500-year temperature reconstruction in the Mediterranean Basin by means of documentary data and instrumental observations

The paper reports the main results of the EU project Millennium in the Mediterranean area over the last 500 years. It analyses a long series of temperature from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece. The series are obtained by combining indices from documentary sources from AD 1500 to the onset of regular instrumental observations. There is an ongoing discussion regarding the proper way of combining documentary and instrumental data and how to translate accurately the conventional indices from ??3 to +?3 into modern units, i.e. degree Celsius. This paper produces for the first time a number of early instrumental observations, in some cases (i.e. Italy and France) covering 350 years, including thereby the earliest regular observations after the invention of the thermometer. These Mediterranean data show that anomalous temperatures usually had only a locally limited effect, while only few extreme events had a widespread impact over the whole region, such as the summer of 2003. During the period from 1850 to the present day, the Mediterranean temperature anomaly was close to the Northern Hemisphere in spring and summer, while it was warmer in autumn and winter. Compared with the long-term instrumental records (i.e. 1655 onwards), the recent warming has not exceeded the natural past variability characterized by heating–cooling cycles with no significant long-term trends.     

Summer maximum temperature in northern France over the past century: instrumental data versus multiple proxies (tree-ring isotopes, grape harvest dates and forest fires)

Changes in maximum spring and summer temperature are expected to have impacts on plant phenology and the occurrence of forest fires. Homogenised instrumental records of maximum spring and summer temperature are available in northern France for the past century, as well as documentary records of grape harvest dates and forest fire frequencies. Here we provide a new proxy of seasonal climate obtained by the analysis of latewood tree ring cellulose isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C and δD), from 15 living oak trees (Quercus petraea) sampled in the Fontainebleau forest, near Paris. For the past 30 years, we have conducted a study on the inter-tree (for oxygen isotopes) and inter-station (for oxygen and hydrogen) isotopic variability. Multiple linear regression statistical analyses are used to assess the response function of documentary and tree-ring isotopic records to a variety of climatic and hydrological parameters. This calibration study highlights the correlation between latewood tree-ring δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C, grape harvest dates and numbers of forest fire starts with maximum growing season (April to September) temperature, showing the potential of multiple proxy reconstructions to assess the past fluctuations of this parameter prior to the instrumental period.     

Cereal harvest dates in the Czech Republic between 1501 and 2008 as a proxy for March–June temperature reconstruction

Cereal crop harvests reflect the weather patterns of the period immediately preceding them, and thus the dates at which they begin may be used as a source of proxy data on regional climate. Using systematic phenological observations in the Czech Lands (now known as the Czech Republic) after 1845, together with exploration of further surviving documentary evidence (chronicles, diaries, financial accounts etc.), it has proved possible to create series of winter wheat harvest dates for the period 1501–2008. Employing linear regression, the harvesting dates of the main cereal species (wheat, rye, barley, oats) were first converted to winter wheat harvest days and then normalised to the same altitude above sea level. The next step consisted of using series of winter wheat harvest dates to reconstruct mean March–June temperatures in the Czech Republic, applying standard palaeoclimatological methods. Series reconstructed by linear regression explain 70% of temperature variability. A profound cold period corresponding with late winter wheat harvests was noted between 1659 and 1705. In contrast, warm periods (i.e. early winter wheat harvests) were found for the periods of 1517–1542, 1788–1834 and 1946–2008. The period after 1951 is the warmest of all throughout the entire 1501–2008 period. Comparisons with other European temperature reconstructions derived from documentary sources (including grape harvest dates), tree-rings and instrumental data reveal generally close agreement, with significant correlations. Lower correlations around A.D. 1650 and 1750 may be partly related to deterioration of socio-economic conditions in the Czech Lands resulting from prolonged wars. The results obtained demonstrate that it is possible to use widely-available cereal harvest data for climate analysis and also that such data constitute an independent proxy data series for the region of Central Europe crucial to further studies of the potential impact of climatic variability and climate change on agriculture.     

