The Driftless Oaks: A new network of tree-ring chronologies to improve regional perspectives of drought in the Upper Midwest, USA

2020 ◽  
pp. 030913332096067
Author(s):  
Evan R Larson ◽  
Sara A Allen ◽  
Chris A Underwood
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Driftless Area ◽  
The North ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Drought Reconstruction

New and updated multi-century tree-ring chronologies from living oak trees, remnants, and archeological beams from across the Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin and northeast Iowa, USA, were developed to fill a spatial gap in the network of available tree-ring chronologies. We produced a robust 303-year summer drought reconstruction (June–August Palmer’s Modified Drought Index (PMDI): r 2 = 0.45) that identified clusters of extreme droughts and pluvials (PMDI ≤ –4.0 or ≥ 4.0) in the early 1700s and more even distributions of drought conditions, with the exception of the post 1930s period when drought became relatively infrequent. Compared to the Living Blended Drought Atlas (LBDA) and the North American Drought Atlas (NADA), our reconstruction more accurately represented moderate moisture conditions across the Driftless Area, the NADA and LBDA more closely represented extreme pluvials, and our reconstruction and the LBDA better represented extreme drought years. The three reconstructions largely captured the same high-frequency variability in drought conditions and differed most at low frequencies. Significant correlations were identified between our reconstruction and corn ( r = 0.30, n = 91, p = 0.002) and soybean ( r = 0.25, n = 81, p = 0.012) yields, with the strength of the correlations increasing over recent decades suggesting a tighter coupling of interannual climate variability and crop productivity in the region. Superposed epoch analyses indicated significantly wetter conditions in the Driftless Area two years after major volcanic eruptions. In the context of long-term climatic variability, the Driftless Oaks drought reconstruction demonstrated that drought and pluvial conditions more extreme than those experienced during the instrumental record have occurred in the past.

scholarly journals Spring temperature variability over Turkey since 1800 CE reconstructed from a broad network of tree-ring data

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nesibe Köse ◽  
H. Tuncay Güner ◽  
Grant L. Harley ◽  
Joel Guiot
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Summer Precipitation ◽  
Temperature Reconstruction ◽  
Temperature Variability ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Spring Temperature ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
Tree Ring Data

Abstract. The meteorological observational period in Turkey, which starts ca. 1930 CE, is too short for understanding long-term climatic variability. Tree rings have been used intensively as proxy records to understand summer precipitation history of the region, primarily because they have a dominant precipitation signal. Yet, the historical context of temperature variability is unclear. Here, we used higher-order principle components of a network of 23 tree-ring chronologies to provide a high-resolution spring (March–April) temperature reconstruction over Turkey during the period 1800–2002. The reconstruction model accounted for 67 % (Adj. R2 =  0.64, p < 0.0001) of the instrumental temperature variance over the full calibration period (1930–2002). The reconstruction is punctuated by a temperature increase during the 20th century; yet extreme cold and warm events during the 19th century seem to eclipse conditions during the 20th century. We found significant correlations between our March–April spring temperature reconstruction and existing gridded spring temperature reconstructions for Europe over Turkey and southeastern Europe. Moreover, the precipitation signal obtained from the tree-ring network (first principle component) showed highly significant correlations with gridded summer drought index reconstruction over Turkey and Mediterranean countries. Our results showed that, beside the dominant precipitation signal, a temperature signal can be extracted from tree-ring series and they can be useful proxies in reconstructing past temperature variability.

scholarly journals Tree ring effects and ice core acidities clarify the volcanic record of the 1st millennium

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1799-1820
Author(s):  
M. G. L. Baillie ◽  
J. McAneney
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Environmental Response ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
The North ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Core Project ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract. Various attempts have been made to link tree-ring and ice-core records, something vital for the understanding of the environmental response to major volcanic eruptions in the past. Here we demonstrate that, by taking note of the spacing between events, it is possible to clarify linkages between tree-response, as witnessed by frost rings in bristlecone pines from Western North America and volcanic acid deposition in ice cores. The results demonstrate that in the 6th and 7th centuries of the current era, and presumably for all earlier dates, the key European ice chronologies from the North Greenland Ice Core Project, namely Dye3, GRIP, NGRIP and NEEM appear to have been wrongly dated by 7 years, with the ice dates being too old. Similar offsets are observed for the Antarctic Law Dome and West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide WDC06A ice-core chronologies that have been linked to the Greenland record. Importantly, the results clarify which frost rings in bristlecone pines are related to volcanic activity and which may be the result of other causes. In addition, it is possible to show that ice core researchers have used inappropriate linkages to tree effects to justify their chronology.

scholarly journals Drought responsiveness in two Mexican conifer species forming young stands at high elevations

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. e012-e012
Author(s):  
Eduardo D. Vivar-Vivar ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Precipitation Regime ◽  
Seasonal Drought ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Abies Religiosa

Aim of study: To determine the response of high-altitudinal forests to seasonal drought. Area of study: Monte Tláloc, Estado de México and Rancho Joyas del Durazno, Municipality of Río Verde, San Luis Potosí, México. Materials and methods: In this study, we evaluate the response to drought and hydroclimate in two young Mexican conifers sampled at high elevation, correlating records of tree-ring growth and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Main results: The results show that Pinus teocote and Abies religiosa are vulnerable to the precipitation regime and warm conditions of winter-spring. The physiological response mechanisms seem to be differentiated between the species, according to the effects of drought stress. The NDVI demonstrated the different temporal responses of the species according to their inherent physiological mechanisms in response to hydroclimatic limitations. This differentiation can be attributed to the spatial variation present in the particular physical and geographic conditions of each area. The dry and warm seasonal climates reveal P. teocote and A. religiosa to be species that are vulnerable to drought conditions. However, further evaluation of the resistance and resilience of these species is necessary, as well as disentanglement of the effects of associated mechanisms that can influence the predicted processes of extinction or migration. Research highlights: Pinus teocote and Abies religiosa are vulnerable to the seasonal drought conditions. These results are of particular importance given the climatic scenarios predicted for elevated ecotones. Tree-ring widths and NDVI improved the response of radial growth to the climate, enhancing our understanding of forest growth dynamics. The response to climatic variability depends on the particular species.

scholarly journals French summer droughts since 1326 CE: a reconstruction based on tree ring cellulose <i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1101-1117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inga Labuhn ◽  
Valérie Daux ◽  
Olivier Girardclos ◽  
Michel Stievenard ◽  
Monique Pierre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Drought Intensity ◽  
Summer Climate ◽  
The North ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Ratios ◽  
Harvest Dates ◽  
Drought Reconstruction ◽  
Good Proxy ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Tree Ring Cellulose

Abstract. The reconstruction of droughts is essential for the understanding of past drought dynamics and can help evaluate future drought scenarios in a changing climate. This article presents a reconstruction of summer droughts in France based on annually resolved, absolutely dated chronologies of oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) in tree ring cellulose from Quercus spp. Samples were taken from living trees and timber wood from historic buildings at two sites: Fontainebleau (48°23′ N, 2°40′ E; 1326–2000 CE) and Angoulême (45°44′ N, 0°18′ E; 1360–2004 CE). Cellulose δ18O from these sites proved to be a good proxy of summer climate, as the trees were sensitive to temperature and moisture availability. However, offsets in average δ18O values between tree cohorts necessitated a correction before joining them to the final chronologies. Using the corrected δ18O chronologies, we developed models based on linear regression to reconstruct drought, expressed by the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). The significant correlations between the SPEI and cellulose δ18O (r ≈ −0.70), as well as the verification of the models by independent data support the validity of these reconstructions. At both sites, recent decades are characterized by increasing drought. Fontainebleau displays dominantly wetter conditions during earlier centuries, whereas the current drought intensity is not unprecedented in the Angoulême record. While the δ18O chronologies at the two studied sites are highly correlated during the 19th and 20th centuries, there is a significant decrease in the correlation coefficient between 1600 and 1800 CE, which indicates either a weaker climate sensitivity of the tree ring proxies during this period, or a more heterogeneous climate in the north and the south of France. Future studies of tree ring isotope networks might reveal if the seasonality and spatial patterns of past droughts can explain this decoupling. A regional drought reconstruction based on a combination of the two sites shows good agreement with historical records of grape harvest dates in France, which provide another proxy of summer climate.

scholarly journals Cryptotephra from the Icelandic Veiðivötn 1477 CE eruption in a Greenland ice core: confirming the dating of 1450s CE volcanic events and assessing the eruption's climatic impact

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Abbott ◽  
Gill Plunkett ◽  
Christophe Corona ◽  
Nathan J. Chellman ◽  
Joseph R. McConnell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Climatic Impact

