Cold-season temperatures in the European Alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends
This study presents a proxy-based, quantitative reconstruction of cold-season (mean October to May, TOct–May) air temperatures covering nearly the entire last millennium (AD 1060–2003, some hiatuses). The reconstruction was based on subfossil chrysophyte stomatocyst remains in the varved sediments o...
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ftunivbern:oai:boris.unibe.ch:39437 2023-08-20T04:08:20+02:00 Cold-season temperatures in the European Alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends de Jong, Rixt Kamenik, Christian Grosjean, Martin 2013-12 application/pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/39437/1/1-s2.0-S0277379113003958-main.pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/39437/ eng eng Pergamon https://boris.unibe.ch/39437/ info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess de Jong, Rixt; Kamenik, Christian; Grosjean, Martin (2013). Cold-season temperatures in the European Alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends. Quaternary Science Reviews, 82, pp. 1-12. Pergamon 10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.007 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.007> 550 Earth sciences & geology 910 Geography & travel info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion PeerReviewed 2013 ftunivbern https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.007 2023-07-31T21:00:58Z This study presents a proxy-based, quantitative reconstruction of cold-season (mean October to May, TOct–May) air temperatures covering nearly the entire last millennium (AD 1060–2003, some hiatuses). The reconstruction was based on subfossil chrysophyte stomatocyst remains in the varved sediments of high-Alpine Lake Silvaplana, eastern Swiss Alps (46°27’N, 9°48′W, 1791 m a.s.l.). Previous studies have demonstrated the reliability of this proxy by comparison to meteorological data. Cold-season air temperatures could therefore be reconstructed quantitatively, at a high resolution (5-yr) and with high chronological accuracy. Spatial correlation analysis suggests that the reconstruction reflects cold season climate variability over the high- Alpine region and substantial parts of central and western Europe. Cold-season temperatures were characterized by a relatively stable first part of the millennium until AD 1440 (2σ of 5-yr mean values = 0.7 °C) and highly variable TOct–May after that (AD 1440–1900, 2σ of 5-yr mean values = 1.3 °C). Recent decades (AD, 1991-present) were unusually warm in the context of the last millennium (exceeding the 2σ-range of the mean decadal TOct–May) but this warmth was not unprecedented. The coolest decades occurred from AD 1510–1520 and AD 1880–1890. The timing of extremely warm and cold decades is generally in good agreement with documentary data representing Switzerland and central European lowlands. The transition from relatively stable to highly variable TOct–May coincided with large changes in atmospheric circulation patterns in the North Atlantic region. Comparison of reconstructed cold season temperatures to the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO) during the past 1000 years showed that the relatively stable and warm conditions at the study site until AD 1440 coincided with a persistent positive mode of the NAO. We propose that the transition to large TOct–May variability around AD 1440 was linked to the subsequent absence of this persistent zonal flow pattern, which would ... Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation BORIS (Bern Open Repository and Information System, University of Bern) Alpine Lake ENVELOPE(-129.182,-129.182,55.529,55.529) Quaternary Science Reviews 82 1 12 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
BORIS (Bern Open Repository and Information System, University of Bern) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivbern |
language |
English |
topic |
550 Earth sciences & geology 910 Geography & travel |
spellingShingle |
550 Earth sciences & geology 910 Geography & travel de Jong, Rixt Kamenik, Christian Grosjean, Martin Cold-season temperatures in the European Alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends |
topic_facet |
550 Earth sciences & geology 910 Geography & travel |
description |
This study presents a proxy-based, quantitative reconstruction of cold-season (mean October to May, TOct–May) air temperatures covering nearly the entire last millennium (AD 1060–2003, some hiatuses). The reconstruction was based on subfossil chrysophyte stomatocyst remains in the varved sediments of high-Alpine Lake Silvaplana, eastern Swiss Alps (46°27’N, 9°48′W, 1791 m a.s.l.). Previous studies have demonstrated the reliability of this proxy by comparison to meteorological data. Cold-season air temperatures could therefore be reconstructed quantitatively, at a high resolution (5-yr) and with high chronological accuracy. Spatial correlation analysis suggests that the reconstruction reflects cold season climate variability over the high- Alpine region and substantial parts of central and western Europe. Cold-season temperatures were characterized by a relatively stable first part of the millennium until AD 1440 (2σ of 5-yr mean values = 0.7 °C) and highly variable TOct–May after that (AD 1440–1900, 2σ of 5-yr mean values = 1.3 °C). Recent decades (AD, 1991-present) were unusually warm in the context of the last millennium (exceeding the 2σ-range of the mean decadal TOct–May) but this warmth was not unprecedented. The coolest decades occurred from AD 1510–1520 and AD 1880–1890. The timing of extremely warm and cold decades is generally in good agreement with documentary data representing Switzerland and central European lowlands. The transition from relatively stable to highly variable TOct–May coincided with large changes in atmospheric circulation patterns in the North Atlantic region. Comparison of reconstructed cold season temperatures to the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO) during the past 1000 years showed that the relatively stable and warm conditions at the study site until AD 1440 coincided with a persistent positive mode of the NAO. We propose that the transition to large TOct–May variability around AD 1440 was linked to the subsequent absence of this persistent zonal flow pattern, which would ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
de Jong, Rixt Kamenik, Christian Grosjean, Martin |
author_facet |
de Jong, Rixt Kamenik, Christian Grosjean, Martin |
author_sort |
de Jong, Rixt |
title |
Cold-season temperatures in the European Alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends |
title_short |
Cold-season temperatures in the European Alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends |
title_full |
Cold-season temperatures in the European Alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends |
title_fullStr |
Cold-season temperatures in the European Alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends |
title_full_unstemmed |
Cold-season temperatures in the European Alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends |
title_sort |
cold-season temperatures in the european alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends |
publisher |
Pergamon |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://boris.unibe.ch/39437/1/1-s2.0-S0277379113003958-main.pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/39437/ |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-129.182,-129.182,55.529,55.529) |
geographic |
Alpine Lake |
geographic_facet |
Alpine Lake |
genre |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
op_source |
de Jong, Rixt; Kamenik, Christian; Grosjean, Martin (2013). Cold-season temperatures in the European Alps during the past millennium: variability, seasonality and recent trends. Quaternary Science Reviews, 82, pp. 1-12. Pergamon 10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.007 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.007> |
op_relation |
https://boris.unibe.ch/39437/ |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.007 |
container_title |
Quaternary Science Reviews |
container_volume |
82 |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
12 |
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1774720533534867456 |