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Atmosphere
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Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition)
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Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Climatology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 7358

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jason T. Ortegren

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA
Interests: North Atlantic climate variability; paleoclimatology; eastern USA hydroclimate; drought variability; tropical cyclones
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Change is the one constant in Earth’s climate history.  Contemporary changes in the climate system—driven in part by human activities—continue to raise important questions regarding how ‘unusual’ the observed climate changes of the last century are relative to a longer view of Earth’s climate.  Advances in paleoclimatic reconstruction have already provided some valuable context for Earth’s natural climate variability during the pre-instrumental period.  However, open questions remain surrounding many paleoclimate issues, including, for example, solar irradiance, atmospheric composition, and the specific mechanisms of certain internal feedbacks such as volcanism.  Further work is needed in the area of paleoclimate reconstructions using preserved biological and/or geological proxy data sources to enhance our understanding of the climate system in general, and specifically of ongoing changes in the system.

After successfully launching the first volume of this Special Issue (“Paleoclimate Reconstruction”: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/Paleoclimate_Reconstruction), we decided to expand our Special Issue into a second volume.

The first volume includes paleoclimate reconstruction research using both geological and biological proxies, with applications of tree-ring isotope analysis, standard dendrochronological techniques, and lake sediment data.  The second volume will retain the same focus on paleoclimate research that furthers our knowledge of prehistoric climatic variability—both spatial and temporal—and improves our understanding of regional- or global-scale patterns of prehistoric climate change, especially as they relate to contemporary planetary warming.  Papers will reconstruct and analyze (some aspect of) prehistoric climate from the perspective of proxy data sources such as tree rings, preserved pollen records, ice cores, speleothems, ocean floor sediments, or any other paleoclimate indicators, and may include indirect reconstructions (e.g., reconstructions of large-scale atmospheric flow, such as ENSO variability using tree rings, based on the observed relationship between tree growth and large scale atmospheric variability).

Prof. Dr. Jason T. Ortegren
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Proxy climate data
  • Paleoclimatic variability
  • climate reconstruction
  • Paleoclimatic change
  • The Holocene

