The Little Ice Age in the Canadian Rockies

This paper reviews the evidence and history of glacier fluctuations during the Little Ice Age (LIA) in the Canadian Rockies. Episodes of synchronous glacier advance occurred in the 12th–13th, early 18th and throughout the 19th centuries. Regional ice cover was probably greatest in the mid-19th century, although in places the early 18th century advance was more extensive. Glaciers have lost over 25% of their area in the 20th century. Selective preservation of the glacier record furnishes an incomplete chronology of events through the 14th–17th centuries. In contrast, varve sequences provide continuous, annually resolved records of sediments for at least the last millennium in some highly glacierized catchments. Such records have been used to infer glacier fluctuations. Evaluation of recent proxy climate reconstructions derived from tree-rings provides independent evidence of climate fluctuations over the last millennium. Most regional glacier advances follow periods of reduced summer temperatures, reconstructed from tree rings particularly ca. 1190–1250, 1280–1340, 1690s and the 1800s. Reconstructed periods of higher precipitation at Banff, Alberta since 1500 are 1515–1550, 1585–1610, 1660–1680 and the 1880s. Glacier advances in the early 1700s, the late 1800s and, in places, the 1950–1970s reflect both increased precipitation and reduced summer temperatures. Negative glacier mass balances from 1976 to 1995 were caused by decreased winter balances. The glacier fluctuation record does not contain a simple climate signal: it is a complex response to several interacting factors that operate at different timescales. Evaluation of climate proxies over the last millennium indicates continuous variability at several superimposed timescales, dominated by decade–century patterns. Only the 19th century shows a long interval of sustained cold summers. This suggests that simplistic concepts of climate over this period should be abandoned and replaced with more realistic records based on continuous proxy data series. The use of the term LIA should be restricted to describing a period of extended glacier cover rather than being used to define a period with specific climate conditions.     

Relationship between NAO and drought disasters in northwestern China in the last millennium

North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) plays an important role in the Northern Hemisphere climate system. Although there is growing interest in the connection between NAO and precipitation change in China, there are few studies concerning that connection in northwestern China. Based on fine-grained historical drought disaster records and NAO proxies, we explored quantitatively their possible connection in northwestern China over the past millennium at the multi-decadal to centennial timescales. Statistical results show that NAO and drought disaster were negatively correlated, as positive modes of NAO caused northward-displaced, stronger-than average mid-latitude Westerlies with an enhanced latitudinal water vapor gradient into the central Asian drylands, resulting in reduced drought frequency and intensity in northwestern China. But, their correlation was out-of-phase during the Little Ice Age because of the southward shifting of monsoon, Westerlies, and the East Asian Jet Stream brought by long-term land surface cooling. As it has been indicated that the precipitation in northwestern China is also determined by El Niño-Southern Oscillation and North Atlantic sea surface and air temperature aside from NAO, further studies are needed to evaluate their individual roles and combined impacts upon the drought disaster there.     

A paleoclimatic context for the drought of 1999–2001 in the northern Great Plains of North America

The least annual precipitation in the western interior of North America occurs in the northern Great Plains, including an area that encompasses parts of south-eastern Alberta, south-western Saskatchewan and eastern Montana. During 1999–2001, most climate stations in this region had record low precipitation. This paper examines this three-year drought in the context of historical climate records from Medicine Hat, Alberta and Havre, Montana and summer (June–July) and annual (August–July) precipitation reconstructed from standardized tree-ring widths (residual chronologies) from Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine) sampled in the Cypress Hills of Alberta and Saskatchewan and the Bears Paw Mountains of north-central Montana. Drought is operationally defined as precipitation in the lower 10th and 20th percentiles. Plots of reconstructed precipitation and cumulative departure from median values indicate a shift in climate variability prior to the twentieth century, when EuroCanadians settled in this region. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are characterized by sustained periods of progressively wetter and drier conditions, including prolonged drought. Various archival sources document the significant impacts of these prolonged droughts. While drought was frequent in the twentieth century, it tended to be of short duration and the impacts also were ameliorated by intervening periods of relatively high precipitation. Increasing aridity in response to global warming could expose a larger area of the northern Great Plains to the impacts of drought.     

