Paleoclimatic implications of the high stand of Lake Lahontan derived from models of evaporation and lake level

Based on previous climate model simulations of a split of the polar jet stream during the late Pleistocene, we hypothesize that (1) 20–13.5 ka BP, season-to-season variation in the latitudinal maximum of the jet stream core led to enhanced wetness in the Great Basin, and (2) after 13.5 ka BP, northward movement of the jet stream resulted in increased aridity similar to today. We suggest that the enhanced effective wetness was due to increased precipitation combined with an energy-limited reduction in evaporation rates that was caused by increased summer cloud cover. A physically based thermal evaporation model was used to simulate evaporation for Lake Lahontan under various hypothesized paleoclimates. The simulated evaporation rates, together with hypothetical rates of precipitation and discharge, were input to a water balance model of Lake Lahontan. A 42% reduction in evaporation rate, combined with maximum historical rates of precipitation (1.8 times the mean annual rate) and discharge (2.4 times the mean annual rate), were sufficient to maintain Lake Lahontan at its 20-15 ka BP level. When discharge was increased to 3.8 times the present-day, mean annual rate, the 13.5 ka BP maximum level of Lake Lahontan was attained within 1400 years. A 135-m drop from the maximum level to Holocene levels was simulated within 300 years under the imposition of the present-day hydrologic balance.     

Characteristics of the ozone decline in the northern polar and middle latitudes during the winter-spring

Summary The total ozone decline during the past twenty years, especially strong during the winter-spring season poleward from 50° N, is well established with known average trends of 5–7% per decade. This study presents a number of additional characteristics such as ozone-mass deficiency (O₃MD) from the pre- 1976 base average, and areal extent with negative deviations greater than2 and3. Gridded satellite data combined with ground-based total ozone maps, permit calculations of daily and regional ozone deficiencies from the anthropogenically undisturbed average ozone levels of the 1960s and early 1970s. Then the quantity of the O₃MD and the changes in surface area, with deficiencies larger than-10 and-15% are integrated for the 1 January to 15 April period for each of the last 20 years, and compared. In addition, the polar vortex extent during the last 10 years is determined using the PV at 475°K. The quantity of the O₃MD within the sunlit part of the vortex is shown to contribute from15 to 35% of the overall ozone deficiency within the-10% contours over the area 35–90°N. The ozone deficiency, integrated for the first 105 days of each year, has increased dramatically from 2,800Mt in the early 1980s to7,800Mt in the 1990s, exceeded 12,000Mt in the winter-springs of 1993 and 1995. The latter quantity is comparable with the average O₃MD over the same Southern latitudes in the last ten austral springs. During the 1990s over the 35–90° latitudes the average ozone deficiency in the Southern hemisphere belt is less than over the Northern hemisphere belt by40%. It is known that the main ozone decline is observed in the lower stratosphere and the ozone loss over the Arctic is very sensitive to decreasing stratospheric temperatures; negative 50hPa monthly anomalies greater than 4°C have occurred during 7 of the springs in the last decade, thus possibly facilitating doubling the area with negative ozone deviations greater than-10% in the 1990s to5,000.10⁶km² and nearly tripling the O₃MD as stated above. The changes in total eddy heat fluxes as a proxy indicator of the long wave perturbations are positively correlated with the ozone deficiency in the 45–75°N. The strong anticorrelation between the ozone deficiency in the region>55° N. versus the 35–50° N belt is discussed in relation to possible transport of air masses with low ozone from the sub-tropics, which in some years are the dominant reason for the observed ozone deficiency.With 11 Figures     

Impact of Secular Climate Change on the Thermal Structure of a Large Temperate Central European Lake

Strong climate-related secular trends are apparent in a 52-yr long (1947–1998) uninterrupted series of monthly temperature profiles fromLake Zurich, a large, deep (136 m), temperate lake on the Swiss Plateau. Decadal mean water temperatures have undergone a secular increase at all depths, reflecting the high degree of regional warming that occurred in the European Alpine area during the 20th century. From the 1950s to the 1990s, high warming rates ( 0.24 K per decade) in the uppermost 20 m of the lake (i.e., the epi/metalimnion) combined with lower warming rates ( 0.13 K per decade) below 20 m (i.e., in the hypolimnion), have resulted in a20% increase in thermal stability and a consequent extension of 2–3 weeksin the stratification period. In common with many other parts of the world, 20th-century climate change on the Swiss Plateau has involved a steep secular increase in daily minimum (nighttime) air temperatures, but not in daily maximum (daytime) air temperatures. With respect to both secular change and decadal-scale variability, the temporal structure of the temperature of the surface mixed layer of Lake Zurich faithfully reflects that of the regional daily minimum air temperature, but not that of the daily maximum. The processes responsible for longer-term changes in the temperature structure of the lake therefore act during the night, presumably by suppressing nighttime convective cooling of the surface mixed layer. Application of a one-box heat exchange model suggests that the observed secular changes in thermal structure are due to shifts in the nighttime rate of emission of infrared radiation from the atmosphere and in the nighttime rates of latent and sensible heat exchange at the air-water interface. The increase in hypolimnetic temperatures is mainly a result of the increased prevalence of warm winters in Europe.     