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 5239 KiB  
Article
1500-Year Sedimentary Records of the East Asian Summer Monsoon and Yellow Sea Warm Current from the Muddy Area of the North Yellow Sea, China
by Wenzhe Lyu, Guangquan Chen, Yancheng Wang, Zhen Cui, Qiao Su, Tengfei Fu and Xingyong Xu
Atmosphere 2024, 15(8), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15080869 - 23 Jul 2024
Viewed by 692
Abstract
Advances in reconstructing the East Asian monsoon have provided important insights into the natural climate variability in Asia during the pre-instrumental period. However, there are still unresolved paleoclimate issues that necessitate the use of geological proxy data to further our understanding of past [...] Read more.
Advances in reconstructing the East Asian monsoon have provided important insights into the natural climate variability in Asia during the pre-instrumental period. However, there are still unresolved paleoclimate issues that necessitate the use of geological proxy data to further our understanding of past climate changes. This study focused on core B13, located in the muddy area of the North Yellow Sea (NYS), to investigate the evolutionary history over the past 1500 years and reconstruct the records of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and Yellow Sea warm current (YSWC). The mean grain size of sediment ranged from 4.2 Φ to 5.6 Φ, with the sorting coefficient ranging from 1.9 to 2.2, indicating poor sorting. The C–M pattern showed a limited range of values, with the M values being between 33 and 83 μm and the C values being between 165 and 287 μm, suggesting uniform-suspension transport. The L* index ranged from 40.41 to 44.12, while the a* and b* indexes ranged from 0.55 to 1.78 and 2.86 to 5.94, respectively. A stable and relatively strong sedimentary environment is indicated through a comprehensive analysis of the C–M plot, triangular plot, the relationship between the mean grain size and sorting, and the changes in grain-size and color parameters. The sedimentary evolution in the muddy area of the NYS over the past 1500 years can be categorized into three distinct stages. In this study, proxies for the EASM and YSWC were extracted using the VPCA method from the sediment grain size and diffuse spectral reflectance (DSR) data, respectively. The reliability of these proxies has been confirmed through comparison with other validated proxies. The results indicated that the strength of the EASM and YSWC also exhibited three stages, corresponding to the Dark Ages Cold Period (DACP), Medieval Warm Period (MWP), and Little Ice Age (LIA), respectively. On a centennial scale, the correlation between the EASM and YSWC was predominantly negative. This research validates the reliability of the VPCA method for paleoclimate reconstruction, contributes important climate records in a special muddy area, and provides a new perspective on how to eliminate temporal errors in verifying the correlation between the two climate systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition))
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18 pages, 3817 KiB  
Article
A Reconstruction of May–June Mean Temperature since 1775 for Conchos River Basin, Chihuahua, Mexico, Using Tree-Ring Width
by Aldo Rafael Martínez-Sifuentes, José Villanueva-Díaz, Ramón Trucíos-Caciano, Nuria Aide López-Hernández, Juan Estrada-Ávalos and Víctor Manuel Rodríguez-Moreno
Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 808; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070808 - 5 Jul 2024
Viewed by 722
Abstract
Currently there are several precipitation reconstructions for northern Mexico; however, there is a lack of temperature reconstructions to understand past climate change, the impact on ecosystems and societies, etc. The central region of Chihuahua is located in a transition zone between the Sierra [...] Read more.
Currently there are several precipitation reconstructions for northern Mexico; however, there is a lack of temperature reconstructions to understand past climate change, the impact on ecosystems and societies, etc. The central region of Chihuahua is located in a transition zone between the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Great Northern Plain, characterized by extreme temperatures and marked seasonal variability. The objectives of this study were (1) to generate a climatic association between variables from reanalysis models and the earlywood series for the center of Chihuahua, (2) to generate a reconstruction of mean temperature, (3) to determine extreme events, and (4) to identify the influence of ocean–atmosphere phenomena. Chronologies were downloaded from the International Tree-Ring Data Bank and climate information from the NLDAS-2 and ClimateNA reanalysis models. The response function was performed using climate models and regional dendrochronological series. A reconstruction of mean temperature was generated, and extreme periods were identified. The representativeness of the reconstruction was evaluated through spatial correlation, and low-frequency events were determined through multitaper spectral analysis and wavelet analysis. The influence of ocean–atmosphere phenomena on temperature reconstruction was analyzed using Pearson correlation, and the influence of ENSO was examined through wavelet coherence analysis. Highly significant correlations were found for maximum, minimum, and mean temperature, as well as for precipitation and relative humidity, before and after the growth year. However, the seasonal period with the highest correlation was found from May to June for mean temperature, which was used to generate the reconstruction from 1775 to 2022. The most extreme periods were 1775, 1801, 1805, 1860, 1892–1894, 1951, 1953–1954, and 2011–2012. Spectral analysis showed significant frequencies of 56.53 and 2.09 years, and wavelet analysis from 0 to 2 years from 1970 to 1980, from 8 to 11 years from 1890 to 1910, and from 30 to 70 years from 1860 to 2022. A significant association was found with the Multivariate ENSO Index phenomenon (r = 0.40; p = 0.009) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (r = −0.38; p = 0.000). Regarding the ENSO phenomenon, an antiphase association of r = −0.34; p = 0.000 was found, with significant periods of 1 to 4 years from 1770 to 1800, 1845 to 1850, and 1860 to 1900, with periods of 6 to 10 years from 1875 to 1920, and from 6 to 8 years from 1990 to 2000. This study allowed a reconstruction of mean temperature through reanalysis data, as well as a historical characterization of temperature for central Chihuahua beyond the observed records. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition))
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13 pages, 2602 KiB  
Article
The Quantitative Reconstruction of Paleoclimate in the Huangling Region of the Chinese Loess Plateau during the Middle and Late Holocene
by Jiao Guo, Jiansheng Shi, Qiuyao Dong, Chao Song, Hongyun Chen and Wei Wang
Atmosphere 2024, 15(4), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15040476 - 11 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1464
Abstract
The Huangling region is located in the central part of the Chinese Loess Plateau, which is sensitive to climate change due to the transitional characteristics of the natural environmental zone in which it is located. In this study, we utilized a spore–pollen analysis [...] Read more.