Plant Phenological Anomalies in Germany and their Relation to Air Temperature and NAO

This paper analyses long-term (1951–2000) phenological observations of20 plant seasonal phases recorded within the phenological network of the German Weather Service in relation to climate data and NAO. Phenological inter-annual variability and temporal trends were determined by using mean anomaly curves for Germany. For all phases, the mean trends derived by this method are similar to German averages of linear trends of single station records. Trend analysis using anomaly curves appears to be effective in relating seasonal phenological trends to climate or satellite data: Spring and summer phenological anomalies, such as leaf unfolding and flowering of different species, strongly correlate with temperature of the preceding months (R² between 0.65 and 0.85, best one-variable model) andtheir onsets have advanced by 2.5 to 6.7 days per ° C warmer spring. Fruit ripening of Sambucus nigra and Aesculus hippocastanum, keyphenophases of early and mid autumn, correlate well with summer temperature (R² 0.74 and 0.84) and also advance by 6.5and 3.8 days per ° C (April–June). But the response of autumn colouringto warmer climate is more complex because two opposing factors influence autumn colouring dates. Higher spring and early summer temperatures advance leaf colouring, whereas warmer autumn temperatures delay leaf colouring. The percentage of variance explained by temperature (R² 0.22 to 0.51,best one-variable model) is less than for spring and summer phases. The length of the growing season is mainly increased by warmer springs (R² 0.48to 0.64, best one-variable model) and lengthened by 2.4 to 3.5 days/° C (February–April). The North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAO) of January–March correlates with spring phenological anomalies(R² 0.37 to 0.56, best one-variable model), summer to mid autumn phases respond to NAO of February–March (R² 0.23 to 0.36) (both negativecorrelations). Leaf colouring is delayed by higher NAO of (August) September (R² 0.10to 0.18). NAO of January–February explains 0.41 to 0.44% of thevariance of the length of the growing season.     

On the reconstruction of temperature records from proxy data in mid Europe

Summary The problem of the reconstruction of mean summer temperatures from proxy data on a rigorous statistical basis is addressed: Cross spectral analysis is used for evaluating the suitability of linear transfer models between proxy data and temperature, the linear model is estimated from the data of a calibration period and it is verified using the data of a different period. Strict statistical tests are applied at every step of the analysis. Three examples using the proposed method are given: the reconstruction of mean April–July temperatures at Basel from grape harvest data in NE France (1484–1768), mean April–September temperatures at Basel from late wood density of trees from the Swiss Prealps (1270‐1768), and mean April–September temperatures at Great St. Bernhard from the late wood proxy too (1270–1850). The grape harvest data give a very good reconstruction, the resulting temperatures from 1500–1768 are documented. The late wood data fails to give a good reconstruction.

---

Die Rekonstruktion von Temperaturreihen aus Proxydaten in Mitteleuropa

Zusammenfassung Es wird das Problem der Rekonstruktion von mittleren Sommertemperaturen aus sogenannten Proxydaten untersucht. Sehr viel Wert wird auf die statistische Signifikanz der Rekonstruktion gelegt. Kreuzspektralanalyse wird benutzt, um die Verwendungsf?higkeit eines linearen Modells als Transfermodell zwischen Temperatur und Proxydaten zu ermitteln. Die Parameter des linearen Transfermodells werden aus den Daten der sogenannten Eichperiode abgesch?tzt und die damit für eine unabh?ngige Periode rekonstruierten Temperaturen werden mit gemessenen verglichen. In jedem Schritt der Analyse werden strikte statistische Tests durchgeführt, um die Ergebnisse zu untermauern. Die Methode wird an drei Beispielen erprobt: die mittlere April–Juli Temperatur in Basel wird mit Hilfe von Weinlesedaten von NE-Frankreich für die Zeit (1484–1768) rekonstruiert, die mittlere April–September Temperatur in Basel und am Gro?en Bernhard wird mit Sp?tholzdichtewerten der Schweizer Voralpen verglichen. Die Weinlesedaten ergeben eine sehr gute Rekonstruktion und die Temperaturreihe für den Zeitraum 1500–1768 wird dokumentiert. Die Sp?tholzdichten liefern keine gute Temperaturrrekonstruktion.

