A NEW RECONSTRUCTION OF TEMPERATURE VARIABILITY IN THE EXTRA‐TROPICAL NORTHERN HEMISPHERE DURING THE LAST TWO MILLENNIA

A new temperature reconstruction with decadal resolution, covering the last two millennia, is presented for the extratropical Northern Hemisphere (90–30°N), utilizing many palaeo‐temperature proxy records never previously included in any large‐scale temperature reconstruction. The amplitude of the reconstructed temperature variability on centennial time‐scales exceeds 0.6°C. This reconstruction is the first to show a distinct Roman Warm Period c. ad 1–300, reaching up to the 1961–1990 mean temperature level, followed by the Dark Age Cold Period c. ad 300–800. The Medieval Warm Period is seen c. ad 800–1300 and the Little Ice Age is clearly visible c. ad 1300–1900, followed by a rapid temperature increase in the twentieth century. The highest average temperatures in the reconstruction are encountered in the mid to late tenth century and the lowest in the late seventeenth century. Decadal mean temperatures seem to have reached or exceeded the 1961–1990 mean temperature level during substantial parts of the Roman Warm Period and the Medieval Warm Period. The temperature of the last two decades, however, is possibly higher than during any previous time in the past two millennia, although this is only seen in the instrumental temperature data and not in the multi‐proxy reconstruction itself. Our temperature reconstruction agrees well with the reconstructions by Moberg et al. (2005) and Mann et al. (2008) with regard to the amplitude of the variability as well as the timing of warm and cold periods, except for the period c. ad 300–800, despite significant differences in both data coverage and methodology.     

中国中世纪暖期气候研究综述

中世纪暖期是2000年来全球最重要的气候事件之一,关于中世纪暖期的研究,主要是通过各种代用资料重建气候序列。从目前的研究来看,能敏感响应环境变化的高分辨率的信息载体主要有冰芯、树轮、历史文献、湖泊沉积及石笋等。随着代用资料的开发,对于中世纪暖期的研究已经取得了丰硕的成果,但在中世纪暖期是否具有全球性,不同区域的起讫时间、增温幅度、内部波动以及成因机制等问题上还存在一定争议。主要原因是受重建资料敏感性与地域性限制,加上不同代用指标对气候变化敏感性的差异以及不同代用资料的方法、气候与环境意义等存在差异,定年存在误差。在中国,从对重建资料的整理分析来看,对于"中国是否存在中世纪暖期"这个问题,各研究者们没有达成一致的看法;对于中国中世纪暖期冷暖变化的研究,由于区域差异,东部重建资料以历史文献为主,而西部关于历史气候环境的相关记载很少,所以重建资料以冰芯、湖芯、树轮等为主。大多数的研究结果认为,西部的冷暖变化与东部有着明显的差异,其中最主要的是东部在900~1300 A. D.存在明显的温暖期,而西部则暖期不如东部明显。今后为了更加全面深入的了解中世纪暖期气候特征,应加强各种代用指标高分辨率序列的积累和定量化研究、各种代用指标和重建序列的综合集成研究及其与古气候模拟结果的比较研究,以期从动力学角度加深理解中世纪暖期的区域响应差异。     

过去2 000年中国东南地区气温与降水的集成重建与分析

筛选和利用中国东南地区（大致范围为105o E以东、30o N以南）16个站点的多种气候代用指标序列,重建了东南地区过去2 000年以来的气温与降水变化过程,并探讨了其可能的影响机制。研究发现,东南地区气温集成序列与其他学者重建的中国温度序列、北半球温度序列等均具有较好的可比性,一些百年尺度的典型特征气候时期,如黑暗时代冷期、中世纪暖期、近代小冰期以及20世纪现代暖期等均有显著的体现;降水集成序列显示东南地区在过去2 000年中干湿阶段性变化较为明显,特别是在中世纪暖期时降水整体上较为偏多,而在小冰期的前半段降水偏少、后半段降水偏多。总体来看,近2 000年来我国东南地区的气温与降水变化经历了较为多样的水热组合过程。值得指出地是,东南地区降水集成序列与已有的中国北方地区多条降水重建序列相互间可比性较弱,反映了中国东部季风区由南到北降水变化及其影响机制具有很大的区域性差异。分析认为,大尺度海—气相互作用、火山活动以及太阳辐射量变化等对我国东南地区过去2 000年的气候环境变化具有显著影响。     

