the atmospheric 36Cl source dominates in many, but not all cave dripwaters. At favorable low elevation, mid‐latitude sites, 36Cl based speleothem solar irradiance reconstructions could extend back to 500 ka, with a possible centennial scale temporal resolution. This would represent a marginal improvement in resolution compared with existing polar ice core records, with the added advantages of a wider geographic range, independent U‐series constrained chronology, and the potential for contemporaneous climate signals within the same speleothem material.
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