| 1. |
- Barnekow, Lena, et al.
(author)
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Strong correlation between summer temperature and pollen accumulation rates for Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies and Betula spp. in a high resolution record from northern Sweden
- 2007
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In: Journal of Quaternary Science. - : Wiley. - 1099-1417 .- 0267-8179. ; 22:7, s. 653-658
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Highly resolved pollen spectra analysed from a 47cm peat monolith recovered from a mire in northern Sweden exhibit climatic sensitivity in the pollen accumulation rates (PAR) of boreal treeline species. Robust temporal control, afforded through multiple AMS radiocarbon dating of the post atomic bomb-test period (AD1961-AD2002), provides a unique opportunity to compare pollen accumulation rates with the instrumental meteorological record. A series of strong correlations are observed between summer temperature and PAR for Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies and Betula spp. (excluding B. nana). Despite well constrained, contiguous (“annual”) sampling, the temporal resolution of the pollen signal preserved within each sample appears to be degraded to ca. 3-5 year resolution. This is likely to reflect processes occurring during peat accumulation and pollen deposition, as well as dating uncertainties and the effects of sub-sampling. These findings identify limitations to the maximum resolution that may realistically be recovered from the peat archive using high resolution sampling protocols and AMS 14C dating. We also identify the need for additional work to quantify the role of climate on peat accumulation and the resultant impact on assemblage based palaeoenvironmental reconstructions within mire sequences. The strongest climate association observed for Picea abies (r2adjusted = 0.53; n=36), was extended through the monolith beyond the 42 year period of “annual” sampling and the response successfully correlated with the Bottenviken historical instrumental record to AD1860. Although only presenting data from a single site, and requiring wider replication, we conclude that for sites close to the ecological limits of tree species, where levels of anthropogenic/non-climatic forcing on pollen production are low, well-dated records of PAR may potentially provide a proxy for reconstructing past summer temperature variability.
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| 2. |
- Campbell, Rochelle, et al.
(author)
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BLUE INTENSITY IN PINUS SYLVESTRIS TREE RINGS : A MANUAL FOR A NEW PALAEOCLIMATE PROXY
- 2011
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In: TREE-RING RESEARCH. - : Tree-Ring Society. - 1536-1098. ; 67:2, s. 127-134
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Minimum blue intensity is a reflected light imaging technique that provides an inexpensive, robust and reliable surrogate for maximum latewood density. In this application it was found that temperature reconstructions from resin-extracted samples of Pious sylvestris (L.) from Fennoscandia provide results equivalent to conventional x-ray densitometry. This paper describes the implementation of the blue intensity method using commercially available software and a flat-bed scanner. A calibration procedure is presented that permits results obtained by different laboratories, or using different scanners, to be compared. In addition, the use of carefully prepared and chemically treated 10-mm-diameter cores are explored; suggesting that it may not be necessary to produce thin laths with the rings aligned exactly perpendicular to the measurement surface.
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| 3. |
- Fogtmann-Schulz, Alexandra, et al.
(author)
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Batch processing of tree-ring samples for radiocarbon analysis
- 2021
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In: Radiocarbon. - 0033-8222. ; 63:1, s. 77-89
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We here present a comparison of methods for the pretreatment of a batch of tree rings for high-precision measurement of radiocarbon at the Aarhus AMS Centre (AARAMS), Aarhus University, Denmark. The aim was to develop an efficient and high-Throughput method able to pretreat ca. 50 samples at a time. We tested two methods for extracting α-cellulose from wood to find the most optimal for our use. One method used acetic acid, the other used HCl acid for the delignification. The testing was conducted on background 14C samples, in order to assess the effect of the different pretreatment methods on low-Activity samples. Furthermore, the extracted wood and cellulose fractions were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, which showed a successful extraction of α-cellulose from the samples. Cellulose samples were pretreated at AARAMS, and the graphitization and radiocarbon analysis of these samples were done at both AARAMS and the radiocarbon dating laboratory at Lund University to compare the graphitization and AMS machine performance. No significant offset was found between the two sets of measurements. Based on these tests, the pretreatment of tree rings for high-precision radiocarbon analysis at AARAMS will henceforth use HCI for the delignification.
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| 4. |
- Gagen, Mary, et al.