过去2000年冷暖变化的基本特征与主要暖期

根据近年国内外相关研究结果,分析了北半球与中国过去2000 年冷暖变化的阶段性,辨识了百年尺度暖期的起讫年代及其与20 世纪温暖程度的差别。结果表明:(1) 最近新建的多数北半球温度变化序列显示公元1-270 年温暖;271-840 年冷暖相间,但总体偏冷;841-1290年温暖;1291-1910 年寒冷;1911 年以后再次转为温暖;这些冷暖阶段虽分别与Lamb 指出的罗马暖期(约公元前1 世纪-4 世纪中期)、黑暗时代冷期(约4 世纪末-10 世纪前期)、中世纪暖期(约10 世纪中期-13 世纪末)、小冰期(约15-19 世纪) 以及20 世纪增暖大致对应,但各阶段的起讫时间与Lamb确定的时段存在一定差别。(2) 尽管过去2000 年冷暖变化过程及其变幅大小在中国境内各个区域间并不完全一致,但从全国平均看,中国与北半球百年尺度的冷暖波动阶段基本一致,仅起讫年代存在一定差异;其中公元1-200 年、551-760 年、941-1300 年及20世纪气候相对温暖,其他时段则相对寒冷。(3) 多数序列显示中世纪期间北半球的温暖程度至少与20 世纪相当。中国941-1300 年间的最暖百年和最暖30 年(暖峰) 的温度也略高于20 世纪,551-760 年间的最暖百年与20 世纪基本相当,但1-200 年间最暖百年的温暖程度则较20 世纪略低。     

近2000年都兰树轮10年尺度的气候变化及其与中国其它地区温度代用资料的比较

据高分辨率的青海都兰树轮年表 ,将过去 2 0 0 0年的气候变化划分为 2 30’S以前的高温期 ,2 40’S～ 80 0’S冷暖波动强烈的低温期 ,810’S～ 10 70’S显著高温期 ,即中世纪暖期 ,10 80’S～ 1880’S的低温期 ,其中包括 142 0’S～1870’S的小冰期 ,以及 1890’S后的升温期。统计发现 11次极端高温或低温事件 ,以及几次大的突变事件全部出现于中世纪之前 ,指示 15 0’S～ 110 0’S期间气候运行的高度不稳定性。和中国东部、古里雅冰芯和青藏高原南部温度代用资料比较后发现 ,公元初至 3世纪前期的东汉暖期 ,3世纪后期至 7世纪初的魏晋南北朝冷期 (期间约380’S～ 46 0’S暖 ) ,中世纪暖期以及小冰期等几次重大的气候事件在中国东部、都兰和青藏高原南部序列中均存在。古里雅冰芯仅记录了前两次重要事件 ,中世纪暖期以及小冰期在该序列中表现微弱。 2 0世纪的升温在古里雅冰芯最显著 ,都兰、中国东部次之 ,而高原南部似乎不明显。     

藏南羊卓雍错沉积物元素地球化学记录的过去2000年环境变化

以青藏高原南部的羊卓雍错（简称羊湖）沉积岩芯为研究对象,以较可靠的年代数据（ ²¹⁰Pb和AMS ¹⁴C交叉定年）为框架,基于高分辨率的元素地球化学记录,通过数理统计分析方法提取环境信息,结合粒度和磁化率,重建该地区过去2000年来的环境变化。结果显示,该区黑暗时代冷期（DCAP）和小冰期（LIA）气候较为寒冷,降水量较高;而中世纪暖期（MWP）和现代暖期（CWP）气候较为温暖,降水量较低,气候具有冷湿—暖干的特征。其中,重建的温度显示,中世纪暖期的温暖程度似乎持平甚至超过20世纪暖期;小冰期期间可能存在一次百年尺度的温暖事件,而17世纪和18世纪可能是过去2000中最寒冷的一段时期。分析发现,过去2000年以来青藏高原南部存在着冷湿—暖干的气候模式;过去2000年青藏高原南部地区温度的变化可能主要受到太阳辐射的影响,而小冰期期间西风环流的南移和增强可能是导致区域降水增加的重要因素。另外,该时期羊湖的湖泊水位的变化受温度和降水共同控制：当温度降低,降水增加时,湖泊水位上升,反之亦然。     

