Premium
Spatial variability in the European winter precipitation δ 18 O‐NAO relationship: Implications for reconstructing NAO‐mode climate variability in the Holocene
Author(s) -
Baldini Lisa M.,
McDermott Frank,
Foley Aideen M.,
Baldini James U. L.
Publication year - 2008
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 - 10.1029/2007gl032027
Subject(s) - north atlantic oscillation , stalagmite , climatology , holocene , precipitation , paleoclimatology , mediterranean climate , latitude , proxy (statistics) , geology , ice core , climate change , environmental science , oceanography , geography , meteorology , archaeology , geodesy , machine learning , computer science
This paper investigates the links between precipitation δ 18 O and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on decadal timescales to identify the optimum locations within Europe at which to compile δ 18 O‐based proxy records of past NAO variability. δ 18 O is a commonly used paleoclimate (rainfall and temperature) proxy preserved in natural archives including stalagmites, ice cores, tree rings, and lake sediments. Precipitation δ 18 O data ( δ 18 O p ), compiled from Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) stations in the North Atlantic sector reveal the direction and strength of the δ 18 O p ‐NAO relationship in mid‐latitude, high‐latitude, and Mediterranean Europe. The highly significant, positive δ 18 O p ‐NAO relationship in central Europe is attributed to the strong control of air temperature on δ 18 O p in this region. The δ 18 O p ‐NAO relationship is strongly negative at high‐latitude GNIP sites and weak at Mediterranean sites. Decadal‐scale solar irradiance variations correlate with winter δ 18 O p at eight mid‐latitude sites.