---

---

With 11 Figures     

North-Atlantic SST amplified recent wintertime European land temperature extremes and trends

Europe has been warming over the past 30?years. In particular all seasonal temperature records have been broken since 2003, which altered socio-economic and environmental systems. Since we expect this trend in both mean and extreme temperatures to continue along the twenty first century under enhanced radiative forcing, it is crucial to understand the underlying mechanisms of such climate variations to help in considering adaptation or mitigation strategies to reduce the impacts of a warmer climate. From a statistical analysis we show that the inter-annual variability of European seasonal temperatures can be reconstructed from North-Atlantic atmospheric circulation only, but not their recent trends and extreme seasons. Adding North-Atlantic sea-surface temperature (SST) as a predictor helps improving the reconstruction, especially in autumn and winter. Sensitivity experiments with the MM5 regional model over 2003?C2007 suggest that the anomalous SST enhance European land temperatures through the upper-air advection of heat and water vapor, interacting with radiative fluxes over the continent. This mechanism is pronounced in autumn and winter, where estimates of SST influence as obtained from MM5 are in agreement with those obtained from statistical regressions. We find a lesser SST influence in spring and summer, where local surface and radiative feedbacks are the main amplifiers of recent extremes.     

Seasonal temperature and precipitation variability during the last 60?years in a Mediterranean climate area of Northeastern Spain: a multivariate analysis

This paper presents the analysis of mean daily temperature and precipitation from 1950 to 2010 in an area with Mediterranean climate of NE Spain including some coastal areas near Barcelona and the Penedès and Camp de Tarragona Depressions located between the Coastal Mountain Range and the Mediterranean Sea. Their variability, with especial attention to the frequency of extreme events, was analysed by using 18 indexes: seven for temperature and 11 for precipitation were analysed for four meteorological observatories. A multivariate analysis was performed in order to analyse the temperature and precipitation trends. During the analysed period, an increase in mean annual maximum temperature was observed in all observatories ranging between 1.5 and 2.2°C associated with an increase in the number of days with high extreme temperatures. Minimum temperature only increased significantly in the coast observatories (about 1.4°C). By seasons, temperature trends were greater at Vilafranca del Penedès and Barcelona observatories and lower at Reus airport. Maximum spring temperature increased between 1.5 and 2.5°C, summer temperature increased between 1.6 and 2.5°C and autumn temperature increased by up to 2.2°C. Precipitation presented a high variability from year to year, without significant trends. The most significant results were related to the dry conditions observed in spring 2000s, the wet conditions recorded in summer 2000s and 1980s and the longer dry periods in autumn 2000s. The increase of temperatures determined the increase of evapotranspiration, and due to the higher irregular distribution, water deficits for crop development were recorded. An advance of phenological dates and a reduction of grape yield are associated to climate trends.     

近54 年辛集市气温及降水变化特征

根据河北省辛集气象站近54 a（1957-2010年）的月平均地面观测资料,采用气候统计学方法,分别从气温及降水的趋势变化、周期变化、突变特征等方面进行分析,总结该市近54 a气温及降水的变化特征。结果表明：1）近54 a来辛集市年平均气温、各季平均气温及极端最低气温呈显著上升趋势,四季中冬季增温趋势最明显,夏季增温幅度最弱,极端最低气温上升而极端最高气温下降,导致气温日较差减小;2）在20世纪60年代,年平均和冬季气温表现出准2～3 a的显著年际变化周期,年平均和春季气温还表现出准7 a的显著年际周期特征;3）该市年降水量近54 a来整体呈先增加后减少的变化趋势;4）年和夏秋季降水量在20世纪60年代均表现出准3～4 a的周期特征,而在春季准7 a的年际振荡贯穿始终;5）辛集市的气温变化趋势以及突变开始时间与全国、河北省以及石家庄地区近50 a气温变化基本一致,但该市的降水量变化则略有不同,降水量变化的长期趋势不显著且突变不明显,主要是由于降水量的时空变化差异性较大。     

