A Reconstruction of Mid–summer Temperatures from Ring–widths of Scots Pine since ad 50 in Northern Fennoscandia

We have reconstructed mid–summer (July) temperatures using a master ring–width chronology of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) for northern Fennoscandia, covering nearly the last two millennia. The chronology is constructed from 93 living trees and 275 dead trees collected between 68 ^∘ and 70 ^∘ N, 20 ^∘ and 30 ^∘ E. In standardization, negative exponential functions and, alternatively, regression lines were applied. Because of a strong autocorrelation in the data, we used a model structure including 2–year lagging and a 3–year leading predicter along with the master chronology in the transfer function. Over one–half of the dependent climate variance was retrieved in our final reconstruction model. We indicate the largest temperature anomalies of individual summers as well as longer–term temperature variability starting from ad 50.     

Strong interannual variation of the Indian summer monsoon in the Late Miocene

The modern Asian monsoon system exhibits strong interannual variation, which has profound environmental and economical impacts. It has been well-documented that the mean Asian monsoon state underwent significant changes in the Late Miocene (11–5 Ma ago). But how the interannual variability of the monsoon climate evolved during this period is still largely unknown. In this study, a long-term simulation of the Late Miocene with a fully coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model (ECHAM5/MPI-OM) at T31L19 resolution is used to explore the interannual variation of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) in the Late Miocene. The regional climate model COSMO–CLM with a higher spatial resolution (~1° × 1°) is further employed to better characterize the spatial patterns of these variations. Our results show that although the mean ISM circulation is weaker in the Late Miocene runs, its interannual variation is as strong as or even stronger than at present and the dominant periods (~2.6–2.7 years) are shorter than at present (~3.4–8.4 years). It is noticed that while the extratropical influence on the ISM variability is weaker-than-present, a persistent El Niño-Southern Oscillation with stronger-than-present interannual variability is observed in our Late Miocene run. This may have maintained a strong interannual variation of the ISM with a shorter period in the Late Miocene. Our findings do not only improve our understanding of the Asian monsoon evolution in the Late Miocene, but also shed light on the future changes in the interannual variability of the ISM.     

Nitrate Concentration in Greenland Ice: an Indicator of Changes in Fluxes of Solar and Galactic High-Energy Particles

Two sets of nitrate (NO₃ ^–) concentration data in Central Greenland ice, obtained through the GISP2 collaboration and by the University of Kansas, were analyzed statistically. The two records correlate well over time scales from a few years up to a century. They both contain quasi five-year, decadal and century-type time variations. A quasi five-year periodicity resulting from increases in the mean nitrate concentration before and after maximum sunspot number was confirmed. A tendency of solar proton events to occur more frequently during the rise/decline phases of the solar cycle may cause a quasi five-year variation. Century-type (60–110 yr) variability in nitrate outstrips the corresponding Gleissberg cycle in sunspots by 12–17 years and changes synchronously (correlates with zero phase shift) with the smoothed length of the solar Schwabe cycle. A significant correlation between century-type periodicities for nitrates in Greenland ice and northern Fennoscandian temperatures was established. The results show that despite a strong dependence on local meteorology, nitrate concentration in ice contains valuable information about global geophysical phenomena in the past.     

Evidence of Solar Variation in Tree-Ring-Based Climate Reconstructions

Analyses of the summer temperature anomalies in northern Fennoscandia for A.D. –1991 and mean annual temperature in the northern hemisphere for A.D. 1000–1990 (both reconstructed by means of dendrochronological methods) are performed using Fourier and wavelet approaches. It is revealed that the century-type (65–140 yr) periodicity is present in both series during most of the full time range. A comparison of the northern Fennoscandian temperature record with a variety of indicators of solar activity (direct measurements and proxies) shows that this century-scale periodicity most probably was forced by a centennial cycle of solar activity (Gleissberg cycle). Despite the fact that the connection between the centennial variation of global northern hemispheric temperature and that of the Sun's activity is weaker, a link between the two can also not be excluded. The results obtained give us new evidence of the reality of the solar–climate link over a record long-time scale (at least during the last millennium). Variable length of the century-long temperature periodicity may reflect the corresponding changes in the length of the Gleissberg solar cycle. The effects, which can obscure the Sun's influence on the global hemispheric climate, are discussed.     

