Precipitation changes in the western tropical Pacific over the past millennium
Geology
Julian P. Sachs
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Abstract
Modern seasonal and inter-annual precipitation variability in
Palau is linked to both meridional movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and changes in the Pacific Walker Circula- tion (PWC) associated with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Thus, Palau’s hydroclimate should be sensitive to mean shifts in the ITCZ and PWC on decadal to centennial time scales. Using compound- specific hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H) of dinosterol in lake sediments, we generated a decadal-resolution proxy record of hydroclimatic variability in Palau spanning the past 800 yr. Results indicate a dry- ing trend during the Little Ice Age in Palau, consistent with a south- ward displacement of the ITCZ. In addition to the secular drying trend, there are persistent large (~20‰) multi-decadal to centennial oscillations in the δ2H record, the most recent of which indicates an abrupt shift to drier conditions in the mid-1970s that coincides with a decadal-scale negative shift in the Southern Oscillation Index.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Precipitation changes in the western tropical Pacific over the past millennium |
| Series title | Geology |
| DOI | 10.1130/G37822.1 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 44 |
| Year Published | 2016 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Geological Society of America |
| Contributing office(s) | St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center |
| Description | 4 p. |
| First page | 671 |
| Last page | 674 |
| Country | Palau |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |