The impact of air mass circulation dynamics on Late Holocene paleoclimate in northwestern North America

Spooner, Ian; Barnes, Sira E.; Baltzer, K.B; Raeside, Rob; Osborn, Gerald; Mazzucchi, David

doi:10.1016/s1040-6182(02)00196-9

Cited by 28 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Correlative sand horizons in the Woods Lake sediment core, interpreted to be the result of marine incursions, could indicate a regional mechanism of sand input, such as fires or winds (Stolze et al, 2007). An increase in regional fires may have increased the inorganic sediment load to Tiny Lake by reducing vegetation cover and increasing erosion (Wainman and Mathewes, 1987;Spooner et al, 2003). A detailed postglacial fire history does not exist for this region of coastal BC, but fires were common in southern BC during the early Holocene and an increase in regional fire disturbance could have affected Woods Lake as well, where relatively high levels of the fire indicator Pteridium occur Hebda, 2002, 2003;Stolze et al, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A possible mechanism for climate heterogeneity on a synoptic scale in coastal BC is a dynamic AL pressure system (Dean and Kemp, 2004). This semi-permanent air mass is modelled to have intensified during the early Holocene in response to an orbitally induced decrease in solar insolation, a pattern that would have generated more intense and numerous mid-latitude cyclones and steered them into northern BC and Alaska (Klein, 1949;Heusser et al, 1985;COHMAP Members, 1988;Cayan and Peterson, 1989;Trenberth and Hurrell, 1994;Mantua and Hare, 2002;Spooner et al, 2003). The meso-scale climate asynchrony possibly observed within the SBIC at this time suggests that this region was at the southern extent of immediate influence of this intensifying air mass.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Postglacial vegetation and climate dynamics in the Seymour‐Belize Inlet Complex, central coastal British Columbia, Canada: palynological evidence from Tiny Lake

Galloway

Doherty

Patterson

et al. 2009

J Quaternary Science

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A pollen-based study from Tiny Lake in the Seymour-Belize Inlet Complex of central coastal British Columbia, Canada, permits an evaluation of the dynamic response of coastal temperate rainforests to postglacial climate change. Open Pinus parklands grew at the site during the early Lateglacial when the climate was cool and dry, but more humid conditions in the later phases of the Lateglacial permitted mesophytic conifers to colonise the region. Early Holocene conditions were warmer than present and a successional mosaic of Tsuga heterophylla and Alnus occurred at Tiny Lake. Climate cooling and moistening at 8740 AE 70 14 C a BP initiated the development of closed, late successional T. heterophylla-Cupressaceae forests, which achieved modern character after 6860 AE 50 14 C a BP, when a temperate and very wet climate became established. The onset of early Holocene climate cooling and moistening at Tiny Lake may have preceded change at more southern locations, including within the Seymour-Belize Inlet Complex, on a meso-to synoptic scale. This would suggest that an early Holocene intensification of the Aleutian Low pressure system was an important influence on forest dynamics in the Seymour-Belize Inlet Complex and that the study region was located near the southern extent of immediate influence of this semi-permanent air mass.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postglacial vegetation and climate dynamics in the Seymour‐Belize Inlet Complex, central coastal British Columbia, Canada: palynological evidence from Tiny Lake

Galloway

Doherty

Patterson

et al. 2009

J Quaternary Science

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“…Spooner et al (2003), on the other hand, point out the importance of increasing Pacific moisture based on their compilation of pollen records from 15 lakes in northern British Columbia. They argue that progressive west-to-east increases of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) pollen in these lake records between w4000 and 2000 14 C yr BP (w4500e2000 cal BP) track the increasing inland penetration of warm maritime airmasses that are associated with a strengthened and/or a more easterly position of the Aleutian Low and intensification of ENSO.…”

Section: British Columbia Recordsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced Late Holocene ENSO/PDO expression along the margins of the eastern North Pacific