Abstract. Volcanic eruptions are a key source of climatic variability and reconstructing their past impact can improve our understanding of the operation of the climate system and increase the accuracy of future climate projections. Two annually resolved and independently dated palaeoarchives – tree rings and polar ice cores – can be used in tandem to assess the timing, strength and climatic impact of volcanic eruptions over the past ~ 2500 years. The quantification of post-volcanic climate responses, however, has at times been hampered by differences between simulated and observed temperature responses that raised questions regarding the robustness of the chronologies of both archives. While many chronological mismatches have been resolved, the precise timing and climatic impact of one or more major sulphate emitting volcanic eruptions during the 1450s CE, including the largest atmospheric sulphate loading event in the last 700 years, has not been constrained. Here we explore this issue through a combination of tephrochronological evidence and high-resolution ice-core chemistry measurements from the TUNU2013 ice core. We identify tephra from the historically dated 1477 CE eruption of Veiðivötn-Bárðarbunga, Iceland, in direct association with a notable sulphate peak in TUNU2013 attributed to this event, confirming that it can be used as a reliable and precise time-marker. Using seasonal cycles in several chemical elements and 1477 CE as a fixed chronological point shows that ages of 1453 CE and 1458/59 CE can be attributed, with a high accuracy, to two notable sulphate peaks. This confirms the accuracy of the NS1-2011 Greenland ice-core chronology over the mid- to late 15th century and corroborate the findings of recent volcanic reconstructions from Greenland and Antarctica. Overall, this implies that large-scale Northern Hemisphere climatic cooling affecting tree-ring growth in 1453 CE was caused by a Northern Hemisphere volcanic eruption in 1452 CE and then a Southern Hemisphere eruption, previously assumed to have triggered the cooling, occurred later in 1458 CE. The direct attribution of the 1477 CE sulphate peak to the eruption of Veiðivötn, the most explosive from Iceland in the last 1200 years, also provides the opportunity to assess its climatic impact. A tree-ring based reconstruction of Northern Hemisphere summer temperatures shows a cooling of −0.35 °C in the aftermath of the eruption, the 356th coldest summer since 500 CE, a relatively weak and spatially incoherent climatic response in comparison to the less explosive but longer-lasting Icelandic Eldgjá 939 CE and Laki 1783 CE eruptions, that ranked as the 205th and 9th coldest summers respectively. In addition, the Veiðivötn 1477 CE eruption occurred around the inception of the Little Ice Age and could be used as a chronostratigraphic marker to constrain the phasing and spatial variability of climate changes over this transition if it can be traced into more regional palaeoclimatic archives.

scholarly journals Tree-ring based temperature reconstruction for the west Qinling Mountains (China): linkages to the High Asia, solar activity and Pacific-Atlantic Ocean

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 234-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Chen ◽  
Yujiang Yuan ◽  
Wenshou Wei ◽  
Shulong Yu ◽  
Huaming Shang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Correlation ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Temperature Reconstruction ◽  
Qinling Mountains ◽  
Western Qinling ◽  
Abies Faxoniana ◽  
High Asia

Abstract We developed a Faxon fir (Abies faxoniana) tree-ring width chronology at the timberline in the western Qinling Mountains, China. Herein February–July mean temperature was reconstructed for Zhouqu in the western Qinling Mountains back to AD 1650 based on the standard chronology. The climate/tree-growth model accounts for 43.5% of the instrumental temperature variance during the period 1972–2006. Spatial correlation analyses with the gridded temperature data shows that the temperature reconstruction captures regional climatic variations over central and southeast China, and strong teleconnections with the nearby High Asia. There is a good agreement with cold and warm periods previously estimated from tree-rings in Nepal, India and southwest China. The temperature re-construction indicates that there was pronounced cooling in Zhouqu during the Maunder Minimum (late 1600s to early 1700s). The cold period (1813–1827) of the temperature reconstruction coincide with the volcanic eruptions. Significant spectral peaks are found at 56.9, 22.3, 11.4, 2.9, 2.8, 2.6, 2.2 and 2.0 years. The spatial correlation patterns between our temperature reconstruction and SSTs of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans suggest a connection between regional temperature variations and the atmospheric circulations. It is thus revealed that the chronology has enough potential to reconstruct the climatic variability further into the past.

Fine-scale variability in growth–climate relationships of Douglas-fir, North Cascade Range, Washington

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (11) ◽  
pp. 2743-2755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Case ◽  
David L Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Cascade Range ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
The North

Information about the sensitivity to climate of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) is valuable because it will allow forest managers to maximize growth, better understand how carbon sequestration may change over time, and better model and predict future ecosystem responses to climatic change. We examined the effects of climatic variability on the growth of Douglas-fir along an elevational gradient in the North Cascade Range, Washington (USA), at annual timescales during the 20th century. Multivariate analysis and correlation analysis were used to identify climate-growth relationships. Mid-elevation chronologies were negatively correlated with growing season maximum temperature and positively correlated with growing season precipitation. In contrast, high-elevation chronologies were positively correlated with annual temperatures and negatively correlated with previous-year winter Pacific Decadal Oscillation index. Projected increases in summer temperatures will likely cause greater soil moisture stress in many forested ecosystems. The potential of extended summer drought periods over decades may significantly alter spatial patterns of productivity, thus impacting carbon storage. It is likely that the productivity of Douglas-fir in the Cascade Range will decrease at sites with shallow, excessively drained soils, south- and west-facing aspects, and steep slopes and will increase at high-elevation sites.

scholarly journals Summer drought reconstruction in northeastern Spain inferred from a tree ring latewood network since 1734

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (16) ◽  
pp. 8492-8500 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Tejedor ◽  
M. A. Saz ◽  
J. Esper ◽  
J. M. Cuadrat ◽  
M. de Luis
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Drought Reconstruction

scholarly journals Millennial Minimum Temperature Variations in the Qilian Mountains, China: evidence from Tree rings

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 341-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Zhang ◽  
X. Shao ◽  
Z.-Y. Yin ◽  
Y. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Minimum Temperature ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Qilian Mountains ◽  
Eastern Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Tree Ring Chronology ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern

Abstract. A 1342 yr-long tree-ring chronology was developed from Qilian junipers in the central Qilian Mountains of the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau, China. The climatic implications of this chronology were investigated using simple correlation, partial correlation and response function analyses. The chronology was significantly positively correlated with temperature variables during the pre- and current growing seasons, especially with minimum temperature. The variability of the mean minimum temperature from January to August since 670 AD was then reconstructed based on the tree-ring chronology. The reconstruction explained 58.5% of the variance in the instrumental temperature records during the calibration period (1960–2011) and captured the variation patterns in minimum temperature at the annual to centennial time scales over the past millennium. The most recent 50 yr were the warmest period, while 1690–1880 was the coldest period since 670 AD. Comparisons with other temperature series from neighbouring regions and for the Northern Hemisphere as a whole supported the validity of our reconstruction and suggested that it provided a good regional representation of temperature change in the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau. The results of multi-taper spectral analysis showed the occurrence of significant quasi-periodic behaviour at a number of periods (2–3, 28.8–66.2, 113.6–169.5, and 500 yr), which were consistent with those associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and solar activity. Some reconstructed cold events may have close relationship with the volcanic eruptions.

scholarly journals Cryptotephra from the Icelandic Veiðivötn 1477 CE eruption in a Greenland ice core: confirming the dating of volcanic events in the 1450s CE and assessing the eruption's climatic impact

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 565-585
Author(s):  
Peter M. Abbott ◽  
Gill Plunkett ◽  
Christophe Corona ◽  
Nathan J. Chellman ◽  
Joseph R. McConnell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Climatic Impact ◽  
Volcanic System

Abstract. Volcanic eruptions are a key source of climatic variability, and reconstructing their past impact can improve our understanding of the operation of the climate system and increase the accuracy of future climate projections. Two annually resolved and independently dated palaeoarchives – tree rings and polar ice cores – can be used in tandem to assess the timing, strength and climatic impact of volcanic eruptions over the past ∼ 2500 years. The quantification of post-volcanic climate responses, however, has at times been hampered by differences between simulated and observed temperature responses that raised questions regarding the robustness of the chronologies of both archives. While many chronological mismatches have been resolved, the precise timing and climatic impact of two major sulfate-emitting volcanic eruptions during the 1450s CE, including the largest atmospheric sulfate-loading event in the last 700 years, have not been constrained. Here we explore this issue through a combination of tephrochronological evidence and high-resolution ice-core chemistry measurements from a Greenland ice core, the TUNU2013 record. We identify tephra from the historically dated 1477 CE eruption of the Icelandic Veiðivötn–Bárðarbunga volcanic system in direct association with a notable sulfate peak in TUNU2013 attributed to this event, confirming that this peak can be used as a reliable and precise time marker. Using seasonal cycles in several chemical elements and 1477 CE as a fixed chronological point shows that ages of 1453 CE and 1458 CE can be attributed, with high precision, to the start of two other notable sulfate peaks. This confirms the accuracy of a recent Greenland ice-core chronology over the middle to late 15th century and corroborates the findings of recent volcanic reconstructions from Greenland and Antarctica. Overall, this implies that large-scale Northern Hemisphere climatic cooling affecting tree-ring growth in 1453 CE was caused by a Northern Hemisphere volcanic eruption in 1452 or early 1453 CE, and then a Southern Hemisphere eruption, previously assumed to have triggered the cooling, occurred later in 1457 or 1458 CE. The direct attribution of the 1477 CE sulfate peak to the eruption of Veiðivötn, one of the most explosive from Iceland in the last 1200 years, also provides the opportunity to assess the eruption's climatic impact. A tree-ring-based reconstruction of Northern Hemisphere summer temperatures shows a cooling in the aftermath of the eruption of −0.35 ∘C relative to a 1961–1990 CE reference period and −0.1 ∘C relative to the 30-year period around the event, as well as a relatively weak and spatially incoherent climatic response in comparison to the less explosive but longer-lasting Icelandic Eldgjá 939 CE and Laki 1783 CE eruptions. In addition, the Veiðivötn 1477 CE eruption occurred around the inception of the Little Ice Age and could be used as a chronostratigraphic marker to constrain the phasing and spatial variability of climate changes over this transition if it can be traced in more regional palaeoclimatic archives.

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