Palaeohydrology in climatological context: Developing the case for use of remote predictors in Australian streamflow reconstructions

The dry continent of Australia experiences frequent periods of devastating regional drought, making high quality palaeohydrological reconstructions essential for water resource management and planning. In other parts of the world tree-rings form a core component of such reconstructions. Yet for much of Australia, annually resolved palaeohydrological reconstructions derived from tree-rings have proven elusive. The island state of Tasmania in the far south is an important exception, with over 50 tree-ring chronologies available. Coupled ocean-atmosphere processes that drive precipitation across mainland Australia also influence Tasmanian precipitation. Here, we provide a basic analysis of how geographic relationships between important drivers of seasonal Tasmanian streamflow and potential streamflow predictors such as tree-ring chronologies may extend the spatial applicability of Tasmania's tree-ring predictors beyond the local context. We find clear geographically and seasonally defined patterns in Tasmanian streamflow that are reflected in the relationships between individual Tasmanian tree-ring chronologies and their relationships with streamflows. We find strong evidence that quality Tasmanian summer (DJF) streamflow reconstructions based on tree-rings are possible. Evidence also suggests that streamflow reconstructions for other seasons are also likely to be possible, especially as additional chronologies based on wood properties such as tracheid radial diameter, microfibril angle, density and cell wall thickness become available. Based on the relationships between streamflows and tree-ring chronologies, and between streamflows and major precipitation drivers across Australia, we conclude that Tasmanian tree-ring chronologies are likely to prove useful as predictors for seasonal streamflow reconstructions, particularly in eastern Australia. Successful streamflow reconstructions for a much broader portion of Australia than currently available will be invaluable for future water resource management and planning.     

Climate in the Monte Desert: Past trends,present conditions,and future projections

This paper documents the main features of climate and climate variability across the Monte Desert for the Last Glacial Maximum, the Glacial–Interglacial transition, and the Holocene on the basis of proxy records and for the 20th century using instrumental observations. The climate in the Monte is determined by interactions between regional physiography and atmospheric circulation in the 25–45°S sectors of South America. Although arid and semi-arid conditions prevail across the Monte, its large latitudinal extent and complex topography introduce many particularities at local scales. Paleoclimatic records and model simulations of past climates suggest significant variations in the atmospheric circulation, temperature and rainfall patterns since the Last Glacial Maximum. High-resolution proxy records east of the Andes support the existence of complex climatic patterns with similar temperature changes across the whole region but opposite precipitation variations between subtropical and mid-latitude sectors in the Monte during the past millennium.The present-day climate is depicted in terms of the space and time variability of the near-surface temperature, rainfall and tropospheric wind patterns. Uneven temperature trends over the Monte were recorded for two separate (1920–44 and 1977–2001) global warming periods in the 20th century. Additional warming evidence in the region is provided by extreme temperature records. The non-homogeneous regional pattern of precipitation shows a positive long-term increase between 30 and 40°S during the interval 1985–2001. Ensemble of climate experiments accomplished with general circulation models provide the most likely changes in temperature and rainfall to occur by the end of this century in relation to present climate. Temperature increases, larger in summer than in winter, will be concurrent with more abundant precipitations in summer, but almost no changes or even small reductions in winter across the Monte.     

Climate Response Analysis of Pinus massoniana Tree-Ring Chronology in Shuangpai County,China

The formation of tree-rings is closely related to climate variation. This paper establishes the tree-ring chronology of Pinus massoniana for a period of 36 years and examines the relationship between the tree-ring chronology and climatic conditions based on tree-ring width samples from three sites on the northeast slopes of Yangming Mountain. This data is used to study the relationship between the tree-ring width of a young tree and climatic conditions in a moist hilly region of southern China and to understand the general pattern of climate variation and its effects on tree growth in the past in this region. The results indicate that changes in tree-ring widths in these sites are closely related to local climatic conditions. There is a significant positive correlation between the radial growth of Pinus massoniana and the mean temperature of the current year from January to May (coefficient of correlation, R, is 0.596, P<0.01) and the mean temperature of the previous year from June to July (R is 0.639, P<0.01). The radial growth of Pinus massoniana is negatively correlated with the total precipitation of the previous year from January to March and November to December (R is -0.46, P<0.05) and negatively correlated with the total precipitation of the previous year from June to July (R is -0.582, P<0.05). The effect of precipitation on the radial growth of Pinus massoniana is known as the “hysteresis effect”.     

