Global Change In The Holocene

by Birks,John

• ISBN13: 9780340812143
• ISBN10: 0340812141
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2005-01-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Environmental change is a key issue scientifically, politically and in the public mind. Global Change in the Holocene is a timely and wide-ranging reference addressing the changes which have occurred over the last 10,000 years in climate, sea level, ice coverage and all the major topics of global concern. A major focus is on the methods that can be used to reconstruct past change, including techniques such as radiocarbon dating, microfossil records, ice core analysis and tree-ring chronologies. This book will have a multidisciplinary appeal across subjects such as geography, the earth and environmental sciences, archaeology and geology.

Table of Contents

List of Contributors	xi
Acknowledgements	xiii
Preface	xv
Introduction: the Holocene, A Special Time	1	(9)
Frank Oldfield
The Holocene in Temporal Perspective	1	(2)
The Demise of the 35-Year Mean	3	(1)
Lessons from the Past	3	(1)
The Special Interest of the Holocene	4	(3)
Prerequisites for Research into Holocene Variability	7	(1)
Concluding Observations	8	(2)
Climate Forcing During the Holocene	10	(10)
Raymond S. Bradley
Orbital Forcing	10	(2)
Solar Forcing	12	(5)
Volcanic Forcing	17	(2)
Discussion	19	(1)
An Introduction to Climate Modelling of the Holocene	20	(16)
Paul J. Valdes
Modelling Climate	22	(12)
Climate Variability and Rapid Climate Change Events	34	(1)
Summary	35	(1)
Holocene Climate and Human Populations: An Archaeological Approach	36	(13)
Stephen Shennan
Case Studies	38	(9)
Conclusion	47	(2)
Climatic Change and the Origin of Agriculture in the Near East	49	(14)
H.E. Wright Jr
Joanna Thorpe
Taurus-Zagros Mountains	54	(1)
The Levant	55	(6)
The Role of Climate in Plant Domestication	61	(2)
Radiocarbon Dating and Environmental Radiocarbon Studies	63	(12)
Jon R. Pilcher
Radiocarbon Measurement as a Dating Method	63	(7)
Radiocarbon as an Environmental Tracer	70	(4)
The Future	74	(1)
Dendrochronology and the Reconstruction of Fine-Resolution Environmental Change in the Holocene	75	(17)
Michael G.L Baillie
David M. Brown
The Chronologies	76	(5)
Dating Environmental Phenomena	81	(1)
Reconstructing Climate/Environment	82	(1)
Accumulated Dates	83	(1)
Climate Reconstruction from Tree-Rings	84	(6)
Conclusion	90	(2)
Dating Based on Freshwater- and Marine-Laminated Sediments	92	(15)
Bernd Zolitschka
History and Definition of Varves	93	(1)
Formation of Varves	94	(4)
Investigation of Varves	98	(7)
Future Developments of Varve Studies	105	(2)
Acknowledgements	106	(1)
Further Reading	106	(1)
Quantitative Palaeoenvironmental Reconstructions from Holocene Biological Data	107	(17)
H. John B. Birks
Indicator Species Approach	108	(1)
Assemblage Approach	109	(1)
Multivariate Transfer Function Approach	110	(6)
Evaluation and Validation of Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction	116	(4)
An Application	120	(1)
Conclusions and Possible Future Developments	120	(4)
Acknowledgements	123	(1)
Stable-Isotopes in Lakes and Lake Sediment Archives	124	(16)
Melanie J. Leng
General Principles: Isotopes in the Modern Evironment	124	(2)
The Sedimentary Record	126	(1)
Notation and Standardization	126	(1)
Water Isotopes in the Contemporary Environment	127	(2)