Five centuries of Stockholm winter/spring temperatures reconstructed from documentary evidence and instrumental observations

Historical documentary sources, reflecting different port activities in Stockholm, are utilised to derive a 500-year winter/spring temperature reconstruction for the region. These documentary sources reflect sea ice conditions in the harbour inlet and those series that overlap with the instrumental data correlate well with winter/spring temperatures. By refining dendroclimatological methods, the time-series were composited to a mean series and calibrated (1756–1841; r ²?=?66%) against Stockholm January–April temperatures. Strong verification was confirmed (1842–1892; r ²?=?60%; RE/CE?=?0.55). By including the instrumental data, the quantified (QUAN) reconstruction indicates that recent two decades have been the warmest period for the last 500 years. Coldest conditions occurred during the 16th/17th and early 19th centuries. An independent qualitative (QUAL) historical index was also derived for the Stockholm region. Comparison between QUAN and QUAL shows good coherence at inter-annual time-scales, but QUAL distinctly appears to lack low frequency information. Comparison is also made to other winter temperature based annually resolved records for the Baltic region. Between proxy coherence is generally good although it decreases going back in time with the 1500–1550 period being the weakest period—possibly reflecting data quality issues in the different reconstructions.     

桂北动物物候气候变暖响应

对桂北地区1989~2007年青蛙、蟋蟀始鸣和终鸣以及气温等气候要素1975~2007年同步观测资料的对比分析结果表明,近10年来桂北地区青蛙和蟋蟀始鸣日期呈提前趋势,终鸣日期稳定,始终鸣间隔期及生长繁殖季显著延长;桂林雁山近34年来年平均气温呈显著上升趋势,特别是1997年以来增温显著,在增温过程中以春季增温为主,冬季和秋季增温次之,夏季呈弱降温趋势;2~4月平均气温和3月平均最高气温是影响青蛙和蟋蟀始鸣期和始终鸣间隔期的主要气候生态因子;动物物候变化是动物对气候变暖的响应。     

基于NCEP-GEFS回算资料的我国极端温度变化特征研究

利用美国NCEP全球集合预报系统(GEFS)历史回算资料和中国均一化格点观测数据,分析了我国近30 a来极端温度变化特征,重点考察了该模式预报系统对这一变化特征的刻画性能。通过估算格点观测和模式资料中2 m温度的历史气候百分位,分析了我国冬夏两季极端温度的气候特征以及极端温度日数的气候分布和多年变化趋势。结果表明,我国冬季极端低温和夏季极端高温的空间分布表现出较强区域性特征:东北、华北和青藏高原区域冬季极端低温的百分位阈值对应的温度较低,而华南、西北和长江流域夏季极端高温的阈值温度则较高;近30 a来我国夏季平均温度和极端高温日数几乎都呈现上升趋势,冬季平均温度则在我国大部分区域呈上升趋势、西北和东北部分地区呈下降趋势,相应地冬季极端低温日数在大部分区域呈下降趋势、仅在西北、东北和华南部分地区略有上升。NCEP-GEFS回算资料能较好地再现我国冬夏两季平均气温、冬季极端低温和夏季极端高温日数的气候趋势和年际变化,但在各区域都有不同程度的冷偏差,冬季偏差明显大于夏季,并随着预报时长的增加,冬季冷偏差逐渐增强,而夏季冷偏差则逐渐减弱。因此,本文建议采用基于百分位阈值的相对极端性定义,可自动修正模式分析场和预报场中的系统性偏差。     

用树木物候期做玉米播种期预报

利用呼和浩特1971—2007年气象资料与1988—2007年物候资料,分析了玉米适宜播种期与春季树木物候期的相互关系。结果表明:春季树木物候期与气温存在很好的相关性,用冬春季气温预报春季树木物候期,再由树木物候期确定玉米适播期,或用树木已出现的物候期预测下一个物候期,从而预报玉米适播期等方法均取得较好的预报效果。     