1736年以来南京逐季降水量的重建及变化特征

基于清代雨雪档案和现代气象观测资料,利用自然降水入渗试验结果及雨雪分寸与降水量统计关系,重建南京1736~2006年逐季和年降水量。分析显示:(1) 18世纪春、冬季为多雨期,秋季为少雨期;19世纪秋、冬季和全年为多雨期,春季为少雨期;20世纪上半叶,4季和全年均为少雨期;自20世纪末期始夏季和全年进入多雨期。(2) 年降水变化存在2~5 a周期,经历1851~1860年和1893~1894年两次突变。研究结果与区域内其他旱涝等级或降水量序列有较好可比性。绝大多数粮食欠收年对应于降水异常年,生长期为干旱异常的欠收年数量多于为洪涝异常的欠收年。     

Climate signal in varve thickness: Lake La Cruz (Spain), a case study

Lake La Cruz is a meromictic, karstic lake with annually laminated sediment formed by summer pulses of calcite deposition. The aim of this study was to explore the potential use of the laminated sediment from Lake La Cruz as a quantitative climate proxy, by calibrating lamina thickness against instrumental climate data. Statistical analysis of the relation between lamina thickness and the meteorological dataset indicated a high correlation between calcium carbonate lamina thickness and rainfall from December to March (r  = 0.725, P < 0.01, n = 35). Winter rainfall anomalies in the area are, in turn, highly negatively correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO, r = −0.832; P < 0.01; n = 53). We propose a regression model to infer past winter rainfall from calcium carbonate laminae thickness. These results highlight new possibilities for paleoenvironmental research using calcite laminated sediment records as climate proxies, especially to study past rainfall variability.     

石林巴江流域近40年气温和降水变化的初步研究

利用数理统计方法分析了石林巴江流域中部近40年（1964-2001年）的气温和降雨量的年、季节和月变化。本区气温的增温速率是0．2℃／10a，与昆明市区增温率相近，低于同期全国增温速率；雨季（夏季）增温幅度大于旱季（冬季）。在过去40年中，年降雨量增加总量约为40mm，雨季降雨量略有降低，而旱季降雨量略有增强，全年第一次降雨强度和全年日最大降雨量也略有增加，但每年连续不降雨天数增加约1．9天。降雨量变化的波动性比气温变化的波动性强。气温、降雨量在1960s、1970s、1980s和1990s表现出不同的变化趋势。     

文献记录的河西地区小冰期旱涝变化及其机制探讨

基于文献资料重建了河西地区AD 1436-1949旱涝灾害等级序列,结果表明所研究的500余年内河西地区大体出现三次明显的干旱时段,分别为AD 1460-1539、AD 1616-1665和AD 1907-1949,而AD 1725-1748以及AD 1879-1906则为相对湿润时期。重建的旱涝等级序列与毗邻祁连树轮记录的干湿变化存在高度一致的对应关系;将其与NAO指数对比发现,冷期NAO高指数年对应旱灾多发,NAO低指数年对应涝灾多发。     

蒙古东部野火时空格局及其影响因素

基于MCD64A1过火迹地产品、土地覆盖、植被指数和气候等数据,采用空间统计分析和相关分析方法研究了 2001-2017年蒙古东部野火时空动态及其影响因素.结果表明:(1)4-6月是野火发生最主要的时段,10月野火灾害也较严重,特别集中于年内第107-127、145-189、279-301 日 3个时段;2001-20...     

