Loading…

Reconstructed centennial variability of Late Holocene storminess from Cors Fochno, Wales, UK

ABSTRACT Future anthropogenic climate forcing is forecast to increase storm intensity and frequency over Northern Europe, due to a northward shift of the storm tracks, and a positive North Atlantic Oscillation. However understanding the significance of such a change is difficult because the natural...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of quaternary science 2015-07, Vol.30 (5), p.478-488
Main Authors: ORME, L. C., DAVIES, S. J., DULLER, G. A. T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT Future anthropogenic climate forcing is forecast to increase storm intensity and frequency over Northern Europe, due to a northward shift of the storm tracks, and a positive North Atlantic Oscillation. However understanding the significance of such a change is difficult because the natural variability of storminess beyond the range of instrumental data is poorly known. Here we present a decadal‐resolution record of storminess covering the Late Holocene, based on a 4‐m‐long core taken from the peat bog of Cors Fochno in mid‐Wales, UK. Storminess is indicated by variations in the minerogenic content as well as bromine deposited from sea spray. Twelve episodes of enhanced storm activity are identified during the last 4.5 cal ka BP. Although the age model gives some uncertainty in the timings, it appears that storminess increased at the onset and close of North Atlantic cold events associated with oceanic changes, with reduced storm activity at their peak. Cors Fochno is strongly influenced by westerly moving storms, so it is suggested that the patterns were due to variations in the intensity of westerly airflow and atmospheric circulation during times when the latitudinal temperature gradient was steepened.
ISSN:0267-8179
1099-1417
DOI:10.1002/jqs.2792