(author)
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Cloud response to summer temperatures in Fennoscandia over the last thousand years
- 2011
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 38, s. L05701-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cloud cover is one of the most important factors controlling the radiation balance of the Earth. The response of cloud cover to increasing global temperatures represents the largest uncertainty in model estimates of future climate because the cloud response to temperature is not well-constrained. Here we present the first regional reconstruction of summer sunshine over the past millennium, based on the stable carbon isotope ratios of pine treerings from Fennoscandia. Comparison with the regional temperature evolution reveals the Little Ice Age (LIA) to have been sunny, with cloudy conditions in the warmest periods of the Medieval at this site. A negative shortwave cloud feedback is indicated at high latitude. A millennial climate simulation suggests that regionally low temperatures during the LIA were mostly maintained by a weaker greenhouse effect due to lower humidity. Simulations of future climate that display a negative shortwave cloud feedback for high-latitudes are consistent with our proxy interpretation. Citation: Gagen, M., E. Zorita, D. McCarroll, G. H. F. Young, H. Grudd, R. Jalkanen, N. J. Loader, I. Robertson, and A. Kirchhefer (2011), Cloud response to summer temperatures in Fennoscandia over the last thousand years, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L05701, doi:10.1029/2010GL046216.
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| 5. |
- Kaislahti Tillman, Päivi, 1958-, et al.
(author)
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Long-term climate variability in continental subarctic Canada : A 6200-year record derived from stable isotopes in peat
- 2010
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In: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0031-0182 .- 1872-616X. ; 298:3, s. 235-246
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The rapid warming of arctic regions during recent decades has been recorded by instrumental monitoring, but the natural climate variability in the past is still sparsely reconstructed across many areas. We have reconstructed past climate changes in subarctic west-central Canada. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (δ13C, δ18O) were derived from a single Sphagnum fuscum plant component; α-cellulose isolated from stems. Periods of warmer and cooler conditions identified in this region, described in terms of a “Mediaeval Climatic Anomaly” and “Little Ice Age” were registered in the temperature reconstruction based on the δ13C record. Some conclusions could be drawn about wet/dry shifts during the same time interval from the δ18O record, humification indices and the macrofossil analysis. The results were compared with other proxy data from the vicinity of the study area. The amplitude of the temperature change was similar to that in chironomid based reconstructions, showing c. 6.5±2.3°C variability in July temperatures during the past 6.2 ka.
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| 6. |
- Kaislahti Tillman, Päivi, 1958-, et al.
(author)
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Stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in Sphagnum fuscum peat from subarctic Canada : implications for palaeoclimate studies
- 2010
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In: Chemical Geology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0009-2541 .- 1872-6836. ; 270:1-4, s. 216-226
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in single plant components in Sphagnum peat have a good potential to reveal environmental changes in peat archives. Two peat profiles, covering the past ~6000 years, and a Sphagnum hummock from a discontinuous permafrost area in west central Canada were studied in order to evaluate the effect of decomposition rate on isotope records and to assess which plant components are most suitable for climate reconstructions. The stable isotope values from the most recently forming Sphagnum tissues were compared with observational climate data to study the impact of variations in temperature and precipitation on the peat isotopes. Our results show that there is high correlation between δ13C values in α-cellulose isolated from Sphagnum fuscum stems and summer temperatures, whereas δ18O in the plant tissues is controlled by several factors, such as summer precipitation, summer temperature and evaporation. According to our results, decomposition as derived from C/N values and colorimetry does not seem to affect the oxygen and carbon isotope values of α-cellulose from Sphagnum fuscum peat significantly. There is, however, a (quasi-) constant offset between the isotope values of branches and stems and between whole plant material and α-cellulose, which makes it crucial to select single moss-fractions when past climate and environmental changes are to be derived from the isotope record.
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| 7. |
- Linderholm, Hans W., 1968, et al.