Barron

Anderson

2011

Quaternary International

140

158

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a b s t r a c tPacific climate is known to have varied during the Holocene, but spatial patterns remain poorly defined. This paper compiles terrestrial and marine proxy data from sites along the northeastern Pacific margins and proposes that they indicate 1) suppressed ENSO conditions during the middle Holocene between w8000 and 4000 cal BP with a North Pacific that generally resembled a La Niña-like or more negative PDO phase and 2) a climate transition between w4200 and 3000 cal BP that appears to be the teleconnected expression to a more modern-like ENSO Pacific. Compared to modern day conditions, the compiled data suggest that during the middle Holocene, the Aleutian Low was generally weaker during the winter and/or located more to the west, while the North Pacific High was stronger during the summer and located more to the north. Coastal upwelling off California was more enhanced during the summer and fall but suppressed during the spring. Oregon and California sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were cooler. The Santa Barbara Basin had an anomalous record, suggesting warmer SSTs.Late Holocene records indicate a more variable, El Niño-like, and more positive PDO Pacific. The Aleutian Low became more intensified during the winter and/or located more to the east. The North Pacific High became weaker and/or displaced more to the south. Coastal upwelling off California intensified during the spring but decreased during the fall. Oregon and California SSTs became warmer, recording the shoreward migration of sub-tropical gyre waters during the fall, while spring upwelling (cooler SST) increased in the Santa Barbara Basin. The high-resolution proxy records indicate enhanced ENSO and PDO variability after w4000 cal BP off southern California, w3400 cal BP off northern California, and by w2000 cal BP in southwestern Yukon. A progressively northward migration of the ENSO teleconnection during the late Holocene is proposed.

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“…Such regional climatic heterogeneity and absence of long-term high-resolution paleoclimatic data make it difficult to adequately describe sub-century scale regional paleoclimate and investigate forcing mechanisms that caused Holocene climatic change. Recent studies have explored the possibility of cyclic variations in solar output Wiles et al, 2004) and North Pacific ocean-atmosphere circulation changes (Heusser et al, 1985;Moore et al, 2002a,b;Spooner et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional atmospheric circulation change in the North Pacific during the Holocene inferred from lacustrine carbonate oxygen isotopes, Yukon Territory, Canada

et al. 2005

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Analyses of sediment cores from Jellybean Lake, a small, evaporation-insensitive groundwater-fed lake, provide a record of changes in North Pacific atmospheric circulation for the last¨7500 yr at 5-to 30-yr resolution. Isotope hydrology data from the southern Yukon indicate that the oxygen isotope composition of water from Jellybean Lake reflects the composition of mean-annual precipitation, y 18 O p . Recent changes in the y 18 O of Jellybean sedimentary calcite (y 18 O ca ) correspond to changes in the North Pacific Index (NPI), a measure of the intensity and position of the Aleutian Low (AL) pressure system. This suggests that y 18 O p variability was related to the degree of fractionation during moisture transport from the Gulf of Alaska across the St. Elias Mountains and that Holocene shifts were controlled by the intensity and position of the AL. Following this model, between¨7500 and 4500 cal yr B.P., long-term trends suggest a predominantly weaker and/or westward AL. Between¨4500 and 3000 cal yr B.P. the AL shifted eastward or intensified before shifting westward or weakening between¨3000 and 2000 cal yr B.P. Rapid shifts eastward and/or intensification occurred¨1200 and 300 cal yr B.P. Holocene changes in North Pacific atmospheric circulation inferred from Jellybean Lake oxygen isotopes correspond with late Holocene glacial advances in the St. Elias Mountains, changes in North Pacific salmon abundance, and shifts in atmospheric circulation over the Beaufort Sea.

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The impact of air mass circulation dynamics on Late Holocene paleoclimate in northwestern North America

Cited by 28 publications

References 22 publications

Postglacial vegetation and climate dynamics in the Seymour‐Belize Inlet Complex, central coastal British Columbia, Canada: palynological evidence from Tiny Lake

Postglacial vegetation and climate dynamics in the Seymour‐Belize Inlet Complex, central coastal British Columbia, Canada: palynological evidence from Tiny Lake

Enhanced Late Holocene ENSO/PDO expression along the margins of the eastern North Pacific

Regional atmospheric circulation change in the North Pacific during the Holocene inferred from lacustrine carbonate oxygen isotopes, Yukon Territory, Canada

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