中国利用树轮资料重建干湿变化研究进展

树木年轮资料定年准确、分辨率高、连续性强,已成为研究过去全球变化的重要信息来源之一。中国树轮与干湿变化研究,样点分布广泛,研究树种较多,重建尺度较长。基于树轮宽度、密度和同位素等各种代用指标,在分析树木径向生长对干湿变化响应、重建历史时期干湿变化等方面取得很大进展。一般来说,在干旱半干旱区的低海拔区域,水分条件,尤其是春季、秋季和年湿润状况,是树木径向生长的重要影响因素。森林上限、相对冷湿区域以及亚热带气候区,树木生长与降水的相关性偏弱。在时间尺度上,基于树轮重建的长于1000年甚至超过2000年的干湿变化序列已有多条,主要分布在青藏高原地区。目前最长年表已达4500年,最长降水序列为3500年。本文通过对部分树轮成果的简要概括,以期为树轮采样和干湿变化重建提供借鉴与帮助。     

青藏高原强降水日数的时空分布特征

 根据青海和西藏48个气象台站近48 a（1961-2008年）的逐日降水和气温资料,分别以日降水量超过5 mm和25 mm作为冬半年（11月～翌年3月）和夏半年（5～9月）强降水的临界值,分析了青藏高原冬、夏半年强降水日数的时空分布特征。结果表明：（1）高原强降水日数与总降水量的空间分布型非常相似,夏半年均表现为由东南向西北递减,而冬半年则为由高原腹地向四周递减。（2）夏（冬）半年强降水主要集中在7月上旬～8月中旬（11月上旬和3月中下旬）。（3）夏（冬）半年强降水存在准6 a（5～6 a）的年际振荡以及准10～11 a（15 a）的年代际振荡。（4）强降水日数变化趋势的空间差异较大,夏半年高原北（南）部强降水日数普遍以增加（减少）趋势为主,而冬半年除雅鲁藏布江流域呈减少趋势外,高原大多数地区均表现出显著增加趋势。     

华北平原降水的长期趋势分析(英文)

The North China Plain (NCP) is the most important food grain producing area in China and has suffered from serious water shortages. To capture variation water availability, it is necessary to have an analysis of changing trends in precipitation. This study, based on daily precipitation data from 47 representative stations in NCP records passed the homogeneity test, analyzed the trend and amplitude of variation in monthly, seasonal and annual precipitation, annual maximum continuous no-rain days, annual rain days, rainfall intensity, and rainfall extremes from 1960 to 2007, using the MannKendall (M-K) test and Sen’s slope estimator. It was found that monthly precipitation in winter had a significant increasing trend in most parts, while monthly precipitation in July to September showed a decreasing trend in some parts of NCP. No significant changing trend was found for the annual, dry and wet season precipitation and rainfall extremes in the majority of NCP.A significant decreasing trend was detected for the maximum no-rain duration and annual rain days in the major part of NCP. It was concluded that the changing trend of precipitation in NCP had an apparent seasonal and regional pattern, i.e., precipitation showed an obvious increasing trend in winter, but a decreasing trend in the rainy season (July to September), and the changing trend was more apparent in the northern part than in the southern and middle parts. This implies that with global warming, seasonal variation of precipitation in NCP tends to decline with an increasing of precipitation in winter season, and a decreasing in rainy season, particularly in the sub-humid northern part.     

Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Seasonal Precipitation Variability in China, 1951-1999

Rainfall variability in China for the period from 1951 to 1999 was investigated. Monthly rainfall data for 160 stations were obtained from the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. Mean seasonal rainfall amounts were grouped into four distinct precipitation regions by cluster analysis. These regions differed in size and extent in each season and were related to the rainfall-generating mechanism operating at that time of year. The Asian monsoon played a major role in shaping the precipitation regime. Local topography also helped in casting the seasonal variability patterns within regions. To understand the impact of large scale circulation on rainfall variability, areally averaged anomaly percentages were correlated with major atmospheric teleconnection features. It was discovered that the Polar-Eurasia (POL) and Arctic Oscillation (AO) index were positively associated with winter precipitation, indicating the significance of the winter monsoon in producing the rainfall pattern. Negligible effects of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), West Pacific (WP), and North Pacific (NP) patterns on precipitation were observed.     