中世纪暖期气候研究综述

中世纪暖期是过去2 000 a以来最为重要的一个时期。该温暖事件是否具有全球性特征,其变化是否具有同步性,温度和降水变化的幅度如何?依据大量的研究成果,虽然对中世纪暖期的气候变化不甚清楚,我们仍然认为这一事件很可能是全球性的,而非区域性的。各种证据表明该时期的温暖程度不及20世纪,而且中世纪暖期表现出不连续的特征,降水也存在区域差异,这主要是因为降水和温度有着不同的响应自然驱动的物理特性。大量重建和模拟显示,诸如太阳辐射和火山作用的自然因素可以解释这一时期的大部分气候变化特征,但气候系统内部的相互作用是不能被忽视的。因此,将内部因素和外部因素联合起来揭示气候变化的机制就显得非常重要。     

近800年来内蒙古岱海地区古气温的定量重建

根据对现代湖水、现生介形类壳体以及湖泊沉积岩芯中同一种属介形类壳体的Sr/Ca分析,利用现代湖水Sr/Ca与湖水盐度的关系,确定了不同沉积时期湖水盐度;其次,在室内模拟实验,建立了湖水盐度与湖水氧同位素的函数关系;结合²¹⁰Pb测定沉积速率和¹⁴C测年资料,利用沉积剖面的自生碳酸盐氧同位素及由湖水盐度推算的湖水氧同位素组成,定量恢复了不同时期的湖水温度,进而根据碳酸盐结晶时水温与年均气温关系推测了古气温。结果表明:在近800年内蒙古岱海地区的气温变化序列中,中世纪暖期、现代小冰期以及近百年增温均有明显表现。研究时段内,岱海地区中世纪暖期比当代30年的年均气温高1℃以上;在公元1240年左右突然降温过程表现特别突出,在其后约60年的时段内气温下降1.8℃;小冰期最大降温幅度2℃以上,大于华北其它地区。不同于我国西部古里雅冰芯的记录,岱海地区近百年增温程度仍没有达到中世纪暖期水平,预示气候变暖对我国西部地区的影响将大于东部。     

SUMMER TEMPERATURE VARIABILITY IN CENTRAL SCANDINAVIA DURING THE LAST 3600 YEARS

ABSTRACT. A Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) tree-ring width chronology from Jämtland, in the central Scandinavian Mountains, built from living and sub-fossil wood, covering the period 1632 BC to AD 2002, with a minor gap during AD 887–907, is presented. This is the first multi-millennial tree-ring chronology from the central parts of Fennoscandia. Pine growth in this tree line environment is mainly limited by summer temperatures, and hence the record can be viewed as a temperature proxy. Using the regional curve standardization (RCS) technique, pine-growth variability on short and long time scales was retained and subsequently summer (June–August) temperatures were reconstructed yielding information on temperature variability during the last 3600 years. Several periods with anomalously warm or cold summers were found: 450–550 BC (warm), AD 300–400 (cold), AD 900–1000 (the Medieval Warm Period, warm) and AD 1550–1900 (Little Ice Age, cold). The coldest period was encountered in the fourth century AD and the warmest period 450 to 550 BC. However, the magnitude of these anomalies is uncertain since the replication of trees in the Jämtland record is low during those periods. The twentieth century warming does not stand out as an anomalous feature in the last 3600 years. Two multi-millennial tree-ring chronologies from Swedish and Finnish Lapland, which have previously been used as summer temperature proxies, agree well with the Jämtland record, indicating that the latter is a good proxy of local, but also regional, summer temperature variability.     

