Interdecadal Pacific variability and eastern Australian megadroughts over the last millennium

The Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) influences multidecadal drought risk across the Pacific, but there are no millennial-length, high-resolution IPO reconstructions for quantifying long-term drought risk. In Australia, drought risk increases in positive phases of the IPO, yet few suitable rai...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical Research Letters
Main Authors: Vance, TR, Roberts, JL, Plummer, CT, Kiem, AS, van Ommen, TD
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Geophysical Union 2015
Subjects:
Earth Sciences
Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
Palaeoclimatology
Dome The
East Antarctica
Indian
Law Dome
Pacific
Antarc*
Antarctica
ice core
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL062447
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/98025
Description
Summary:The Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) influences multidecadal drought risk across the Pacific, but there are no millennial-length, high-resolution IPO reconstructions for quantifying long-term drought risk. In Australia, drought risk increases in positive phases of the IPO, yet few suitable rainfall proxies and short (∼100 years) instrumental records mean large uncertainties remain around drought frequency and duration. Likewise, it is unknown whether megadroughts have occurred in Australia's past. In this study, an atmospheric teleconnection in the Indian Ocean midlatitudes linking East Antarctica and Australia is exploited to produce the first accurate, annually dated millennial-length IPO reconstruction from the Law Dome (East Antarctica) ice core. Combined with an eastern Australian rainfall proxy from Law Dome, the first millennial-length Australian megadrought (>5 year duration) reconstruction is presented. Eight megadroughts are identified including one 39 year drought (A.D. 11741212), which occurred during an unprecedented century of aridity (A.D. 11021212).

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