Fossil-pollen evidence for abrupt climate changes during the past 18,000 years in eastern North America

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Climate Dynamics

OSTI ID:181937

Grimm, E C ^[1]; Jacobson, Jr, G L ^[2]

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1. Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL (United States)
2. Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States)

A quantitative measure of the rate at which fossil-pollen abundances changed over the last 18000 years at 18 sites spread across eastern North America distinguishes local from regionally synchronous changes. Abrupt regional changes occurred at most sites in late-glacial time (at {approx}13700, {approx}12300, and {approx}10000 radiocarbon yr BP) and during the last 1000 years. The record of abrupt late-glacial vegetation changes in eastern North America correlates well with abrupt global changes in ice-sheet volume, mountain snow-lines, North Atlantic deep-water production, atmospheric CO{sub 2}, and atmospheric dust, although the palynological signal varies from site to site. Changes in vegetation during most of the Holocene, although locally significant, were not regionally synchronous. The analysis reveals non-alpine evidence for Neoglacial/Little Ice Age climate during the last 1000 years, which was the only time during the Holocene when climate change was of sufficient magnitude to cause a synchronous vegetational response throughout the subcontinent. During the two millennia preceding this widespread synchronous change, the rate of change at all sites was low and the average rate of change was the lowest of the Holocene. 50 refs., 4 figs.

• OSTI ID: 181937
• Journal Information: Climate Dynamics, Journal Name: Climate Dynamics Journal Issue: 3-4 Vol. 6; ISSN CLDYEM; ISSN 0930-7575
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANNUAL VARIATIONS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
PLANTS
POLLEN
POPULATION DYNAMICS
QUATERNARY PERIOD