Reconstructing mid-late Holocene cyclone variability in the Central Pacific using sedimentary records from Tahaa, French Polynesia

• Published in: Quaternary science reviews 2013-10, Vol.77, p.181-189
• Main Authors: Toomey, Michael R., Donnelly, Jeffrey P., Woodruff, Jonathan D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ENSO; Marine; Precession; South Pacific; Tropical cyclones
• ISSN: 0277-3791; 1873-457X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.07.019

We lack an understanding of the geographic and temporal controls on South Pacific cyclone activity. Overwash records from backbarrier salt marshes and coastal ponds have been used to reconstruct tropical cyclone strikes in the North Atlantic basin. However, these specific backbarrier environments are scarce in the South Pacific, with cyclone records limited primarily to the period of modern observation. This instrumental record suggests a correlation with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), but longer records are necessary to test this relationship over geologic timescales and explore other potential climate drivers of tropical cyclone variability. Deep lagoons behind coral reefs are widespread in the Pacific and provide an alternative setting for developing long-term sedimentary reconstructions of tropical cyclone occurrence. Coarse-grained event deposits within the sediments of a back-reef lagoon surrounding Tahaa reveal a 5000-year record of cyclone occurrences. Timing of recent high-energy deposits matches well with observed tropical cyclone strikes and indicates coarse deposits are storm derived. Longer records show tropical cyclone activity was higher from 5000 to 3800 and 2900 to 500 yrs BP. Comparison to records from the North Pacific (out-of-phase) and North Atlantic (in phase) suggests a coordinated pattern of storm activity across tropical cyclone basins over the mid-late Holocene. The changes in tropical cyclone activity we observe in the South Pacific and across other basins may be related to ENSO as well as precession driven changes in ocean-atmosphere thermal gradients. •Recent coarse deposits in lagoon sediments match closely with observed storms.•Increased tropical cyclone strikes to French Polynesia from 5 to 3.8 and 2.9 to 0.5 ka BP.•ENSO and precession are potentially the drivers of these changes in storm activity.•Historic record is inadequate for assessing risk of French Polynesia to future storms.