High Acetone Concentrations throughout the 0–12 km Altitude Range over the Tropical Rainforest in Surinam

Airborne measurements of acetone were performed overthe tropical rainforest in Surinam(2°–7° N, 54°–58° W, 0–12 kmaltitude) during the LBA-CLAIRE campaign in March1998, using a novel proton transfer reaction massspectrometer (PTR-MS) that enables the on-linemonitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOC) with ahigher proton affinity than water. The measuredacetone volume mixing ratios ranged from 0.1 nmol/molup to 8 nmol/mol with an overall average of 2.6nmol/mol and a standard deviation of 1.0 nmol/mol. Theobserved altitude profile and correlations with CO,acetonitrile, propane and wind direction are discussedwith respect to potential acetone sources. No linearcorrelation between acetone and CO mixing ratios wasobserved, at variance with results of previousmeasurement campaigns. The mean acetone/CO ratio(0.022) was substantially higher than typical valuesfound before. The abundance of acetone appears to beinfluenced, but not dominated, by biomass burning,thus suggesting large emissions of acetone and/oracetone precursors, such as possibly 2-propanol, fromliving plants or decaying litter in the rainforest.     

Lake ice records used to detect historical and future climatic changes

Historical ice records, such as freeze and breakup dates and the total duration of ice cover, can be used as a quantitative indicator of climatic change if long homogeneous records exist and if the records can be calibrated in terms of climatic changes. Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, has the longest uninterrupted ice records available for any lake in North America dating back to 1855. These records extend back prior to any reliable air temperature data in the midwestern region of the U.S. and demonstrate significant warming of approximately 1.5 °C in fall and early winter temperatures and 2.5 °C in winter and spring temperatures during the past 135 years. These changes are not completely monotonie, but rather appear as two shorter periods of climatic change in the longer record. The first change was between 1875 and 1890, when fall, winter, and spring air temperatures increased by approximately 1.5 °C. The second change, earlier ice breakup dates since 1979, was caused by a significant increase in winter and early spring air temperatures of approximately 1.3 °C. This change may be indicative of shifts in regional climatic patterns associated with global warming, possibly associated with the Greenhouse Effect.With the relationships between air temperature and freeze and break up dates, we can project how the ice cover of Lake Mendota should respond to future climatic changes. If warming occurs, the ice cover for Lake Mendota should decrease approximately 11 days per 1 °C increase. With a warming of 4 to 5 °C, years with no ice cover should occur in approximately 1 out of 15 to 30 years.     

Sensitivity of freezing drizzle formation in stably stratified clouds to ice processes

Summary This study examines the impact of ice formation and growth processes on freezing drizzle formation in stably stratified clouds. In particular we investigate the reason why freezing drizzle is rarely observed in clouds with top temperatures less than –15°C. We also investigate the sensitivity of freezing drizzle formation to the Hallett Mossop secondary ice process (Hallet and Mossop, 1974). The evaluation is performed by simulating cloud formation over a two-dimensional idealized mountain using a detailed microphysical scheme. The height and width of the two-dimensional mountain were designed to produce an updraft pattern with extent and magnitude similar to documented freezing drizzle cases. The simulations show that: (i) drizzle formation is very sensitive to the ice crystal concentration, with a significant reduction in the area over which drizzle forms and the maximum drizzle water content as the cloud top temperature decreases below –10°C, and (ii) secondary ice crystal formation has a significant effect on drizzle formation at cloud top temperatures below –10°C.The above two factors are likely the main cause for the lack of freezing drizzle at cloud top temperatures less than –15°C. We also found that neglecting the depletion of ice forming nuclei resulted in considerable overestimation of the ice crystal concentration and suppression of drizzle, even for the –10°C case.     