Oxygen and Carbon Isotope Ratios in Primary Precipitates	129	(3)
Sample Preparation	132	(1)
Interpretation of Oxygen Isotopes in Lake Sediments	132	(7)
Summary	139	(1)
Acknowledgements	139	(1)
Instrumental Records	140	(19)
Phil D. Jones
Roy Thompson
Instrumental Climate Data	141	(7)
Analytical Methods	148	(3)
Applications of Instrumental Records in Holocene Research	151	(7)
Summary	158	(1)
Acknowledgements	158	(1)
Documentary Records	159	(9)
Peter Brimblecombe
Span of the Record	160	(1)
Record Types	161	(1)
Data Recorded	162	(3)
Reliability and Data Verification	165	(1)
Analysis of Documentary Data	166	(1)
Conclusion	167	(1)
Holocene Coral Records: Windows on Tropical Climate Variability	168	(17)
Julia E. Cole
The Motivation for Coral Palaeoclimatology	168	(1)
Nature and Distribution of Archive	169	(1)
Environmental Reconstruction	170	(8)
Calibration: the Challenge to Quantify Records and Understand Mechanisms	178	(1)
Applications	179	(4)
Conclusions and Future Work	183	(2)
Acknowledgements	184	(1)
Evidence of Holocene Climate Variability in Marine Sediments	185	(25)
Mark Maslin
Jennifer Pike
Catherine Stickley
Virginia Ettwein
The Importance of the Oceans in Regulating Climate	186	(1)
The Importance of Palaeoceanography	186	(9)
Holocene Climatic Trends and Thresholds	195	(5)
Holocene Climatic Events?	200	(3)
Holocene Climatic `Dansgaard-Oeschger' Cycles	203	(6)
Conclusions	209	(1)
Acknowledgements	209	(1)
Holocene Palaeoclimate Records from Peatlands	210	(17)
Keith E. Barber
Dan J. Charman
Peatland Types, Hydrology and Ecological Functioning: Implications for Palaeoclimate Records	212	(1)
Space and Time: Distribution, Resolution and Sensitivity of the Peat Record	212	(2)
Peat Chronologies	214	(1)
Peat Initiation and Palaeoclimates	215	(2)
Continuous Records from Ombrotrophic Peatlands	217	(9)
Conclusion and Future Directions	226	(1)
Lacustrine Perspectives on Holocene Climate	227	(15)
Sherilyn C. Fritz
Controls on Lake Response to Climate	228	(1)
Orbital Forcing of Continental Climate	229	(6)
Climate Variation at Sub-Orbital Scales	235	(5)
Conclusions	240	(2)
Reconstructing Holocene Climate Records from Speleothems	242	(22)
Stein-Erik Lauritzen
Formation of Carbonate Speleothems	243	(4)
Geochronology of Speleothems	247	(5)
Climate Signals in Speleothems	252	(10)
Future Prospects	262	(2)
Glaciers as Indicators of Holocene Climate Change	264	(17)
Atle Nesje
Svein Olaf Dahl
Glaciation Threshold and Equilibrium-Line Altitude	266	(2)
Glacier Mass Balance	268	(6)
The North Atlantic Oscillation and Glacier Mass Balance	274	(1)
Response Time	275	(1)
Reconstructing and Dating Glacier Front Variations	275	(4)
Concluding Remarks	279	(2)
Acknowledgements	280	(1)
Holocene Ice-Core Climate History: a Multi-variable Approach	281	(13)
David A. Fisher
Roy M. Koerner
The Holocene: a Dominating Long-Term Cooling Trend?	284	(7)
The 8200 BP Cooling Event	291	(1)
Mid-Holocene Secondary Warm Period: 3--5 ka BP	292	(1)
The Last Millennium	292	(1)
Glacier Balance in the Holocene	293	(1)
Approaches to Holocene Climate Reconstruction Using Diatoms	294	(16)
Anson W. Mackay
Vivienne J. Jones
Richard W. Battarbee
Plankton Responses to Climate Variables	295	(4)
Ice-Cover Reconstruction Using Diatom Analysis	299	(2)
Quantitative Climate Reconstructions in Open-Basin Systems	301	(3)