北半球千年温度集成重建所使用的代用序列述评——以石笋为例

充分掌握过去全球气候变化的规律,是分析现在全球气候变化的关键。为了重建近2 000 a的全球（主要是北半球）的温度时空格局,Mann使用了1 209条代用序列。主要评价Mann等在重建中世纪暖期以来（公元800年以来）全球（主要是北半球）的温度时空格局时,所使用的46条代用序列中的8条石笋序列。其中北半球的序列（6条）要多于南半球的序列（2条）。通过对所选石笋序列的文献检索和科学评估,认为Mann等最初选用的8条石笋序列和筛选后剩余的6条石笋序列并非都代表温度信号,其中只有两条序列是原作者认为代表温度信号的,代表降水量信号的序列要多于代表温度信号的序列。所以Mann等选用这些序列重建温度有待商榷。由于石笋代用指标本身的复杂性,其气候指示意义仍然存在争议。     

黄河上游地区近千年气候变化的模拟重建

运用BP人工神经网络较好地建立了全球气候模式模拟数据与区域气候之间的关系,拟合了黄河上游沙漠河谷地区的近千年温度、降水序列。在气候信号年代际和百年际变化特征上,拟合结果较为理想,但对极值的拟合能力较差,尤其是冬季温度和夏季降水的拟合极值偏差较大。拟合结果表明该地区近千年存在中世纪暖期、小冰期和现代暖期,且小冰期降温在冬季更为明显,冬季平均气温小冰期比中世纪暖期低2 ℃。降水的千年变化趋势较温度略微平缓,尤其冬季降水无明显趋势变化。空间分布显示20世纪暖期在近千年是最暖的,但降水较中世纪暖期偏少。     

A 2000 year varve-based climate record from the central Brooks Range,Alaska

Varved minerogenic sediments from glacial-fed Blue Lake, northern Alaska, are used to investigate late Holocene climate variability. Varve-thickness measurements track summer temperature recorded at Atigun Pass, located 41 km east at a similar elevation (r ² = 0.31, P = 0.08). Results indicate that climate in the Brooks Range from 10 to 730 AD (varve year) was warm with precipitation inferred to be higher than during the twentieth century. The varve-temperature relationship for this period was likely compromised and not used in our temperature reconstruction because the glacier was greatly reduced, or absent, exposing sub-glacial sediments to erosion from enhanced precipitation. Varve-inferred summer temperatures and precipitation decreased after 730 AD, averaging 0.4°C above the last millennial average (LMA = 4.2°C) from 730 to 850 AD, and 0.1°C above the LMA from 850 to 980 AD. Cooling culminated between 980 and 1030 AD with temperatures 0.7°C below the LMA. Varve-inferred summer temperatures increased between 1030 and 1620 AD to the LMA, though the period between 1260 and 1350 AD was 0.2°C below the LMA. Although there is no equivalent to the European Medieval Warm Period in the Blue Lake record, two warm intervals occurred from 1350 to 1450 AD and 1500 to 1620 AD (0.4 and 0.3°C above the LMA, respectively). During the Little Ice Age (LIA; 1620 to 1880 AD), inferred summer temperature averaged 0.2°C below the LMA. After 1880 AD, inferred summer temperature increased to 0.8°C above the LMA, glaciers retreated, but aridity persisted based on a number of regional paleoclimate records. Despite warming and glacial retreat, varve thicknesses have not achieved pre-730 AD levels. This reflects limited sediment availability and transport due to a less extensive retreat compared to the first millennium, and continued relative aridity. Overall, the Blue Lake record is similar to varve records from the eastern Canadian Arctic that document a cool LIA and twentieth century warming. However, the occurrence and timing of events, such as the LIA and Medieval Warm Period, varies considerably among records, suggesting heterogeneous climatic patterns across the North American Arctic.

Reconstructing the Palaeoclimate of Jæren, Southwestern Norway, for the Period 1821–1850, from Historical Documentary Records

Documentary data provide long time series and sometimes high-resolution, detailed data from historical times to the present and can give valuable information about palaeoclimate, and for the prediction of future climates. In this paper, documentary data containing qualitative information on climate, in the form of a diary written by the farmer I.G. Grude, and two newspapers, were used for the reconstruction of the palaeoclimate at Jæren, in the county of Rogaland, in southwestern Norway, during the period 1821–50. An index method to quantify the qualitative climate data was developed and used for a low-resolution reconstruction of winter, summer and annual temperatures. A high-resolution climate reconstruction of temperature and precipitation for the winter of 1837/38 is also presented, making use of a method that keeps the climate data in a qualitative form. The climate reconstructions are compared to an instrumental temperature series from Bergen, for the same period. The two data sets are in good agreement except for summer temperature (annual temperature: r = 0.75, winter temperature: r = 0.77, summer temperature: r = 0.44). Compared to average temperatures during 1961–90, the instrumental data from Bergen during the 1821–50 period show slightly different temperatures: annual average was 0.3°C lower, winter 0.4°C lower, and summer 0.1°C lower than at present, implying conditions consistent with the "Little Ice Age" climate.     

