A multi-proxy approach for revealing recent climatic changes in the Russian Altai

Abstract

For the first time we present a multi-proxy data set for the Russian Altai, consisting of Siberian larch treering width (TRW), latewood density (MXD), d13 C and d18 O in cellulose chronologies obtained for the period 1779-2007 and cell wall thickness (CWT) for 1900-2008. All of these parameters agree well between each other in the high-frequency variability, while the low-frequency climate information shows systematic differences. The correlation analysis with temperature and precipitation data from the closest weather station and gridded data revealed that annual TRW, MXD, CWT, and d 13 C data contain a strong summer temperature signal, while d18 O in cellulose represents a mixed summer and winter temperature and precipitation signal. The temperature and precipitation reconstructions from the Belukha ice core and Teletskoe lake sediments were used to investigate the correspondence of different independent proxies. Low frequency patterns in TRW and d 13 C chronologies are consistent with temperature reconstructions from nearby Belukha ice core and Teletskoe lake sediments showing a pronounced warming trend in the last century. Their combination could be used for the regional temperature reconstruction. The long-term d18 O trend agrees with the precipitation reconstruction from the Teletskoe lake sediment indicating more humid conditions during the twentieth century. Therefore, these two proxies could be combined for the precipitation reconstruction.

Early summer temperature changes in the southern Altai Mountains of Central Asia during the past 300 years

“…Tree-ring width based temperature reconstructions Systematic dendroclimatological studies of the Altai Mountains began in 1980 (Zhang et al, 2008). Since then, many dendroclimatological studies have been performed in the western , middle (Sidorova et al, 2012), and eastern (Davi et al, 2009) Altai Mountains. Most of these studies have focused on the development of tree-ring chronologies and the response of tree growth to climate (Panyushkina et al, 2005;Zhang et al, 2007;Shang et al, 2010a;Hu et al, 2011;Li et al, 2011;Myglana et al, 2012;Chen et al, 2012a).…”

Climatic response of ring width and maximum latewood density of Larix sibirica in the Altay Mountains, reveals recent warming trends

“…In strongly exposed locations, it may be no bigger than a shrub. Several tree-ring chronologies of Siberian larch, as climatic proxy records, have been developed from the Altay Mountains in recent decades (Ovtchinnikov et al 2000;Briffa et al 2002;Frank et al 2007;Myglan et al 2008;Loader et al 2010;Dulamsuren et al 2010;Sidorova et al 2011;Chen et al 2011). In the course of these studies, growth-climate relationships in different regions and across environmental gradients were evaluated (Frank et al 2007;Dulamsuren et al 2010;Chen et al 2011).…”

Bayesian multiproxy temperature reconstruction with black spruce ring widths and stable isotopes from the northern Quebec taiga

“…Multiproxy approaches at the regional scale have already been used with successful results (Sidorova et al 2012(Sidorova et al , 2013. For example, McCarroll et al (2013) improved their temperature reconstruction by combining chronologies of ring width, ring density and annual tree height growth from Scandinavian sites.…”