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Atmosphere
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Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition)
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Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Climatology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 June 2024 | Viewed by 3707

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jason T. Ortegren

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA
Interests: North Atlantic climate variability; paleoclimatology; eastern USA hydroclimate; drought variability; tropical cyclones
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Change is the one constant in Earth’s climate history.  Contemporary changes in the climate system—driven in part by human activities—continue to raise important questions regarding how ‘unusual’ the observed climate changes of the last century are relative to a longer view of Earth’s climate.  Advances in paleoclimatic reconstruction have already provided some valuable context for Earth’s natural climate variability during the pre-instrumental period.  However, open questions remain surrounding many paleoclimate issues, including, for example, solar irradiance, atmospheric composition, and the specific mechanisms of certain internal feedbacks such as volcanism.  Further work is needed in the area of paleoclimate reconstructions using preserved biological and/or geological proxy data sources to enhance our understanding of the climate system in general, and specifically of ongoing changes in the system.

After successfully launching the first volume of this Special Issue (“Paleoclimate Reconstruction”: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/Paleoclimate_Reconstruction), we decided to expand our Special Issue into a second volume.

The first volume includes paleoclimate reconstruction research using both geological and biological proxies, with applications of tree-ring isotope analysis, standard dendrochronological techniques, and lake sediment data.  The second volume will retain the same focus on paleoclimate research that furthers our knowledge of prehistoric climatic variability—both spatial and temporal—and improves our understanding of regional- or global-scale patterns of prehistoric climate change, especially as they relate to contemporary planetary warming.  Papers will reconstruct and analyze (some aspect of) prehistoric climate from the perspective of proxy data sources such as tree rings, preserved pollen records, ice cores, speleothems, ocean floor sediments, or any other paleoclimate indicators, and may include indirect reconstructions (e.g., reconstructions of large-scale atmospheric flow, such as ENSO variability using tree rings, based on the observed relationship between tree growth and large scale atmospheric variability).

Prof. Dr. Jason T. Ortegren
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Proxy climate data
  • Paleoclimatic variability
  • climate reconstruction
  • Paleoclimatic change
  • The Holocene

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2602 KiB  
Article
The Quantitative Reconstruction of Paleoclimate in the Huangling Region of the Chinese Loess Plateau during the Middle and Late Holocene
by Jiao Guo, Jiansheng Shi, Qiuyao Dong, Chao Song, Hongyun Chen and Wei Wang
Atmosphere 2024, 15(4), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15040476 - 11 Apr 2024
Viewed by 389
Abstract
The Huangling region is located in the central part of the Chinese Loess Plateau, which is sensitive to climate change due to the transitional characteristics of the natural environmental zone in which it is located. In this study, we utilized a spore–pollen analysis [...] Read more.
The Huangling region is located in the central part of the Chinese Loess Plateau, which is sensitive to climate change due to the transitional characteristics of the natural environmental zone in which it is located. In this study, we utilized a spore–pollen analysis of the Tianjiahe (TJH) profile in Huangling to apply the pollen–climate factor conversion function method. This approach allowed us to quantitatively reconstruct the paleotemperature and paleoprecipitation of the Huangling area during the Middle and Late Holocene. The results show that the Huangling area experienced four climatic stages during the Middle and Late Holocene, including mild and slightly humid → warm and humid → warm and slightly humid → warm and humid. Except for the period of 5.3–4.72 kaBP, during which the climate was relatively cool and dry compared to the present, the climate in the remaining period (4.72–0.03 kaBP) was warmer and more humid than that of the present. The above results provide an important insight for further exploring the mechanism of paleoclimate change and predicting future climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition))
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17 pages, 1225 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Centennial-Scale Climate History of Southern Brazil with Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart.) Barroso Tree-Rings
by Daniela Oliveira Silva Muraja, Virginia Klausner, Alan Prestes, Tuomas Aakala, Humberto Gimenes Macedo and Iuri Rojahn da Silva
Atmosphere 2023, 14(9), 1463; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14091463 - 20 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1213
Abstract
This article explores the dendrochronological potential of Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart) Barroso (Imbuia) for reconstructing past climate conditions in the General Carneiro region, Southern Brazil, utilizing well-established dendroclimatic techniques. A total of 41 samples of Imbuia were subjected [...] Read more.
This article explores the dendrochronological potential of Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart) Barroso (Imbuia) for reconstructing past climate conditions in the General Carneiro region, Southern Brazil, utilizing well-established dendroclimatic techniques. A total of 41 samples of Imbuia were subjected to dendroclimatic analysis to reconstruct precipitation and temperature patterns over the period from 1446 to 2011. Notably, we achieved the longest reconstructions of spring precipitation and temperature for the Brazilian southern region, spanning an impressive 566-year timeframe, by employing a mean chronology approach. To achieve our objectives, we conducted a Pearson’s correlation analysis between the mean chronology and the climatic time series, with a monthly temporal resolution employed for model calibration. Impressively, our findings reveal significant correlations with coefficients as high as |rx,P| = 0.32 for precipitation and |rx,T| = 0.45 for temperature during the spring season. Importantly, our climate reconstructions may elucidate a direct influence of the El Niño—South Oscillation phenomenon on precipitation and temperature patterns, which, in turn, are intricately linked to the natural growth patterns of the Imbuia trees. These results shed valuable light on the historical climate variability in the Southern Brazil region and provide insights into the climatic drivers affecting the growth dynamics of Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart) Barroso. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition))
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9 pages, 3634 KiB  
Communication
21st Century Warming, Site Aspect, and Reversal of Age-Related Growth Decline in Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) in North Carolina, USA
by Hunter S. Lewis and Paul A. Knapp
Atmosphere 2023, 14(8), 1240; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14081240 - 01 Aug 2023
Viewed by 690
Abstract
We examined the influence of significant 21st century warming on the radial growth patterns of shortleaf pine growing on adjacent north/northeast- and south/southwest-facing slopes (hereafter NS and SS), in the Uwharrie Mountains of North Carolina, USA. Using two chronologies developed from old-growth trees [...] Read more.
We examined the influence of significant 21st century warming on the radial growth patterns of shortleaf pine growing on adjacent north/northeast- and south/southwest-facing slopes (hereafter NS and SS), in the Uwharrie Mountains of North Carolina, USA. Using two chronologies developed from old-growth trees dating to the 1700s, we compared raw radial growth rates (hereafter radial growth) associated with earlywood, latewood, and totalwood during 1935–2020. Both chronologies exhibited similar (r = 0.951, p < 0.001) age-related growth decreases through the 20th century. However, both chronologies experienced abrupt increases in radial growth with less fidelity (r = 0.86, p < 0.001), correlating with the onset of warming mean annual temperatures (r = 0.58, p < 0.01) and warming winter temperatures (r = 0.55, p < 0.05) in 2002. These results show that shortleaf pine growing on both NS and SS have experienced significant radial growth increases since the early 21st century, but that aspect affected growth rates. During 2002–2020, NS radial growth increased significantly (p < 0.05) more than SS earlywood, latewood, and totalwood, indicating that the effects of warming were greater for NS trees. We conclude that old-growth shortleaf pine trees retain climatic sensitivity to significant environmental changes associated with a warming climate and can reverse age-related growth declines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition))
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16 pages, 4269 KiB  
Article
Tree Rings as Proxies of Historical Runoff in a National Park in Northern Mexico: A Major Ecosystem Service Provider
by José Villanueva-Díaz, Arian Correa-Díaz, Luis Ubaldo Castruita-Esparza, Jesús Valentín Gutiérrez-García, Aldo Rafael Martínez-Sifuentes and Fátima del Rocío Reyes-Camarillo
Atmosphere 2023, 14(8), 1199; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14081199 - 26 Jul 2023
Viewed by 910
Abstract
A dendrochronological network of conifers (Pinus leiophylla, Pinus cembroides, Pinus engelmannii) was developed in the Cumbres de Majalca National Park (CMNP) in Chihuahua, Mexico, to reconstruct historical runoff patterns and examine the impact of ocean–atmosphere phenomena. The CMNP plays [...] Read more.
A dendrochronological network of conifers (Pinus leiophylla, Pinus cembroides, Pinus engelmannii) was developed in the Cumbres de Majalca National Park (CMNP) in Chihuahua, Mexico, to reconstruct historical runoff patterns and examine the impact of ocean–atmosphere phenomena. The CMNP plays a vital role as a runoff source for Conchos River tributaries and groundwater recharge for Chihuahua City and nearby populations. The ring-width chronologies displayed a common signal from 1859 to 2021, with the highest association found between P. engelmannii and P. leiophylla (r = 0.65) and the lowest between P. cembroides and P. engelmannii (r = 0.55). The first principal component explained 75.7% of the variance, and among the species, P. leiophylla exhibited the highest correlation (0.624, p < 0.05) with the accumulated streamflow records from the previous November to July, allowing the construction of a bootstrapped model for runoff reconstruction. The reconstructed streamflow spanned from 1859 to 2014, with an average of 2.732 × 108 m3. Periods of low runoff occurred in 1860–1880, 1940–1960, and 1994–2014, while extreme wet years with high runoff occurred in 1865, 1884, and 1987. The interannual streamflow variability correlated significantly with ENSO indices (SOI, MEI, TRI, and sea surface temperature anomalies), particularly during the winter–spring seasons, indicating that warm phases of the ENSO increased precipitation and runoff. The analysis of return periods revealed probabilities for specific runoff volumes, enabling stakeholders to use the information to develop effective strategies for sustainable water allocation and utilization in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoclimate Reconstruction (2nd Edition))
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