Quantitative Climate Reconstructions in Closed-Basin Systems	304	(4)
Evidence of Diatom-Inferred Holocene Climate Variability from Coastal and Marine Regions	308	(1)
Conclusions	309	(1)
Acknowledgements	309	(1)
Non-Marine Ostracod Records of Holocene Environmental Change	310	(18)
Jonathan A. Holmes
Daniel R. Engstrom
Ostracods as Organisms	311	(3)
Ostracod Shells as Fossils	314	(2)
Ostracods and Holocene Environmental Reconstruction	316	(10)
Conclusions and Future Directions	326	(2)
Acknowledgements	327	(1)
Chironomid Analysis to Interpret and Quantify Holocene Climate Change	328	(14)
Stephen J. Brooks
Chironomidae as Environmental Indicators	329	(1)
Influence of Temperature on Chironomid Distribution and Abundance	330	(1)
Chironomids as Palaeoclimate Indicators	331	(1)
Chironomid-Temperature Calibration Sets and Transfer Functions	332	(1)
Response of Chironomid Assemblages to Climate Change	333	(6)
Chironomids as Indicators of Changes in Salinity	339	(1)
Southern Hemisphere	340	(1)
Conclusions	341	(1)
Acknowledgements	341	(1)
Reconstructing Holocene Climates from Pollen and Plant Macrofossils	342	(16)
Hilary H. Birks
H. John B. Birks
Approaches to Climate Reconstruction	343	(1)
Comparison of Pollen and Macrofossil Data: How They Complement Each Other	344	(1)
Combined Holocene Pollen and Plant Macrofossil Studies	345	(7)
Validation of a Pollen-Based Climate Reconstruction with Macrofossils	352	(4)
Conclusions	356	(2)
Acknowledgements	357	(1)
Biomarkers as Proxies of Climate Change	358	(15)
Antoni Rosell-Mele
Preliminary Considerations	358	(9)
Interpretation of Biomarker Data	367	(4)
Concluding Remarks	371	(2)
Multi-Proxy Climatic Reconstructions	373	(11)
Andre F. Lotter
Multi-Proxy Studies: Types and Troubles	374	(1)
Abiotic and Biotic Proxies	374	(1)
Case Studies of Late Quaternary Multi-Proxy Climatic Reconstructions	375	(8)
Conclusions	383	(1)
Acknowledgements	383	(1)
Holocene Climates of the Lowland Tropical Forests	384	(12)
Mark Bush
Setting the Scene: the Pre-Holocene	385	(1)
New Communities of the Holocene	386	(2)
Insolation Variability as a Predictor of Precipitation	388	(4)
ENSO-Like Phenomena and the Climate Record	392	(1)
Humans and Fire	393	(1)
Palaeoclimate and the Rise and Fall of Cultures	394	(2)
Acknowledgements	395	(1)
The Holocene and Middle Latitude Arid Areas	396	(10)
Louis Scott
Examples of Palaeoenvironmental Records in Dry Areas	397	(5)
Holocene Environmental Reconstruction in Typical Desert Areas	402	(2)
The Global Pattern of Change in Deserts	404	(2)
Acknowledgements	405	(1)
Unravelling Climatic Influences on Late Holocene Sea-Level Variability	406	(16)
Ian D. Goodwin
Climatic and Non-Climatic Factors Influencing RSL Change Over the Late Holocene	408	(3)
Progress in Resolving High-Resolution Sea-Level Proxy Data for Comparison with the Instrumental Sea-Level and Climate Records	411	(3)
Discussion on Sea-Level History of the Last Millennium from Proxy Data	414	(5)
Conclusions and Future Research Directions	419	(3)
Acknowledgements	421	(1)
Simulation of Holocene Climate Change Using Climate-System Models	422	(13)
Martin Claussen
Changes at High Northern Latitudes: the Biome Paradox	423	(3)
Changes in the Sub-Tropics: the Green Sahara	426	(4)
Abrupt Climate Changes	430	(2)
Conclusions and Perspectives	432	(3)
Acknowledgements	434	(1)
References	435	(86)
Index	521