(author)
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Arctic hydroclimate variability during the last 2000 years – current understanding and research challenges
- 2018
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In: Climate of the Past. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1814-9324 .- 1814-9332. ; 14, s. 473-514
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reanalysis data show an increasing trend in Arctic precipitation over the 20th century, but changes are not homogenous across seasons or space. The observed hydroclimate changes are expected to continue and possibly accelerate in the coming century, not only affecting pan-Arctic natural ecosystems and human activities, but also lower latitudes through the atmospheric and ocean circulations. However, a lack of spatiotemporal observational data makes reliable quantification of Arctic hydroclimate change difficult, especially in a long-term context. To understand Arctic hydroclimate and its variability prior to the instrumental record, climate proxy records are needed. The purpose of this review is to summarise the current understanding of Arctic hydroclimate during the past 2000 years. First, the paper reviews the main natural archives and proxies used to infer past hydroclimate variations in this remote region and outlines the difficulty of disentangling the moisture from the temperature signal in these records. Second, a comparison of two sets of hydroclimate records covering the Common Era from two data-rich regions, North America and Fennoscan-dia, reveals inter- and intra-regional differences. Third, building on earlier work, this paper shows the potential for providing a high-resolution hydroclimate reconstruction for the Arctic and a comparison with last-millennium simulations from fully coupled climate models. In general, hydroclimate proxies and simulations indicate that the Medieval Climate Anomaly tends to have been wetter than the Little Ice Age (LIA), but there are large regional differences. However, the regional coverage of the proxy data is inadequate, with distinct data gaps in most of Eurasia and parts of North America, making robust assessments for the whole Arctic impossible at present. To fully assess pan-Arctic hydroclimate variability for the last 2 millennia, additional proxy records are required.
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| 8. |
- Loader, Neil J., et al.
(author)
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Spring temperature variability in northern Fennoscandia AD 1693–2011
- 2011
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In: Journal of Quaternary Science. - : Wiley. - 0267-8179 .- 1099-1417. ; 26:6, s. 566-570
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A reconstruction of spring (April–May) temperature for northern Fennoscandia developed from the Tornionjoki (Tornio river) long cryophenological record of ice break-up dates, back to AD 1693, is presented. The record is strongly climatically sensitive and explains 67% of the variance in the instrumental data over the last 150 years. The record exhibits a stepped decrease in the duration of the river's ice cover by 14 days, equivalent to an increase in April–May mean temperature of approximately 2.5°C over the last three centuries. The relationship between the date of ice break-up, and accumulated daily mean temperatures (>0°C) is investigated. Uncertainty in the observation of ice break-up is also considered in addition to the potential of this time series for regional climate model validation.
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| 9. |
- Martin, Peter, et al.
(author)
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Climatic controls on the survival and loss of ancient types of barley on North Atlantic Islands
- 2023
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In: Climatic Change. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0165-0009 .- 1573-1480. ; 176:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- For ancient types of barley at sites in the Scottish Isles, Faroes, and Iceland, we calculated minimum temperature requirements for grain production (grain production threshold, GPT) as accumulated degree days over the cropping season. Site suitability for barley from AD 1200 to 2000 was investigated by comparing these thresholds with reconstructions of annual cropping season degree days (CSDD) using temperature and tree-ring data. In Iceland, between AD 1200 and 1500, reconstructed CSDD were more favorable in the southwest (Reykjavik), with fewer years below the GPT, than in the North, East and West, but there were two periods (1340–1389 and 1426–1475) with low average CSDD and several years below the GPT which possibly influenced the abandonment of barley cultivation around this time. Reconstructed CSDD for the Faroes (Tórshavn) had only one year below the GPT, but 15 periods of four or more consecutive years with low CSDD which would have challenged barley cultivation, especially in the thirteenth century. Reconstructed CSDD were highest for the Scottish Isles, allowing a more prominent role of barley in the farming system and economy. Nevertheless, years with poor harvests or famines were common and about half were associated with low CSDD, resulting in a significant temperature link but also demonstrating the important contribution of other factors. Despite frequent unfavorable years in both the Faroes and Scottish Isles, resilient production systems, well-adapted barley strains and socio-economic factors allowed barley cultivation to continue, and some ancient types to survive to the present day.
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| 10. |
- Mccarroll, Danny, et al.
(author)
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A critical evaluation of multi-proxy dendroclimatology in northern Finland
- 2011
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In: Journal of Quaternary Science. - : Wiley. - 0267-8179 .- 1099-1417. ; 26:1, s. 7-14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Twentieth-century summer (July-August) temperatures in northern Finland are reconstructed using ring widths, maximum density and stable carbon isotope ratios (delta(13)C) of Scots pine tree rings, and using combinations of these proxies. Verification is based on the coefficient of determination (r(2)), reduction of error (RE) and coefficient of efficiency (CE) statistics. Of the individual proxies, delta(13)C performs best, followed by maximum density. Combining delta(13)C and maximum density strengthens the climate signal but adding ring widths leads to little improvement. Blue intensity, an inexpensive alternative to X-ray densitometry, is shown to perform similarly. Multi-proxy reconstruction of summer temperatures from a single site produces strong correlations with gridded climate data over most of northern Fennoscandia. Since relatively few trees are required (<15) the approach could be applied to long sub-fossil chronologies where replication may be episodically low.
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