重庆市气温变化趋势及其可能原因分析

通过对重庆市1924～2007年的平均气温、平均最高气温、平均最低气温、极端最高气温、极端最低气温随时间变化特征进行分析发现:近84年来重庆市平均气温微弱变冷,与全国平均温度相比线性变化趋势存在一定差异;平均最高和平均最低气温、极端最高和极端最低气温的非对称性变化显著,最高气温的下降对平均气温的影响很大,平均最低气温除春季外增暖都非常显著,最低温度的增高对气温日较差减小的影响更明显.夏季副热带高压位置偏南,使得我国西南地区东部夏季降水天气增多、云量增加、日照时数减少,加之轻雾日数增多,可能是重庆市夏季最高温度持续下降的主要原因.冬季最低气温的显著升高主要是由于降水天气减少、云量增加和城市热岛效应所致.     

The early instrumental warm-bias: a solution for long central European temperature series 1760–2007

Instrumental temperature recording in the Greater Alpine Region (GAR) began in the year 1760. Prior to the 1850–1870 period, after which screens of different types protected the instruments, thermometers were insufficiently sheltered from direct sunlight so were normally placed on north-facing walls or windows. It is likely that temperatures recorded in the summer half of the year were biased warm and those in the winter half biased cold, with the summer effect dominating. Because the changeover to screens often occurred at similar times, often coincident with the formation of National Meteorological Services (NMSs) in the GAR, it has been difficult to determine the scale of the problem, as all neighbour sites were likely to be similarly affected. This paper uses simultaneous measurements taken for eight recent years at the old and modern site at Kremsmünster, Austria to assess the issue. The temperature differences between the two locations (screened and unscreened) have caused a change in the diurnal cycle, which depends on the time of year. Starting from this specific empirical evidence from the only still existing and active early instrumental measuring site in the region, we developed three correction models for orientations NW through N to NE. Using the orientation angle of the buildings derived from metadata in the station histories of the other early instrumental sites in the region (sites across the GAR in the range from NE to NW) different adjustments to the diurnal cycle are developed for each location. The effect on the 32 sites across the GAR varies due to different formulae being used by NMSs to calculate monthly means from the two or more observations made at each site each day. These formulae also vary with time, so considerable amounts of additional metadata have had to be collected to apply the adjustments across the whole network. Overall, the results indicate that summer (April to September) average temperatures are cooled by about 0.4°C before 1850, with winters (October to March) staying much the same. The effects on monthly temperature averages are largest in June (a cooling from 0.21° to 0.93°C, depending on location) to a slight warming (up to 0.3°C) at some sites in February. In addition to revising the temperature evolution during the past centuries, the results have important implications for the calibration of proxy climatic data in the region (such as tree ring indices and documentary data such as grape harvest dates). A difference series across the 32 sites in the GAR indicates that summers since 1760 have warmed by about 1°C less than winters.     

The climate of crete in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries

The climatic history of the eastern Mediterranean has been neglected; that of Crete is selected for initial investigation. The principal characteristics of twentieth century climate are surveyed. The most important documentary sources for the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are introduced, their potentialities discussed and examples of documentary evidence given. Detailed consideration is given to the period 1548 to 1648, and its main climatic features tabulated. In some years, and groups of years, weather conditions occurred which were apparently anomalous by twentieth century standards, especially winter and spring droughts, exceptionally severe winters, and summer rain. Specific cases are discussed. Some winter droughts were longer-lasting and more extreme than any since instrumental measurements began. These could affect wide regions and are taken to have been caused by the extension of southerly air masses from the Sahara. The incidence of severe winters leads to consideration of evidence for snowfall having been heavier and longer lasting than in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Deluges seem to have been similar in intensity to twentieth century storm events, but some may have been more extreme and extended more widely. Records of summer rains were found to be rare compared with those of winter drought and severe winters. The period under review was one in which northern and central Europe experienced individual years and clusters of years in which weather conditions departed strongly from twentieth century means. It is surmised that climatic anomalies, which did not necessarily occur simultaneously in the eastern and western Mediterranean, were associated with low index situations, that is with weak circumpolar westerlies, and with blocking highs further north in Europe, causing diversion of depression tracks.     

