Relative humidity recorded in tree rings: A study along a precipitation gradient in the Olympic Mountains, Washington, USA

“…However, compared with the studies mentioned above, tree-ring-based relative humidity (RH) studies are still rare (Liu et al, 2003;Shu et al, 2005;Tsuji et al, 2008). This is especially true in northeastern China, where there have been no previous reconstructions of RH.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A tree-ring-based June-September mean relative humidity reconstruction since 1837 from the Yiwulü Mountain region, China

Liu

Wang

et al. 2014

Int. J. Climatol.

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ABSTRACT:The study of humidity is important for better understanding the past climatic variations. However, there have been few long-term humidity reconstructions using tree-ring widths worldwide. Here, we present a June-September mean relative humidity (MRH 69 ) reconstruction from AD 1837 to 2011 using Chinese pine trees (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) from the Yiwulü Mountain region in northeastern China. The reconstruction explained 39.8% of the instrumental variance during the calibration period. We found that precipitation only influenced the MRH 69 on an annual scale (high frequency), but the mean maximum temperature (MMT) impacted the MRH 69 both on an annual scale (high frequency) and decadal time scale (low frequency). The MRH 69 reconstruction showed a consistently increasing trend from AD 1881 to 1990, after which it diminished sharply. More high humidity years occurred after the 1960s and more low humidity years occurred before the 1960s. In the study area, MRH 69 decreased along with global warming after the 1980s. On the decadal scale, there were five high-value MRH 69 intervals: 1842-1850, 1865-1871, 1898-1902, 1823-1927 and 1932-1997; there were five low-value intervals: 1851-1864, 1872-1897, 1903-1922, 1928-1931 and 1998-2006. In addition, the MRH 69 reconstruction showed the large-scale representativeness of sea-land coupling. On the decadal scale, our MRH 69 reconstruction varied synchronously with the Arctic Oscillation index (AOI), suggesting that the AOI might be linked with MRH 69 in the Yiwulü Mountain region. Historical documents and meteorological data indicate that flooding (or drought) often occurred in the years with higher (or lower) humidity compared with the moving average values of the mean relative humidity (MRH).

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“…Temperature and humidity as covariant climate factors affect the stomata conductance and therefore the equilibrium between transpiration and assimilation rate and consequently the isotope composition of tree-ring cellulose (McCarroll and Loader 2004;Shu et al 2005). The isotopic enrichment in leaf water, caused for example by decreased relative air humidity (as well as by increased air temperature), leads to simultaneously increased isotope ratios of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen in stem cellulose and offers the potential for multi-proxy approaches (Saurer et al 1997;McCarroll and Loader 2004;Danis et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A 400-year reconstruction of July relative air humidity for the Vienna region (eastern Austria) based on carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratios in tree-ring latewood cellulose of oaks (Quercus petraea Matt. Liebl.)

et al. 2010

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Stable isotope chronologies of carbon and oxygen for the period from 1600 to 2003 and of non-exchangeable hydrogen for the last century were constructed base upon tree-ring latewood cellulose from oaks (Quercus petraea Matt. Liebl.) grown in the Vienna region (Austria). The stable isotope ratios reflect highly significantly the summer climate conditions. For the reconstruction of temperature and relative air humidity, verifiable bivariate linear regression models were calculated. Hydrogen isotope values clearly enhanced the model verification. The reconstruction of July relative air humidity in the region Vienna (Austria) for the last 400 years was carried out with carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratios. During this period the humidity oscillated around a mean of 74.7 ± 4.4% with wet and dry periods in a cycle of approximately 130 years.

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Relative humidity recorded in tree rings: A study along a precipitation gradient in the Olympic Mountains, Washington, USA

Cited by 36 publications

References 42 publications

Specific climatic signals recorded in earlywood and latewood δ<sup>18</sup>O of tree rings in southwestern China

Specific climatic signals recorded in earlywood and latewood δ<sup>18</sup>O of tree rings in southwestern China

A tree-ring-based June-September mean relative humidity reconstruction since 1837 from the Yiwulü Mountain region, China

A 400-year reconstruction of July relative air humidity for the Vienna region (eastern Austria) based on carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratios in tree-ring latewood cellulose of oaks (Quercus petraea Matt. Liebl.)

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