Deglacial to middle Holocene (16,600 to 6000 calendar years BP) climate change in the northeastern United States inferred from multi-proxy stable isotope data, Seneca Lake, New York

AbstractA radiocarbon date of A.D. 1070 ± 60 was linked to the remains of maize (Zea mays), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), and squash (Cucñrbita pepo) at the Roundtop site in the Susquehanna River valley of New York by William Ritchie in 1969 and 1973 publications. This date established the presence of beans in the Northeast at an earlier time than in most other areas of the eastern United States, where they are generally rare before A.D. 1300. Subsequently beans have been reported in pre-A.D.1300 contexts from at least eight other sites in the Northeast. Recent calibrated AMS dates on beans from Roundtop are no earlier than A.D. 1300 (Hart 1999a). Given that the original Roundtop date was responsible for the acceptance of early beans in the Northeast, the AMS dates suggested that beans may not become archaeologically visible there until ca. A.D. 1300. AMS dates on beans from four other sites, reported here, substantiate the Roundtop results. Beans and by extension maize-beans-squash intercropping are not evident in the Northeast before ca. A.D. 1300.

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Integrated behavioural and stable isotope data reveal altered diet linked to low breeding success in urban-dwelling blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-017-04575-y ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Christopher J. Pollock ◽

Pablo Capilla-Lasheras ◽

Rona A. R. McGill ◽

Barbara Helm ◽

Davide M. Dominoni

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotope ◽

Breeding Success ◽

Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽

Isotope Data ◽

Blue Tits ◽

Stable Isotope Data

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Examining the Climatology of Shortwave Radiation in the Northeastern United States

Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology ◽

10.1175/jamc-d-16-0420.1 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 56 (10) ◽

pp. 2869-2881

Author(s):

Janel Hanrahan ◽

Alexandria Maynard ◽

Sarah Y. Murphy ◽

Colton Zercher ◽

Allison Fitzpatrick

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

United States ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Predictor Variable ◽

Shortwave Radiation ◽

Northeastern United States ◽

Weather Patterns ◽

Long Term Trends

AbstractAs demand for renewable energy grows, so does the need for an improved understanding of renewable energy sources. Paradoxically, the climate change mitigation strategy of fossil fuel divestment is in itself subject to shifts in weather patterns resulting from climate change. This is particularly true with solar power, which depends on local cloud cover. However, because observed shortwave radiation data usually span a decade or less, persistent long-term trends may not be identified. A simple linear regression model is created here using diurnal temperature range (DTR) during 2002–15 as a predictor variable to estimate long-term shortwave radiation (SR) values in the northeastern United States. Using an extended DTR dataset, SR values are computed for 1956–2015. Statistically significant decreases in shortwave radiation are identified that are dominated by changes during the summer months. Because this coincides with the season of greatest insolation and the highest potential for energy production, financial implications may be large for the solar energy industry if such trends persist into the future.

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