The Huangling region is located in the central part of the Chinese Loess Plateau, which is sensitive to climate change due to the transitional characteristics of the natural environmental zone in which it is located. In this study, we utilized a spore–pollen analysis of the Tianjiahe (TJH) profile in Huangling to apply the pollen–climate factor conversion function method. This approach allowed us to quantitatively reconstruct the paleotemperature and paleoprecipitation of the Huangling area during the Middle and Late Holocene. The results show that the Huangling area experienced four climatic stages during the Middle and Late Holocene, including mild and slightly humid → warm and humid → warm and slightly humid → warm and humid. Except for the period of 5.3–4.72 kaBP, during which the climate was relatively cool and dry compared to the present, the climate in the remaining period (4.72–0.03 kaBP) was warmer and more humid than that of the present. The above results provide an important insight for further exploring the mechanism of paleoclimate change and predicting future climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition))
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17 pages, 1225 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Centennial-Scale Climate History of Southern Brazil with Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart.) Barroso Tree-Rings
by Daniela Oliveira Silva Muraja, Virginia Klausner, Alan Prestes, Tuomas Aakala, Humberto Gimenes Macedo and Iuri Rojahn da Silva
Atmosphere 2023, 14(9), 1463; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14091463 - 20 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1629
Abstract
This article explores the dendrochronological potential of Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart) Barroso (Imbuia) for reconstructing past climate conditions in the General Carneiro region, Southern Brazil, utilizing well-established dendroclimatic techniques. A total of 41 samples of Imbuia were subjected [...] Read more.
This article explores the dendrochronological potential of Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart) Barroso (Imbuia) for reconstructing past climate conditions in the General Carneiro region, Southern Brazil, utilizing well-established dendroclimatic techniques. A total of 41 samples of Imbuia were subjected to dendroclimatic analysis to reconstruct precipitation and temperature patterns over the period from 1446 to 2011. Notably, we achieved the longest reconstructions of spring precipitation and temperature for the Brazilian southern region, spanning an impressive 566-year timeframe, by employing a mean chronology approach. To achieve our objectives, we conducted a Pearson’s correlation analysis between the mean chronology and the climatic time series, with a monthly temporal resolution employed for model calibration. Impressively, our findings reveal significant correlations with coefficients as high as |rx,P| = 0.32 for precipitation and |rx,T| = 0.45 for temperature during the spring season. Importantly, our climate reconstructions may elucidate a direct influence of the El Niño—South Oscillation phenomenon on precipitation and temperature patterns, which, in turn, are intricately linked to the natural growth patterns of the Imbuia trees. These results shed valuable light on the historical climate variability in the Southern Brazil region and provide insights into the climatic drivers affecting the growth dynamics of Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart) Barroso. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition))
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9 pages, 3634 KiB  
Communication
21st Century Warming, Site Aspect, and Reversal of Age-Related Growth Decline in Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) in North Carolina, USA
by Hunter S. Lewis and Paul A. Knapp
Atmosphere 2023, 14(8), 1240; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14081240 - 1 Aug 2023
Viewed by 915
Abstract
We examined the influence of significant 21st century warming on the radial growth patterns of shortleaf pine growing on adjacent north/northeast- and south/southwest-facing slopes (hereafter NS and SS), in the Uwharrie Mountains of North Carolina, USA. Using two chronologies developed from old-growth trees [...] Read more.
We examined the influence of significant 21st century warming on the radial growth patterns of shortleaf pine growing on adjacent north/northeast- and south/southwest-facing slopes (hereafter NS and SS), in the Uwharrie Mountains of North Carolina, USA. Using two chronologies developed from old-growth trees dating to the 1700s, we compared raw radial growth rates (hereafter radial growth) associated with earlywood, latewood, and totalwood during 1935–2020. Both chronologies exhibited similar (r = 0.951, p < 0.001) age-related growth decreases through the 20th century. However, both chronologies experienced abrupt increases in radial growth with less fidelity (r = 0.86, p < 0.001), correlating with the onset of warming mean annual temperatures (r = 0.58, p < 0.01) and warming winter temperatures (r = 0.55, p < 0.05) in 2002. These results show that shortleaf pine growing on both NS and SS have experienced significant radial growth increases since the early 21st century, but that aspect affected growth rates. During 2002–2020, NS radial growth increased significantly (p < 0.05) more than SS earlywood, latewood, and totalwood, indicating that the effects of warming were greater for NS trees. We conclude that old-growth shortleaf pine trees retain climatic sensitivity to significant environmental changes associated with a warming climate and can reverse age-related growth declines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition))
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16 pages, 4269 KiB  
Article
Tree Rings as Proxies of Historical Runoff in a National Park in Northern Mexico: A Major Ecosystem Service Provider
by José Villanueva-Díaz, Arian Correa-Díaz, Luis Ubaldo Castruita-Esparza, Jesús Valentín Gutiérrez-García, Aldo Rafael Martínez-Sifuentes and Fátima del Rocío Reyes-Camarillo
Atmosphere 2023, 14(8), 1199; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14081199 - 26 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1174
Abstract
A dendrochronological network of conifers (Pinus leiophylla, Pinus cembroides, Pinus engelmannii) was developed in the Cumbres de Majalca National Park (CMNP) in Chihuahua, Mexico, to reconstruct historical runoff patterns and examine the impact of ocean–atmosphere phenomena. The CMNP plays [...] Read more.
A dendrochronological network of conifers (Pinus leiophylla, Pinus cembroides, Pinus engelmannii) was developed in the Cumbres de Majalca National Park (CMNP) in Chihuahua, Mexico, to reconstruct historical runoff patterns and examine the impact of ocean–atmosphere phenomena. The CMNP plays a vital role as a runoff source for Conchos River tributaries and groundwater recharge for Chihuahua City and nearby populations. The ring-width chronologies displayed a common signal from 1859 to 2021, with the highest association found between P. engelmannii and P. leiophylla (r = 0.65) and the lowest between P. cembroides and P. engelmannii (r = 0.55). The first principal component explained 75.7% of the variance, and among the species, P. leiophylla exhibited the highest correlation (0.624, p < 0.05) with the accumulated streamflow records from the previous November to July, allowing the construction of a bootstrapped model for runoff reconstruction. The reconstructed streamflow spanned from 1859 to 2014, with an average of 2.732 × 108 m3. Periods of low runoff occurred in 1860–1880, 1940–1960, and 1994–2014, while extreme wet years with high runoff occurred in 1865, 1884, and 1987. The interannual streamflow variability correlated significantly with ENSO indices (SOI, MEI, TRI, and sea surface temperature anomalies), particularly during the winter–spring seasons, indicating that warm phases of the ENSO increased precipitation and runoff. The analysis of return periods revealed probabilities for specific runoff volumes, enabling stakeholders to use the information to develop effective strategies for sustainable water allocation and utilization in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition))
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