季风区边缘近500年的降水变化特征

基于武都万象洞高分辨率石笋δ¹⁸O和高精度²³⁰Th定年数据,结合利用周边地区史料恢复的旱涝指数序列,重建季风区边缘近500 a以来降水变化。结果显示:在年际至百年时间尺度上,万象洞石笋δ¹⁸O变化指示亚洲季风带来的降水量信息。季风区边缘降水变化可分减弱期(1470~1700 A.D.)、平稳期(1701~1875 A.D.)和增强期(1876~2003 A.D.)三个气候段,其间季风降水的强弱变化响应史料记载的极端旱涝事件。在小冰期向20世纪暖期转换过程中,本区呈现阶梯式过渡降水模式,这是一种较大空间尺度上气候特征,在年代际至百年时间尺度上与北半球温度、中国温度变化具有同步性。     

Northward-shift of temperature zones in China’s eco-geographical study under future climate scenario

Despite the well-documented effects of global climate change on terrestrial species’ ranges, eco-geographical regions as the regional scale of ecosystems have been poorly studied especially in China with diverse climate and ecosystems. Here we analyse the shift of temperature zones in eco-geographical study over China using projected future climate scenario. Projected climate data with high resolution during 1961–2080 were simulated using regional climate model of PRECIS. The number of days with mean daily temperature above 10℃ and the mean temperature of January are usually regarded as the principal criteria to indicate temperature zones, which are sensitive to climate change. Shifts due to future climate change were calculated by comparing the latitude of grid cells for the future borderline of one temperature zone with that for baseline period (1961–1990). Results indicated that the ranges of Tropical, Subtropical, Warm Temperate and Plateau Temperate Zones would be enlarged and the ranges of Cold Temperate, Temperate and Plateau Sub-cold Zones would be reduced. Cold Temperate Zone would probably disappear at late this century. North borderlines of temperature zones would shift northward under projected future climate change, especially in East China. Farthest shifts of the north boundaries of Plateau Temperate, Subtropical and Warm Temperate Zones would be 3.1°, 5.3° and 6.6° latitude respectively. Moreover, northward shift would be more notably in northern China as future temperature increased.     

Late holocene level fluctuations of the Lake Ilay in Jura,France: sediment and mollusc evidence and climatic implications

The level fluctuations of Lake Ilay, Jura (France) during the last three millennia are reconstructed from sedimentological and malacological analyses of a core that is well-dated by tree-ring, radiocarbon and pollen datings. Changes in sediment facies, in carbonate concretion assemblages and in mollusc assemblages highlight a major lowering phase atc. 1550 BP and minor lowering phases atc. 2800 BP and shortly before AD 1394. Rises in lake level developed during the early Subatlantic and betweenc. 1500 and 1000 BP. These data are in good agreement with other proxy data from higher European and American latitudes. These correlations support the climatic origin of the level fluctuations of the Lake Ilay during the late Holocene. They suggest that the mediaeval climatic optimum is centred rather in the early than the late Middle Age.     