The year-long unprecedented European heat and drought of 1540 – a worst case

The heat waves of 2003 in Western Europe and 2010 in Russia, commonly labelled as rare climatic anomalies outside of previous experience, are often taken as harbingers of more frequent extremes in the global warming-influenced future. However, a recent reconstruction of spring–summer temperatures for WE resulted in the likelihood of significantly higher temperatures in 1540. In order to check the plausibility of this result we investigated the severity of the 1540 drought by putting forward the argument of the known soil desiccation-temperature feedback. Based on more than 300 first-hand documentary weather report sources originating from an area of 2 to 3 million km², we show that Europe was affected by an unprecedented 11-month-long Megadrought. The estimated number of precipitation days and precipitation amount for Central and Western Europe in 1540 is significantly lower than the 100-year minima of the instrumental measurement period for spring, summer and autumn. This result is supported by independent documentary evidence about extremely low river flows and Europe-wide wild-, forest- and settlement fires. We found that an event of this severity cannot be simulated by state-of-the-art climate models.     

合肥市53年气温变化特征分析

利用1953-2005年安徽省合肥市逐日平均气温、最高气温和最低气温资料,应用最小二乘法和Morlet小波分析法,对合肥市温度变化进行了分析。结果表明,合肥市53a来年平均气温、年平均最高气温和年平均最低气温变化,均具有明显冷期和暖期交替的阶段性特点,而且冷期持续时间比暖期持续时间长;春季、秋季和冬季年平均气温均呈上升趋势,但增幅不同,冬季最大,春季次之,秋季最小,而夏季气温呈微弱的下降趋势;年极端最高气温呈微弱的下降趋势,年极端最低气温则呈强烈的上升趋势;年热积温呈下降趋势,年冷积温则呈明显的上升趋势;年平均气温、年平均最高气温和年平均最低气温变化具有明显的周期性,均存在30a左右的大尺度周期振荡,而中小尺度周期振荡则不相同。     

Climatic conditions and their impact on viticulture in the Upper Moselle region

Climate parameters, especially temperature, sunlight, and precipitation, play a decisive role in growing and maturing processes. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between climate variability and variations in phenological events in viticulture. Long time series of daily meteorological observations are used to quantify these relations. The primary aim is to predict the date of phenological events by relationships between plant morphology and environmental conditions. Causal relationships between environment and internal activities of the vine (phytochemistry, cellular interactions, molecular and cell biology) are not our focus. The dates of the phenological events are important for planning treatments in the vineyards like pest management, for predicting the duration of the ripening phase and estimating the quality of the grapes and the vintage. The focus is layed on the region of the Upper Moselle, especially the Luxembourgian viticulture. First the regional climate and the phenological states of different vine varieties during the time period 1951?C2005 are analysed. Significant trends are detected in annual, spring and summer temperatures. Vine phenology is also found to have changed significantly; budburst date and flowering events occur earlier by about two weeks. In a second step, relationships between phenological events and climate parameters are used to develop a prediction model. The parameterisation used in this study is based on a linear multiple regression method with forward and backward steps. The predictors tested are mainly temperature means for different time periods or temperature derived indices. In addition precipitation and sunshine duration for different time periods are evaluated, but only the temperature based predictors showed sufficient skill. For the budburst event, the significant predictors are the accumulated degree days in March, the mean daily maximum temperature in April and the accumulated frost days from January to March. The flowering event is best predicted by the accumulated degree days in May and April, the mean daily maximum temperature in June, and the date of the budburst event. Depending on the vine variety and the phenological event, the model explains 80?C89% of the variance and has a correlation coefficient above 0.90 with the observations.     

喀什市196 1—2007年浅层地温的变化

利用1961-2007年喀什0-40cm各层逐月平均地温,采用气候倾向率和累积距平气候统计方法,研究了近47a喀什浅层平均地温年代际、年际和各季的气候变化特征。结果表明：各层年平均地温以0．1～0．4℃／10a的升温率显著上升,15cm深度的升温率最大;浅层各季节平均地温均呈现为显著的升高趋势,升温率为0．1～0．5℃／10a,春季最大、夏季最小。