Energetic particle experiment ERNE

The Energetic and Relativistic Nuclei and Electron (ERNE) experiment will investigate the solar atmosphere and the heliosphere by detecting particles produced in various kinds of energy release processes. ERNE is at the upper end in energy among the SOHO particle instruments. The instrument will measure the energy spectra of elements in the range Z=1–30. The energy coverage varies dependent on the particle species from a few MeV/n up to a few hundred MeV/n and electrons from 2 to 50 MeV. At high energies, ERNE records also the direction of the incident particles for accurate measurements of the pitch angle distribution of the ambient flux within the viewing cone. Especially the isotope identification capability has been one of the instrument design goals, thus providing new data regarding various fundamental questions in solar physics.     

Eemian crustal deformation in the eastern Baltic area in the light of the new sites at Peski, Russia and Põhja-Uhtju, Estonia

Several Eemian (Mikulino) marine deposits are known from the northwestern part of Russia and from Estonia. The best-known deposits are situated at Mga, Russia and at Prangli, Estonia. Two new sites with clayey and silty deposits covered by till were studied for pollen and diatoms at Peski, Russia and Põhja-Uhtju, Estonia. At Peski, the deposit representing the Eemian Interglacial is 3.8 m thick at the depth of 13.4–9.6 m above present sea-level. At Põhja-Uhtju, the deposit representing the Eemian is 3.5 m thick at the depth of 47.9–51.4 m below present sea-level. Although Peski is situated at a higher altitude than Põhja-Uhtju at present, the diatom stratigraphy at these sites indicates deeper and more saline conditions in the Peski area than at Põhja-Uhtju during the Eemian. This result is similar to some previous studies, which indicate, that although the Russian deposits (e.g. Peski, Mga) are now at a higher altitude than those in Estonia (Põhja-Uhtju and Prangli), the diatoms in the Russian deposits are indicative of a considerable depth of water during the time of deposition. These deposits suggest that the Eemian shore levels ascend from Estonia eastwards, while the Late Weichselian and Holocene shorelines tilt downwards in the same general direction. The present material from Estonia and northwestern part of Russia shows marked differences between the Eemian and Late Weichselian/Holocene crustal deformations, which probably resulted from different ice loads during the final glaciation phases and probably also from different deglaciation patterns during the Saalian and Late Weichselian.     

Book reviews

The accumulation of geographical scholarship since the late nineteenth century has encouraged a fusion of historical and geographical skills and interests. In the process, the study of the history of geographical thought should continue to strengthen its central position within the subject as a whole. Yet at the same time, research into this modern era insists upon a more generous incorporation of significant contributions to environmental appraisal and landscape authorship developed by government and non-government actors, and a consideration of vernacular or non-scientific modes of inquiry. The Commission's work draws attention to these important trends and lays the foundation for a broader discussion of their implications.     

Routes of Soviet timber to world markets

The USSR is the largest producer of roundwood and sawn wood in the world and 4–5% of production is exported, for the most part to Europe and Japan. This paper analyses the areal distribution of roundwood and sawnwood production and the spatial pattern of exports. Over 60% of the timber destined for export is delivered to ports or border stations by train: the rest moves by river. The major export ports for wood products and the character of their hinterlands are described. The economic problems arising from long-distance rail movements are examined and the impact of the areal shift in production towards the eastern regions is discussed. White Sea and Baltic ports may decline in importance, while the Pacific ports are likely to expand when Siberian wood starts flowing there on the new BAM railway.     

Unprecedented low twentieth century winter sea ice extent in the Western Nordic Seas since A.D. 1200

We reconstructed decadal to centennial variability of maximum sea ice extent in the Western Nordic Seas for A.D. 1200–1997 using a combination of a regional tree-ring chronology from the timberline area in Fennoscandia and δ¹⁸O from the Lomonosovfonna ice core in Svalbard. The reconstruction successfully explained 59% of the variance in sea ice extent based on the calibration period 1864–1997. The significance of the reconstruction statistics (reduction of error, coefficient of efficiency) is computed for the first time against a realistic noise background. The twentieth century sustained the lowest sea ice extent values since A.D. 1200: low sea ice extent also occurred before (mid-seventeenth and mid-eighteenth centuries, early fifteenth and late thirteenth centuries), but these periods were in no case as persistent as in the twentieth century. Largest sea ice extent values occurred from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, during the Little Ice Age (LIA), with relatively smaller sea ice-covered area during the sixteenth century. Moderate sea ice extent occurred during thirteenth–fifteenth centuries. Reconstructed sea ice extent variability is dominated by decadal oscillations, frequently associated with decadal components of the North Atlantic Oscillation/Arctic Oscillation (NAO/AO), and multi-decadal lower frequency oscillations operating at ~50–120 year. Sea ice extent and NAO showed a non-stationary relationship during the observational period. The present low sea ice extent is unique over the last 800 years, and results from a decline started in late-nineteenth century after the LIA.