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Sholocene climate variability in the Denmark Strait region - A land-sea correlation of new and existing climate proxy records

Andresen, Camilla Snowman LU and Björck, Svante LU (2005) In Geografiska Annaler. Series A. Physical Geography 87(1). p.159-174
Abstract
Two well dated Holocene sediment records bordering the Denmark Strait region have been used to reconstruct past climate variability. The content of biogenic silica, clastic and organic material and moss in a lacustrine record from Lake N14 has been used to infer past variability in precipitation and temperature in southern Greenland. Sedimentologic and petrologic composition of sand in a shelf sediment record from the Djupall trough is used to infer past variability in the northwestern storm activity on northwestern Iceland, which probably also affected the inflow of polar waters from the East Greenland Current. Our evaluation of these records with a number of previous studies from the region documents Holocene climatic optimum conditions... (More)
Two well dated Holocene sediment records bordering the Denmark Strait region have been used to reconstruct past climate variability. The content of biogenic silica, clastic and organic material and moss in a lacustrine record from Lake N14 has been used to infer past variability in precipitation and temperature in southern Greenland. Sedimentologic and petrologic composition of sand in a shelf sediment record from the Djupall trough is used to infer past variability in the northwestern storm activity on northwestern Iceland, which probably also affected the inflow of polar waters from the East Greenland Current. Our evaluation of these records with a number of previous studies from the region documents Holocene climatic optimum conditions peaking between 8000 and 6500 calendar years before present (cal yr BP). Mid-Holocene climate deterioration set in around 5000 cal yr BP followed by a further marked setback around 3500 cal yr Bp. A stacking of climate variability on a centennial timescale from previous studies in the area shows a fairly good correspondence to the timing of marked cold and warm events as evidenced from the Lake N14 and the Djupull trough records. Cooler periods are explained as the response to marked incursions of ice-laden polar water from the Arctic Ocean to the Denmark Strait region. Cool northerly and northwesterly winds along the East Greenland coast in relation to frequent strong atmospheric low pressure in the Barents Sea, coupled with strong high pressure over Greenland, would have favoured southward export of polar waters. A comparison with the proxy records of nuclide production (C-14 and Be-10) suggests that solar activity may have had some influence on the atmospheric pressure distribution in the Denmark Strait region. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
climate variability, sand petrology, Denmark Strait, biogenic silica
in
Geografiska Annaler. Series A. Physical Geography
volume
87
issue
1
pages
159 - 174
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000230002700011
  • scopus:20944432742
ISSN
0435-3676
DOI
10.1111/j.0435-3676.2005.00250.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ccbbbacd-f713-4240-9933-68185de16bd8 (old id 235745)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:43:06
date last changed
2022-03-28 02:04:11
@article{ccbbbacd-f713-4240-9933-68185de16bd8,
  abstract     = {{Two well dated Holocene sediment records bordering the Denmark Strait region have been used to reconstruct past climate variability. The content of biogenic silica, clastic and organic material and moss in a lacustrine record from Lake N14 has been used to infer past variability in precipitation and temperature in southern Greenland. Sedimentologic and petrologic composition of sand in a shelf sediment record from the Djupall trough is used to infer past variability in the northwestern storm activity on northwestern Iceland, which probably also affected the inflow of polar waters from the East Greenland Current. Our evaluation of these records with a number of previous studies from the region documents Holocene climatic optimum conditions peaking between 8000 and 6500 calendar years before present (cal yr BP). Mid-Holocene climate deterioration set in around 5000 cal yr BP followed by a further marked setback around 3500 cal yr Bp. A stacking of climate variability on a centennial timescale from previous studies in the area shows a fairly good correspondence to the timing of marked cold and warm events as evidenced from the Lake N14 and the Djupull trough records. Cooler periods are explained as the response to marked incursions of ice-laden polar water from the Arctic Ocean to the Denmark Strait region. Cool northerly and northwesterly winds along the East Greenland coast in relation to frequent strong atmospheric low pressure in the Barents Sea, coupled with strong high pressure over Greenland, would have favoured southward export of polar waters. A comparison with the proxy records of nuclide production (C-14 and Be-10) suggests that solar activity may have had some influence on the atmospheric pressure distribution in the Denmark Strait region.}},
  author       = {{Andresen, Camilla Snowman and Björck, Svante}},
  issn         = {{0435-3676}},
  keywords     = {{climate variability; sand petrology; Denmark Strait; biogenic silica}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{159--174}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Geografiska Annaler. Series A. Physical Geography}},
  title        = {{Sholocene climate variability in the Denmark Strait region - A land-sea correlation of new and existing climate proxy records}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0435-3676.2005.00250.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.0435-3676.2005.00250.x}},
  volume       = {{87}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}