Three million years of monsoon variability over the northern Sahara

We present a 3 million year record of aeolian dust supply into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, based on hematite contents derived from magnetic properties of sediments from Ocean Drilling Program Site 967. Our record has an average temporal resolution of 400 years. Geochemical data validate this record of hematite content as a proxy for the supply of aeolian dust from the Sahara. We deduce that the aeolian hematite in eastern Mediterranean sediments derives from the eastern Algerian, Libyan, and western Egyptian lowlands located north of the central Saharan watershed (21°N). In corroboration of earlier work, we relate dust flux minima to penetration of the African summer monsoon front to the north of the central Saharan watershed. This would have enhanced soil humidity and vegetation cover in the source regions, in agreement with results from green Sahara climate models. Our results indicate that this northward monsoon penetration recurred during insolation maxima throughout the last 3 million years. As would be expected, this orbital precession-scale mechanism is modulated on both short (100-kyr) and long (400-kyr) eccentricity time scales. We also observe a strong expression of the 41-kyr (obliquity) cycle, which we discuss in terms of high- and low-latitude mechanisms that involve Southern Hemisphere meridional temperature contrasts and shifts in the latitudes of the tropics, respectively. We also observe a marked increase in sub-Milankovitch variability around the mid-Pleistocene transition (0.95 Ma), which suggests a link between millennial-scale climate variability, including monsoon dynamics, and the size of northern hemisphere ice sheets.     

Arctic hazes in summer over Greenland and the North American Arctic. III: A contribution from the natural burning of carbonaceous materials and pyrites

Airborne measurements of the emissions from natural fires, fueled by pyrites and organic materials, at the Smoking Hills in the Northwest Territories, show that they are a regionally significant source of SO₂ (0.3 kg s^–1 or 10⁴ T yr^–1) and particles (0.3 kg s^–1). It appears likely that the Smoking Hills are a source for some of the dense, lower-level, haze layers that occur in the North American Arctic.     

Implications of CO2 global warming on great lakes ice cover

Statistical ice cover models were used to project daily mean basin ice cover and annual ice cover duration for Lakes Superior and Erie. Models were applied to a 1951–80 base period and to three 30-year steady double carbon dioxide (2 × CO₂) scenarios produced by the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), the Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS), and the Oregon State University (OSU) general circulation models. Ice cover estimates were made for the West, Central, and East Basins of Lake Erie and for the West, East, and Whitefish Bay Basins of Lake Superior. Average ice cover duration for the 1951– 80 base period ranged from 13 to 16 weeks for individual lake basins. Reductions in average ice cover duration under the three 2 × CO₂ scenarios for individual lake basins ranged from 5 to 12 weeks for the OSU scenario, 8 to 13 weeks for the GISS scenario, and 11 to 13 weeks for GFDL scenario. Winters without ice formation become common for Lake Superior under the GFDL scenario and under all three 2 × CO₂ scenarios for the Central and East Basins of Lake Erie. During an average 2 × CO₂ winter, ice cover would be limited to the shallow areas of Lakes Erie and Superior. Because of uncertainties in the ice cover models, the results given here represent only a first approximation and are likely to represent an upper limit of the extent and duration of ice cover under the climate change projected by the three 2 × CO₂scenarios. Notwithstanding these limitations, ice cover projected by the 2 × CO₂ scenarios provides a preliminary assessment of the potential sensitivity of the Great Lakes ice cover to global warming. Potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of a 2 × CO₂ warming include year-round navigation, change in abundance of some fish species in the Great Lakes, discontinuation or reduction of winter recreational activities, and an increase in winter lake evaporation.     

Modeling Modern and Late Pleistocene Glacio-Climatological Conditions in the North Chilean Andes (29–30 °)

An empirical-statistical climate-glacier model is used to reconstruct Late Pleistocene climate conditions in the south-central Andes of northern Chile (29–30° S). The model was tested using modern climate data and the results compare favorably with key glaciological features presentlyobserved in this area. Using several glaciers at 29° S as casestudies, the results suggest an increase in annual precipitation( P = 580 ± 150 mm, today 400 mm), and a reduction inannual mean temperature ( T = –5.7 ± 0.7 ° C).These data suggest full glacial LGM (Last Glacial Maximum) conditionsfor the maximum glacier advances at 29° S, a scenario that is asynchronous with the timing of maximum advances north of the Arid Diagonal (18–24° S) where late-glacial climate was moderately cold but very humid.The reconstructed case study glaciers at 29° S do not allow conclusions to be drawn about the seasonality of precipitation. However, comparison with regional paleodata suggests intensified westerly winter precipitation and a stable position for the northern boundary of the westerlies at 27° S. However, the meridional precipitation gradients were much steeper than today while the core area of the Arid Diagonal remained fixed between 25–27° S.     

Size-Resolved Characterisation of Soluble Ions in the Particles in the Tropospheric Plume of Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua: Origins and Plume Processing

We present the first application of a multi-stage impactor to study volcanic particle emissions to the troposphere from Masaya volcano, Nicaragua. Concentrations of soluble SO₄ ^2–,Cl^–, F^–, NO₃ ^–, K⁺, Na⁺,NH₄ ⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ were determined in 11 size bins from 0.07 m to >25.5 m. The near-source size distributions showed major modes at 0.5m (SO₄ ^2–, H⁺,NH₄ ⁺); 0.2 m and 5.0 m (Cl^–) and 2.0–5.0 m(F^–). K⁺ and Na⁺ mirrored the SO₄ ^2– size-resolvedconcentrations closely, suggesting that these were transported primarily asK₂SO₄ and Na₂SO₄ in acidic solution, while Mg²⁺ andCa²⁺ presented modes in both <1 m and >1 m particles. Changes in relative humidity were studied by comparing daytime (transparent plume) and night-time (condensed plume) results. Enhanced particle growth rates were observed in the night-time plume as well as preferential scavenging of soluble gases, such as HCl, by condensed water. Neutralisation of the acidic aerosol by background ammonia was observed at the crater rim and to a greater extent approximately 15 km downwind of the active crater. We report measurements of re-suspended near-source volcanic dust, which may form a component of the plume downwind. Elevated levels ofSO₄ ^2–, Cl^–, F^–,H⁺, Na⁺, K⁺ and Mg²⁺ were observed around the 10 m particle diameter in this dust. The volcanic SO₄ ^2– flux leaving the craterwas 0.07 kg s^–1.     

Small-scale atmospheric structure deduced from measurements of temperature,humidity and refractive index

Measurements have been made with fast-response multi-channel temperature, humidity and refractive index sensors flown to 2000 m on a tethered balloon to investigate small-scale fluctuations important in radio-wave scattering, their relation to atmospheric parameters, and their spatial variation in both one and three dimensions. Data from the three types of sensors at one point were consistent for frequencies up to about 8 Hz. Power spectra of data at various heights were computed over 0.1 to 10 Hz and generally showed slopes (on a log-log plot) close to - 5/3 above 1 Hz but ranged from –1.5 to – 3.5 at lower frequencies; in this range (f < 1 Hz) slopes were close to – 5/3 for negative Richardson number (Ri), provided temperature gradients were steeper than –1.1 °C 100 m^–1 and wind shears > 1.4 x 10^–2 s^–1 approx. Steeper slopes were generally associated with stable atmospheric conditions but no precise relation to the above parameters was found. Spectral density was a maximum for Ri –0.75.Cross-correlations of 0.5 were frequently observed between sensors 1 m apart in orthogonal directions; in the vertical, examples of negative correlation of vapour pressure were occasionally found over this spacing. Using four sensors spaced in line over 9 m, cross-spectrum phase calculations of drift speeds were found to be consistent with measured wind speeds. The ratio of identification distance (coherence=0.6) to scale size of irregularities ranged from 0.25 to 0.5 with no apparent relation to height or meteorological parameters.     

Ice cloud microphysics,radiative transfer and large-scale cloud processes

Summary Parameterization programs for cloud microphyscs and radiative transfer involving ice clouds have been developed in terms of the mean effective size and ice water path. The mean effective size appears to be adequate in representing the ice crystal size distribution for radiative parameterizations. For a given ice water path, smaller mean effective sizes reflect more solar radiation, emit more IR radiation and enhance net radiative heating/cooling at the cloud top and bottom than larger sizes. The presence of small ice crystals may generate steeper lapse rates in clouds. A 3-D global cloud model that prescribes the horizontal wind fields in a 24 hour period is used to investigate the sensitivity of the mean effective size of ice crystals on the simulation of radiative heating, temperature, cloud cover and ice water content. A variation in the mean effective size from 75 to 50 m in a 24 hour prediction on simulation generates more cooling above the high cloud top and a decrease of temperature. These results lead to an increase of high cloud cover in some latitudes by as much as 4% and, at the same time, a decrease of middle cloud cover by 3–4% in latitudes between 60°S and 60°N.With 7 Figures     

Variability of Freezing Levels, Melting Season Indicators, and Snow Cover for Selected High-Elevation and Continental Regions in the Last 50 Years

We have used NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data and a Northern Hemisphere snow cover data set to analyze changes in freezing level heights and snow cover for the past three to five decades. All the major continental mountain chains exhibit upward shifts in the height of the freezing level surface. The pattern of these changes is generally consistent with changes in snow cover, both over the course of the year and spatially. We examined different free-air temperature parameters (dry bulb temperature, virtual temperature, and 700–500 hPa thickness) using the Reanalysis grid point valueslocated over the different mountain areas as defined in this study. The different trend values were in reasonably good agreement with each other, particularly over the second half of the record.Freezing level changes in the American Cordillera are strongly modulated by the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon and the freezing level heights (FLH) respond to both interannual and decadal-scale change in tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST). The 0.5 °C increase in SST recorded in the tropical Pacific since the 1950s accounts for approximately half of the increase in FLH in tropical and subtropical latitudes of the Cordilleran region during that same time.     

A numerical investigation of wind speed effects on lake-effect storms

Observations of lake-effect storms that occur over the Great Lakes region during late autumn and winter indicate a high sensitivity to ambient wind speed and direction. In this paper, a two-dimensional version of the Penn State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) model is used to investigate the wind speed effects on lake-effect snowstorms that occur over the Great Lakes region.Theoretical initial conditions for stability, relative humidity, wind velocity, and lake/land temperature distribution are specified. Nine different experiments are performed using wind speeds ofU=0, 2, 4,..., 16 m s^–1. The perturbation wind, temperature, and moisture fields for each experiment after 36 h of simulation are compared.It is determined that moderate (4–6 m s^–1) wind speeds result in maximum precipitation (snowfall) on the lee shore of the model lake. Weak wind speeds (0U<4 m s^–1) yield significantly higher snowfall amounts over the lake along with a spatially concentrated and intense response. Strong wind speeds (6<U16 m s^–1), yield very little, if any, significant snowfall, although significant increases in cloudiness, temperature, and perturbation wind speed occur hundreds of kilometers downwind from the lake.     

Observations of the convective plume of a lake under cold-air advective conditions

Moderating effects of Lake Apopka, Florida on downwind surface temperatures were evaluated under cold-air advective conditions. Point temperature measurements north and south of the lake and data obtained from a thermal scanner flown at 1.6 km indicate that surface temperatures directly downwind may be higher than surrounding surface temperatures by as much as 5 °C under conditions of moderate winds (~4 m s^–1). No substantial temperature effects were observed with surface wind speed less than 1 m s^–1. Fluxes of sensible and latent heat from Lake Apopka were calculated from measurements of lake temperature, net radiation, relative humidity and air temperature above the lake. Bulk transfer coefficients and the Bowen ratio were calculated and found to be in agreement with reported data for non-advective conditions.IFAS Journal Series No. 1006.     

Effects of salinity upon evaporation from pans and shallow lakes near the Dead Sea

Summary Evaporation was evaluated for three shallow lakes near the Dead Sea with specific gravities (s.g.) of 1.26, 1.31 and 1.34, and for a hypothetical fresh lake of similar depth. The annual march of lake temperature was adequately predicted with an equilibrium temperature model. Predicted temperatures were only slightly affected by neglecting heat exchange between the lake and the underlying sediments. Modeled lake temperatures were then used in a modified Penman-type model and an alpha ratio model to generate evaporation estimates. The evaporation models were verified by comparison against 1950'ies water balance estimates of evaporation from the Dead Sea (s.g. about 1.18). Annual totals of evaporation predicted by the models for the shallow lakes declined from 2125 mm for fresh water (s.g. = 1.0) down to 588 mm for the most saline conditions (s.g. = 1.34). Evaporation was also measured from sunken pans in which s.g. was maintained at 1.0, 1.26, 1.31 and 1.34. Mean monthly pan coefficients (from lake/pan evaporation for equal s.g. values) ranged from 0.63 up to 1.03 as s.g. increased from 1.00 up to 1.34. The variations in coefficients are attributed to effects of salinity on the mechanisms that control the gain and loss of heat to the ponds and evaporation pans. The temperatures of the saline lakes were always somewhat warmer than the temperatures measured in the sunken pans, ranging from + 0.7 °C for s.g. of 1.26 up to + 1.3 °C for s.g. of 1.34; the corresponding value for the fresh condition was — 0.4 °C. The pan coefficients defined here for saline conditions will be useful for estimating actual water loss from brine-filled ponds used in commercial extraction of potash and other chemicals.With 2 Figures     