Paleohydrology of Lake Nhaucati (southern Mozambique), ∼400 AD to present

This paper investigates the correlations between lake level change, rainfall variability and general atmospheric forcing in southern Africa. The analysis of fossil diatom assemblages in a sediment sequence from the small, rain-fed Lake Nhaucati, southern Mozambique, is presented and discussed in relation to regional palaeoclimate data. The accumulation of organic sediments in Lake Nhaucati began 1,600 years ago when the lake level was rising. Lithology and pollen suggest a low stand at 800 AD, which correlates with other climate proxies from the summer rainfall region of southern Africa. The diatom assemblage suggests that lake levels were high between 900 and 1300 AD, with shorter low stands at c.1100 and 1200 AD. The period after 1400 AD was marked by a slow rate of accumulation and consequently a low temporal resolution. The correlation with other climate proxies in the summer rainfall region, written sources, and pollen data suggests repeated droughts corresponding to the Little Ice Age, though the driest periods may have caused complete desiccation of the lake. Higher lake levels are suggested after 1800 AD, though written sources suggest droughts in the beginning of the twentieth century. The analysis shows a good correlation with palaeoclimate data from the summer rainfall region and confirms the presence of an anti-phase relationship between the summer rainfall region of southern Africa and the bi-modal rainfall region of east tropical Africa. It also supports the general hypothesis that variation in the intensity of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone is the main agent modulating rainfall over southern and eastern Africa on centennial timescales.     

Tree-Ring Analysis And Natural Hazard Chronologies: Minimum Sample Sizes And Index Values*

Tree-ring dating is employed to reconstruct chronologies of occurrence for a variety of natural hazards. The number of trees sampled varies greatly as does the minimum number of tree-ring responses. The number of trees to be sampled and an acceptable tree-ring response index should be dictated by the nature and geographical extent of the specific hazard under study. Repetitive sampling of different numbers of 30 avalanche-damaged trees showed significant differences in number of tree-ring responses over a 55-year-period. More sampling and use of a higher minimum response index allowed greater confidence in the chronology constructed from tree-rings and compared to historical records. Three geographic scales of analysis that can confound tree-ring responses are identified, and three guidelines for choosing sample size, given variations in processes, are suggested.     

1736年以来西安气候变化与农业收成的相关分析

基于清代雨雪与农业收成等档案记载及现代气象观测记录,根据西安冬季降雪与平均气温之间的统计关系、降水入渗与水量平衡模型,分别重建了西安1736~2000年冬季平均气温与4季降水序列,并分析了该地区气候变化特征及其对1736~2000年农业收成的影响。主要结论如下：(1) 西安的冷暖变化存在明显的百年际波动：其中18世纪相对温暖,19世纪寒冷,20世纪又转为温暖,且增暖趋势极为明显。(2) 西安的降水变化存在明显的年代际波动。自1736年以来,共经历了6个多雨期与7个少雨期,其中多雨期的平均雨量比少雨期多16%。(3) 气候变化对农业收成的影响极为明显。其中夏季降水量与秋收关系显著,而夏收又与前一年秋~当年春季的降水明显相关,且大多数严重歉收年均由降水明显偏少而致。虽然温度的年际变化与收成没有显著的联系,但温度年代际变化,即气候的冷暖阶段变化却与收成的阶段性变化关系密切。     

近百年中国华北农牧交错带与非洲Sahel 地区环境变化的比较分析

非洲Sahel 地区与中国华北农牧交错带在环境特征及演变过程中体现出许多相似之处, 存在明显内在联系。对两个地带近百年降水变化、植被覆盖、干旱事件和沙尘事件对比分析, 可以 对我国干旱/半干旱地区环境变化的相关科学问题有更好认识。两个地区年降水量序列的年代际 变化趋势有很大相似性。非洲Sahel 地区年降水量在1950s 以前存在明显的年际变化特征, 从 1960s 中期起主要以年代际变化为主; 其大部分地区植被覆盖表现为增长趋势; 降水量年代际变 化可能是影响该地区干旱的重要因素, 温度变化也可能存在作用; 该区沙尘暴频次年际、年代际 变化与降水量相应尺度变化有显著关系, 年均温变化和天气变率可能具有一定影响。华北农牧交 错带年降水量以年际变化为主要特征, 有明显低频波动; 该带偏北和偏东地区植被覆盖增长比较 显著, 南部部分地区植被覆盖呈下降趋势; 降水量年代际变化是影响该地区干旱的重要因素, 但 相同降水量可能引发不同程度的干旱; 该带春季沙尘暴频次与前冬温度变化及天气变率有密切 联系, 与春季降水量也有一定关系。