A 2000 year varve-based climate record from the central Brooks Range, Alaska

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Journal of Paleoliminology, v. 41, no. 1, Jan. 2008, pp. 25-41

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-008-9262-y· OSTI ID:947175

Bird, B W; Abbott, M B; Finney, B P; Kutchko, Barbara

Varved minerogenic sediments from glacial-fed Blue Lake, northern Alaska, are used to investigate late Holocene climate variability. Varve thickness measurements track summer temperature recorded at Atigun Pass, located 41 km east at a similar elevation (r2 = 0.31, P = 0.08). Results indicate that climate in the Brooks Range from 10 to 730 AD (varve year) was warm with precipitation inferred to be higher than during the twentieth century. The varve-temperature relationship for this period was likely compromised and not used in our temperature reconstruction because the glacier was greatly reduced, or absent, exposing sub-glacial sediments to erosion from enhanced precipitation.

• Research Organization: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID; National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
• OSTI ID: 947175
• Report Number(s): DOE/NETL-TPR-2418; 1573-0417 (Online); NSF #ARC0454941; TRN: US200904%%410
• Journal Information: Journal of Paleoliminology, v. 41, no. 1, Jan. 2008, pp. 25-41, Vol. 41, Issue 1
• Publisher: Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALASKA
CLIMATES
GLACIERS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
SEDIMENTS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY