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Marine‐based multiproxy reconstruction of Atlantic multidecadal variability
Author(s) -
Svendsen Lea,
Hetzinger Steffen,
Keenlyside Noel,
Gao Yongqi
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2013gl059076
Subject(s) - atlantic multidecadal oscillation , proxy (statistics) , climatology , climate change , climate system , historical record , environmental science , sea surface temperature , geology , oceanography , history , statistics , mathematics , memoir , art history
Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV) is known to impact climate globally, and knowledge about the persistence of AMV is important for understanding past and future climate variability, as well as modeling and assessing climate impacts. The short observational data do not significantly resolve multidecadal variability, but recent paleoproxy reconstructions show multidecadal variability in North Atlantic temperature prior to the instrumental record. However, most of these reconstructions are land‐based, not necessarily representing sea surface temperature. Proxy records are also subject to dating errors and microenvironmental effects. We extend the record of AMV 90 years past the instrumental record using principle component analysis of five marine‐based proxy records to identify the leading mode of variability. The first principal component is consistent with the observed AMV, and multidecadal variability seems to persist prior to the instrumental record. Thus, we demonstrate that reconstructions of past Atlantic low‐frequency variability can be improved by combining marine‐based proxies.