从中国过去2000年温度变化看20世纪增暖

以重建的过去2000年中国东部地区冬半年温度距平序列为基础资料，从温度程度，冷暖变化速度和历史相似型3个方面，对20世纪增暖在过去2000年中的位置予以了详细分析。结果发现：虽然20世纪暖期的温度程度非常明显。但至目前为止，其温度程度和波动幅度均没有超过过去2000年曾经出现过的最高水平，20世纪增暖实质上是气候从寒冷阶段（小冰期）向温度阶段转变的快速升温过程，速率虽非常大（1.1℃/100年），但这一升温过程与过去2000年中其它气候由寒冷阶段向温暖阶段转变的过程相似，并不是唯一的。其中从百年际波动看，20世纪暖期的温度距平不但低于世纪暖期后期温暖时段（1200′s～1310′s），也低于隋唐暖期（570′s～770′s）及中世纪暖期前期的温暖时段（930′s～1100′s），从30年际变化30年相当；从年代际变化看，20世纪最暖年代的温度距平与中世纪暖期前期的最暖年代极为接近，另外，从中国过去2000年的冷暖阶段变化过程看，20世纪暖期的最可能相似型为隋唐暖期（570′s～770′sAD），而不是中世纪暖期，同时可能是由于受到195′s以后因人类活动导致的温室效应作用日益增大的影响，1980′s以后的升温速率明显加快。     

物候学方法在历史气候变化重建中的应用

利用历史物候记录重建的气候变化结果,显著地增进了人类对过去气候变化特征的认识。但现有研究在历史物候记录的提取与处理、重建方法的选择、重建结果的精度评估等方面需要进一步总结梳理。通过归纳历史物候记录的资料源以及在历史物候记录预处理过程中需要解决的物种鉴别和物候期确定问题,对现有重建方法进行总结,发现较早的研究采用了古今对比法,而近年来的研究多采用更为复杂的回归和过程模型法。上述物候学方法的重建结果对认识中世纪暖期、小冰期和近百年等典型时段的历史气候变化特征提供了重要依据,同时物候学方法重建结果与其他代用资料重建结果往往表现出较高的一致性。未来研究可在历史物候记录的整编与利用、重建方法的准确性评估与改进以及不同重建结果比对等方面,进一步深入开展工作。     

Climate changes in East Siberia (Russia) in the Holocene based on diatom,chironomid and pollen records from the sediments of Lake Kotokel

We analysed a 620-cm-long sediment record from Lake Kotokel located in East Siberia (Russia) for subfossil diatoms, chironomids and pollen to provide a reconstruction of the climate history of the area for the last 12.2 kyr. The subfossil records show differing time lags in their responses to climate change; diatoms and chironomids were more sensitive to climate change than the pollen record. Changes in the biogenic proxies seem related with changes in insolation, the temperature of the North Atlantic and solar activity. The chironomids Chironomus plumosus-type and Einfeldia carbonaria-type and the diatom Aulacoseira granulata were interpreted as markers of warm climate condition. The proxy records were divided into four periods (A, B, C and D) suggesting differing climate in East Siberia during the Holocene. Period D (12.2–9.5 kyr BP) at the beginning of the Holocene, according to chironomid and diatom records, was characterized by warm climate with summer temperatures close to modern. However, forest vegetation had not become fully established yet. During Period C (9.5–5.8 kyr BP), the climate seemed to gradually become colder and wetter from the beginning of Period C to 7 kyr BP. From 7 to 5.8 kyr BP, the climate seemed to remain cold, but aridity increased. Period B (5.8–1.7 kyr BP) was characterised by frequent and sharp alternations between warm and cold conditions. Unstable conditions during this time are also registered in records from Lakes Baikal, Khubsugul and various other shallow lakes of the region. Optimal warm and wet conditions seemed to occur ca. 4 kyr BP. During Period A (the last 1.5 kyr) the diatom and chironomid records show evidence of cold conditions at 1.5–1 kyr BP, but the forest vegetation did not change significantly.     

千百年尺度祁连山地区干湿变化对暖期的响应

全球升温导致区域干湿格局转变,千年尺度中全新世暖期和百年尺度中世纪暖期可以为探究现代的气候趋势提供历史相似型。通过湖相沉积、冰芯、孢粉、树轮等古气候记录和PMIP3/CMIP5计划的古气候模型模拟数据对比分析,结果表明,祁连山地区中全新世暖期（7.2—6.0 ka BP）东亚夏季风强盛,降水较多,气候温暖湿润;中世纪暖期（950—1250 AD）与小冰期表现为暖干—冷湿气候机制。现代观测数据显示,祁连山地区呈现暖湿化,但现代的气候机制与自然因子主导下暖期的响应机制差异较大,表明了人类活动对自然发展下气候环境的影响。因此,自然因素与人类活动共同作用是准确预测研究区未来干湿格局的基础。