Global climate instability reflected by Eastern Mediterranean marine records during the late Holocene

Mosquito-borne viruses are the cause of some of the greatest burdens to human health worldwide, particularly in tropical regions where both human populations and mosquito numbers are abundant. Due to a combination of anthropogenic change, including the effects on global climate and wildlife migration there is strong evidence that temperate regions are undergoing repeated introduction of mosquito-borne viruses and the re-emergence of viruses that previously were not detected by surveillance. In Europe, the repeated introductions of West Nile and Usutu viruses have been associated with bird migration from Africa, whereas the autochthonous transmission of chikungunya and dengue viruses has been driven by a combination of invasive mosquitoes and rapid transcontinental travel by infected humans. In addition to an increasing number of humans at risk, livestock and wildlife, are also at risk of infection and disease. This in turn can affect international trade and species diversity, respectively. Addressing these challenges requires a range of responses both at national and international level. Increasing the understanding of mosquito-borne transmission of viruses and the development of rapid detection methods and appropriate therapeutics (vaccines / antivirals) all form part of this response. The aim of this review is to consider the range of mosquito-borne viruses that threaten public health in Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, and the national response of a number of countries facing different levels of threat.

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A 250-year periodicity in Southern Hemisphere westerly winds over the last 2600 years

Climate of the Past ◽

10.5194/cp-12-189-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 189-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

C. S. M. Turney ◽

R. T. Jones ◽

C. Fogwill ◽

J. Hatton ◽

A. N. Williams ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Southern Hemisphere ◽

Global Climate Change ◽

Late Holocene ◽

Global Climate ◽

Falkland Islands ◽

The Core ◽

Atmosphere System ◽

Westerly Winds ◽

Ocean Atmosphere ◽

Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds

Abstract. Southern Hemisphere westerly airflow has a significant influence on the ocean–atmosphere system of the mid- to high latitudes with potentially global climate implications. Unfortunately, historic observations only extend back to the late 19th century, limiting our understanding of multi-decadal to centennial change. Here we present a highly resolved (30-year) record of past westerly wind strength from a Falkland Islands peat sequence spanning the last 2600 years. Situated within the core latitude of Southern Hemisphere westerly airflow (the so-called furious fifties), we identify highly variable changes in exotic pollen and charcoal derived from South America which can be used to inform on past westerly air strength. We find a period of high charcoal content between 2000 and 1000 cal. years BP, associated with increased burning in Patagonia, most probably as a result of higher temperatures and stronger westerly airflow. Spectral analysis of the charcoal record identifies a pervasive ca. 250-year periodicity that is coherent with radiocarbon production rates, suggesting that solar variability has a modulating influence on Southern Hemisphere westerly airflow. Our results have important implications for understanding global climate change through the late Holocene.

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Global climate change amplifies the entry of tropical species into the eastern Mediterranean Sea

Limnology and Oceanography ◽

10.4319/lo.2010.55.4.1478 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 55 (4) ◽

pp. 1478-1484 ◽

Cited By ~ 118

Author(s):

Dionysios E. Raitsos ◽

Gregory Beaugrand ◽

Dimitrios Georgopoulos ◽

Argyro Zenetos ◽

Antonietta M. Pancucci-Papadopoulou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Global Climate Change ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Global Climate ◽

Tropical Species ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Sea

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Late-Holocene Formation of Lake Michigan Beach Ridges Correlated with a 70-yr Oscillation in Global Climate

Quaternary Research ◽

10.1006/qres.1996.0033 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 321-326 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Paul A. Delcourt ◽

William H. Petty ◽

Hazel R. Delcourt

Keyword(s):

Late Holocene ◽

Lake Michigan ◽

Global Climate ◽

Temperature Oscillation ◽

Beach Ridges ◽

Climate Fluctuations ◽

The Past ◽

Fundamental Part ◽

Atmosphere System ◽

Centennial Time Scale

AbstractA radiocarbon-dated series of 75 beach ridges, formed at regular intervals averaging 72 yr over the past 5400 yr, provides further support for the existence of a 70-yr oscillation in Northern Hemisphere climate, postulated recently from instrument data representing less than two cycles of this climate oscillation. Results from this study lend support to the interpretation that internal variations in the ocean–atmosphere system are an important factor in climate fluctuations on a decadal–centennial time scale. A temperature oscillation with a period of about 70 yr has been a previously unrecognized but fundamental part of the global climate system since at least the middle Holocene.

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Palaeohydrologic interpretations of Holocene wet episodes recorded in stalagmites from Soreq Cave, Israel: Linking the magnetic and isotopic properties of speleothems

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9159 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yuval Burstyn ◽

Ron Shaar ◽

Jonathan Keinan ◽

Yael Ebert ◽

Avner Ayalon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Late Holocene ◽

Magnetic Particles ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Magnetic Data ◽

Turnover Rates ◽

Climate Fluctuations ◽

Arid Conditions ◽

Soil Organic Matter Turnover ◽

Hydrological System ◽

Semi Arid

Soil-derived magnetic particles trapped in speleothems can retain valuable information on the physiochemical conditions of the overlying soil and changes in the hydrological system. However, a direct link between magnetic and isotopic properties of speleothems has been only qualitatively established and is known to vary regionally. Here we investigate two Holocene speleothems from Soreq Cave, Israel and provide evidence for strong coupling over centennial to millennial timescales between the inflow of magnetic particles (quantified using the magnetic flux index, IRMflux), &#948;13C, and rainfall amounts. The two stalagmites formed at separate intervals: one at ~9.5 ky BP capturing the transition from pluvial Eastern Mediterranean conditions associated with Sapropel 1 (S1) and a second at 5.4 ky BP recording mid-Holocene wet-dry cycles.The late-Holocene speleothem shows an anomalously high &#948;13C episode that is correlated with extremely low IRMflux, indicating minimal contribution from overlying soils due to either (1) recently denuded soils, or (2) high overland and vadose runoff. By contrast, the mid-Holocene sample shows saw-tooth cycles in both &#948;18O and &#948;13C, which are interpreted as rapid climate fluctuations associated with rainfall changes. IRMflux during this period varies in-phase with the &#948;13C cycles; however, the peaks in IRMflux values precede those of the isotope values. The apparent lag in isotopic values may be explained by the faster response of the IRMflux to increased rainfall resulting from the rapid physical translocation of overlying soil particles via groundwater, compared with slower soil organic matter turnover rates, which may vary on timescales of up to thousands of years.The separate palaeohydrological scenarios resolved from the two speleothems demonstrate how magnetic data can act as a powerful paleo-hydrology proxy, even in weakly-magnetized speleothems growing under semi-arid conditions.

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