Long-chain alkenones and U37′ variability along a south–north transect in the Western Pacific Ocean

In this paper, we present 50 surface water samples collected during the IMAGES III cruise (June–July 1997) along a transect from New Zealand to the China Sea (42°S–178°E, 21°N–120°E) covering a temperature range from 13.3 to 30.4 °C. A very worthwhile aspect of this study is a coupling of both biomarker (alkenone) and coccolithophorid counting. We show that the U₃₇^k′–temperature relationship is very similar to the Prahl et al. [Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 52 (1988) 2203] culture calibration and to the global core top calibration of Müller et al. [Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 62 (1998) 1757]. However, in the warmest surface waters of the Western Pacific ocean (>26.4 °C) where Gephyrocapsa oceanica is likely the most widespread species, the associated U₃₇^k′ has a constant value of 1.0. The consequence is that above this temperature threshold, U₃₇^k′ cannot be used as an accurate paleothermometer.     

The role of temperature on treeline migration for an eastern African mountain during the Last Glacial Maximum

Paleo-data suggest that East African mountain treelines underwent an altitudinal shift during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Understanding the ecological and physiological processes underlying treeline response to such past climate change will help to improve forecasts of treeline change under future global warming. In spite of significant improvements in paleoclimatic reconstruction, the climatic conditions explaining this migration are still debated and important factors such as atmospheric CO₂ concentration, the impact of lapse rate decreasing temperature along altitudinal gradients and rainfall modifications due to elevation have often been neglected or simplified. Here, we assess the effects of these different factors and estimate the influence of the most dominant factors controlling changes in past treeline position using a multi-proxy approach based on simulations from BIOME4, a coupled biogeography and biogeochemistry model, modified to account for the effect of elevation on vegetation, compared with pollen, and isotopic data. The results indicate a shift in mountain vegetation at the LGM was controlled by low pCO₂ and low temperatures promoting species morphologically and physiologically better adapted to LGM conditions than many trees composing the forest belt limit. Our estimate that the LGM climate was cooler than today’s by ?4.5 °C (range: ?4.3 to ?4.6 °C) at the upper limit of the treeline, whereas at 831 m it was cooler by ?1.4 °C (range: ?2.6 to ?0.6 °C), suggests that a possible lapse rate modification strongly constrained the upper limit of treeline, which may limit its potential extension under future global warming.     

Rhinocerotid tooth enamel 18O/16O variability between 23 and 12 Ma in southwestern France

The relationship between the oxygen isotope ratio of mammal tooth enamel and that of drinking water was used to reconstruct changes in the Miocene oxygen isotope ratio of rainfall (meteoric water ${\delta }^{18}$O_MW). These, in turn, are related to climatic parameters (temperature, precipitation and evaporation rate). ${\delta }^{18}$O values of rhinocerotid teeth from the Aquitaine Basin (southwestern France) suggest a significant climatic change between 17 and 12 Ma, characterized by cooling together with precipitation increase, in agreement with other terrestrial and oceanic records. To cite this article: I. Bentaleb et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

Lowland rainforest response to hydrological changes during the last 1500 years in Gabon, Western Equatorial Africa

Pollen and δ¹³C_TOM data obtained from two contrasting lake sequences (Lakes Kamalété and Nguène), located 200 km apart in the lowland rainforest of Gabon, provide complementary local and regional 1500-yr records of high resolution (15–30 yr) vegetation change. A combination of aquatic, semi-aquatic and terrestrial pollen showed in both records that the tropical rainforest increased during periods of high rainfall and decreased during drought intervals. The strong fluctuations of water balance at decadal scale during the “Medieval Warm Period” ( 1100–800 cal yr BP) coincided with a noticeable increase in shade-intolerant taxa, indicating recurring rainforest canopy disturbance. The δ¹³C_TOM signal showed high-amplitude variations in both records, which positively correlates with the rainforest dynamics and local vegetation changes. The similar trends in both the pollen and the δ¹³C_TOM signals between these sites demonstrate the regional broadly synchronous timing of shifting hydrological conditions. The largely positive co-variation between strong fluctuations of hydrological conditions and changes in rainforest structure and composition indicate that regional climatic change is probably the driving force for major rainforest dynamics in Gabon. Any significant anthropogenic impact on vegetation has not been clearly identified, and this issue still needs to be resolved independently by obtaining detailed archeological records across the interval 1400–800 BP, which currently seem to be extremely rare or not easily available.     

Non-parametric Data Analysis of Low-latitude Auroras and Naked-eye Sunspots in the Medieval Epoch

We have studied solar activity by analyzing naked-eye sunspot observations and aurorae borealis observed at latitudes below \(45^{\circ}\). We focused on the medieval epoch by considering the non-telescopic observations of sunspots from AD 974 to 1278 and aurorae borealis from AD 965 to 1273 that are reported in several Far East historical sources, primarily in China and Korea. After setting selection rules, we analyzed the distribution of these individual events following the months of the Gregorian calendar. In December, an unusual peak is observed with data recorded in both China and Japan, but not within Korean data.In extreme conditions, where the collection of events is reduced and discontinuous in some temporal intervals, we used the non-parametric kernel method. We opted for the plug-in approach of Sheather and Jones instead of cross-validation techniques to estimate the probability density functions (pdf) of the events. We obtained optimized bandwidths of 13.29 years for sunspots and 9.06 years for auroras, and 95% confidence intervals. The pdf curves exhibit multiple peaks occurring at quasi-periodic times with a very high positive correlation, \(r_{\mathrm{tt}} = 0.9958\), between the dates of occurrence of the nine extrema of sunspots and auroras. Furthermore, these extrema enabled us to evaluate mean periods at two standard deviations, \(66.77 \pm 7.25~\mbox{years}\) for sunspots and \(65.06 \pm 9.36~\mbox{years}\) for auroras. The accuracy of the average periods, 62.00 years for sunspots and 61.80 years for auroras, was improved by the use of the power spectrum method. The percentage of the total number of non-observed sunspots, using redundant data, from AD 1151 to 1275 was estimated to be greater than or equal to 78%.     

Calcification rate influence on trace element concentrations in aragonitic bivalve shells: Evidences and mechanisms

Trace elements in calcareous organisms have been widely used for paleoclimatic studies. However, the factors controlling their incorporation into mollusc shells are still unclear. We studied here the Sr, Mg, Ba and Mn serial records in the shells of two aragonitic marine bivalve species: Mesodesma donacium and Chione subrugosa from the Peruvian Coast. The elemental concentrations were compared to local temperature and salinity records. The relationships with crystal growth rate G were investigated thanks to well defined periodic growth structures providing a precise shell chronology. Our results show that for both species, environmental parameters only have minor influence, whereas crystal growth rate strongly influences trace elements concentrations, especially for Sr (explaining up to 74% of the variance). The relationship between G and Sr/Ca exhibits variability among the shells as well as inside the shells. For a same growth rate value, Sr/Ca values are higher in more curved shell sections, and the growth rate influence is stronger as well. We show that intercellular and Ca²⁺-pump pathways cannot support the calcification Ca²⁺ flux, leading us to propose an alternative mechanism for ionic transport through the calcifying mantle, implying a major role for calcium channels on mantle epithelial cell membranes. In this new calcification model, Sr/Ca shell ratios is determined by Ca²⁺-channel selectivity against Sr²⁺, which depends (i) on the electrochemical potential imposed by the crystallisation process and (ii) on the Ca²⁺-channel density per surface unit on mantle epithelia.