Sea surface winds derived from cloud motion vectors over the tropical Atlantic

The relationship between satellite-derived low-level cloud motion, surface wind and geostrophic wind vectors is examined using GATE data. In the trades, surface wind speeds can be derived from cloud motion vectors by the linear relation: V = 0.62 V _s + 1.9 m s^–1 with a mean scatter of ±1.3 m s^–1. The correlation coefficient between surface and satellite wind speed is 0.25. Considering baroclinicity, i.e., the influence of the thermal wind, the correlation coefficient does not increase, because of the uncertainty of the thermal wind vectors. The ratios of surface to geostrophic wind speed and surface to satellite wind speed are 0.7 and 0.8, respectively, with a statistical uncertainty of ±0.3. Calculations of the ratio of surface to geostrophic wind speed on the basis of the resistance law yield V/V _g = 0.8 ± 0.2, in agreement with experimental results. The mean angle difference between the surface and the satellite wind vectors amounts to - 18 °, taking into account baroclinicity. This value is in good agreement with the mean ageostrophic angle - 25 °.     

Simulated Climate Change Effects on Year-Round Water Temperatures in Temperate Zone Lakes

A deterministic, one-dimensional model is presented to simulate daily water temperature profiles and associated ice and snow covers for dimictic and polymictic lakes of the temperate zone. The lake parameters required as model input are surface area (A_s), maximum depth (H_MAX), and Secchi depth (z_s), the latter, used as a measure of light attenuation and trophic state. The model is driven by daily weather data and operates year-round over multiple years. The model has been tested with extensive data (over 5,000 temperature points). Standard error between simulated and measured water temperatures is 1.4°C in the open water season and 0.5°C in the ice cover season. The model is applied to simulate the sensitivity of Minnesota lake water temperature characteristics to climate change. The projected climate changes due to a doubling of atmospheric CO₂ are obtained from the output of the Canadian Climate Center General Circulation Model (CCC GCM) and the Goddard Institute of Space Studies General Circulation Model (GISS GCM). Simulated lake temperature characteristics have been plotted in a coordinate system with a lake geometry ratio (A _s ^0.25 /H_MAX) on one axis and Secchi depth on the other. The lake geometry ratio expresses a lake's susceptibility to stratification. By interpolation, the sensitivity of lake temperature characteristics to changes of water depth and Secchi depth under the projected climate scenarios can therefore be obtained. Selected lake temperature characteristics simulated with past climate conditions (1961–1979) and with a projected 2 × CO₂ climate scenario as input are presented herein in graphical form. The simulation results show that under the 2 × CO₂ climate scenario ice formation is delayed and ice cover period is shortened. These changes cause water temperature modifications throughout the year.     

Fennoscandian summers from ad 500: temperature changes on short and long timescales

Quantitative estimates of 1480 years of summer temperatures in northern Fennoscandia have previously been derived from continuous treering records from northern Sweden. Here we show the results of spectral analyses of these data. Only a few peaks in the spectra are consistently significant when the data are analyzed over a number of sub-periods. Relatively timestable peaks are apparent at periods of 2.1, 2.5, 3.1, 3.6, 4.8, 32–33 and for a range between 55–100 years. These results offer no strong evidence for solar-related forcing of summer temperatures in these regions. Our previously published reconstruction was limited in its ability to represent long-timescale temperature change because of the method used to standardize the original tree-ring data. Here we employ an alternative standardization technique which enables us to capture temperature change on longer timescales. Considerable variance is now reconstructed on timescales of several centuries. In comparison with modern normals (1951–70) generally extended periods when cool conditions prevailed, prior to the start of the instrumental record, include 500–700, 790–870, 1110–1150, 1190–1360, 1570–1750 (A.D.) with the most significant cold troughs centred on about 660, 800, 1140, 1580–1620 and 1640. Predominantly warm conditions occurred in 720–790, 870–1110 and 1360–1570 with peaks of warmth around 750, 930, 990, 1060, 1090, 1160, 1410, 1430, 1760 and 1820.This paper was presented at Clima Locarno 90, the International Conference on Past and Present Climate Dynamics: Reconstruction of Rates of Change, held in Locarno, Switzerland, September 24 to 28, 1991, organized by the Swiss National Climate Program — ProClim, with support from the Swiss Academy of Sciences. Guest editor for these papers is Dr. K. Kelts Offprint requests to: KR Briffa