Summer maximum temperature in northern France over the past century: instrumental data versus multiple proxies (tree-ring isotopes, grape harvest dates and forest fires)

Abstract

Summer maximum temperature in northern France over the past century: instrumental data versus multiple proxies (tree-ring isotopes, grape harvest dates and forest fires) N. Etien · V. Daux · V. Masson-Delmotte · O. Mestre · M. Stievenard · M. T. Guillemin · T. Boettger · N. Breda · M. Haupt · P. P. Perraud Abstract Changes in maximum spring and summer temperature are expected to have impacts on plant phenology and the occurrence of forest fires. Homogenised instrumental records of maximum spring and summer temperature are available in northern France for the past century, as well as documentary records of grape harvest dates and forest fire frequencies. Here we provide a new proxy of seasonal climate obtained by the analysis of latewood tree ring cellulose isotopic composition (δ 18 O, δ 13 C and δD), from 15 living oak trees (Quercus petraea) sampled in the Fontainebleau forest, near Paris. For the past 30 years, we have conducted a study on the inter-tree (for oxygen isotopes) and inter-station (for oxygen and hydrogen) N. Etien · V. Daux · V. Masson-Delmotte · M. Stievenard · M. T. Guillemin

Reconstruction du climat à partir de la composition isotopique de l'oxygène et du carbone des cernes d'arbres

“…La première voie consiste à combiner différentes archives (arbres-dates de vendanges, arbres-lacs, arbres-spéléothèmes, arbres-glaciers, etc. ), dans l'optique de minimiser les biais propres à chacune (par exemple, Etien et al, 2009 ;Sidorova et al, 2010). La seconde voie, expérimentale, se consacre à la mesure des compositions isotopiques des fluides (pluie, eau du sol et des feuilles, sève et vapeur) et des différents composants de l'arbre (sucre, cellulose, lignine, etc.…”

Seasonal climate impacts on the grape harvest date in Burgundy (France)

“…From the correlation pattern (Fig. 2), it follows that the GHD acts like a local temperature proxy as the correlation of a maximal growing season temperature time series of France (April-toSeptember) with European temperatures results in a similar pattern (Etien et al, 2009). Nevertheless, the Burgundy GHD series can be used as proxy for Central and Western Europe.…”

“…Nevertheless, the Burgundy GHD series can be used as proxy for Central and Western Europe. The GHD-AAT relationship is well established and has been used for several temperature reconstructions (e.g., Chuine et al, 2004;Etien et al, 2008Etien et al, , 2009Guiot et al, 2005). Additionally, the GHD series can be used to test reconstruction datasets for the pre-instrumental period, which were derived from other sources.…”

“…Meier et al (2007) used linear-regression to reconstruct Swiss AAT. GHD series were applied for bi-proxy (Etien et al, 2008) and multiproxyreconstructions (Etien et al, 2009;Guiot et al, 2005;Mann et al, 2008) as well as for checking other reconstructions (Brázdil et al, 2010;Masson-Delmotte et al, 2005). The GHD was also taken into account when discussing the summer heatwave in 2003 (Chuine et al, 2004;Menzel, 2005;García-Herrera et al, 2010;Keenan, 2007).…”

A Bayesian model for predicting local El Niño events using tree ring widths and cellulose δ18O

“…The oxygen isotopic signature of tree ring cellulose contains information about environmental source water, relative humidity or leaf temperature during carbon fixation, as well as inherent plant physiological processes [Burk and Stuiver, 1981;Dawson and Ehleringer, 1993;Feng and Epstein, 1996;Anderson et al, 2002;Helle and Schleser, 2004;McCarroll and Loader, 2004;Etien et al, 2008;Helliker and Richter, 2008]. Differences in regional temperature and precipitation produce varying isotopic fractionation effects for d…”