Prolonged early to middle Holocene drought in the Pacific Northwest inferred from lacustrine carbonate oxygen isotope values and sedimentology

Sophie B. Lehmann; Byron A. Steinman; Matthew S. Finkenbinder; Mark B. Abbott

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107192

Prolonged early to middle Holocene drought in the Pacific Northwest inferred from lacustrine carbonate oxygen isotope values and sedimentology

Sophie B. Lehmann, Byron A. Steinman, Matthew S. Finkenbinder, Mark B. Abbott

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3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Sediment-based lake-level reconstructions and the oxygen isotopic composition of lacustrine carbonate (δ¹⁸O_CO3) provide insight on hydroclimate conditions during the early Holocene in western North America and the Pacific Northwest. There are relatively few such records with decadal temporal resolution, and changes in the isotopic composition of meteoric water potentially obscure the hydroclimate signal (precipitation-evaporation) in lacustrine δ¹⁸O_CO3 data. Here, we present a Holocene-length drought index developed by combining the δ¹⁸O_CO3 record from Castor Lake, a closed-basin system located in north-central Washington (USA), with the δ¹⁸O_CO3 record from Lime Lake, which has an open-basin configuration and is located in northeastern Washington. The lake sediment records are dated using primarily a combination of radiocarbon measurements on terrestrial macrofossils, Pb-210, Cs-137, and tephrochronology. The δ¹⁸O_CO3 drought index, along with changes in Castor Lake sediment facies, suggest periods of prolonged drought in the Pacific Northwest between 11,200 and 6200 cal yr BP, a finding that is supported by other lacustrine proxy records of lake level and temperature change. Early Holocene drought likely resulted from higher than present summer isolation that promoted longer, hotter summers and greater evaporation. Lower than present winter insolation at this time likely altered the location and/or strength of the westerlies, reducing cold season precipitation/snowpack and intensifying the dry conditions. This study highlights the sensitivity of hydroclimate in an already drought- and fire-prone region to the magnitude and duration of summer warmth and precipitation and snowpack levels during the winter.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	107192
Journal	Quaternary Science Reviews
Volume	271
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107192
State	Published - Nov 1 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This project was funded by National Science Foundation grants EAR-1447048 ( University of Minnesota Duluth ) and EAR-1446283 ( University of Pittsburgh ). We are grateful to Editor Patrick Rioual and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which greatly improved this manuscript. We thank Nathan Stansell, Danial Nelson, and Graham Abbott for assistance in the field and Jeremy Moberg for providing access to his property and allowing water and sediment sampling from Castor Lake. This work would not have been possible without the help of graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences and the University of Minnesota, Duluth, both in sample collection and sample preparation for isotope analyses.

Funding Information:
This project was funded by National Science Foundation grants EAR-1447048 (University of Minnesota Duluth) and EAR-1446283 (University of Pittsburgh). We are grateful to Editor Patrick Rioual and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which greatly improved this manuscript. We thank Nathan Stansell, Danial Nelson, and Graham Abbott for assistance in the field and Jeremy Moberg for providing access to his property and allowing water and sediment sampling from Castor Lake. This work would not have been possible without the help of graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences and the University of Minnesota, Duluth, both in sample collection and sample preparation for isotope analyses.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Inorganic geochemistry
Lake sediment
North America
Paleoclimatology
Paleolimnology
Radiogenic isotopes
Stable isotopes

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10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107192

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title = "Prolonged early to middle Holocene drought in the Pacific Northwest inferred from lacustrine carbonate oxygen isotope values and sedimentology",

abstract = "Sediment-based lake-level reconstructions and the oxygen isotopic composition of lacustrine carbonate (δ18OCO3) provide insight on hydroclimate conditions during the early Holocene in western North America and the Pacific Northwest. There are relatively few such records with decadal temporal resolution, and changes in the isotopic composition of meteoric water potentially obscure the hydroclimate signal (precipitation-evaporation) in lacustrine δ18OCO3 data. Here, we present a Holocene-length drought index developed by combining the δ18OCO3 record from Castor Lake, a closed-basin system located in north-central Washington (USA), with the δ18OCO3 record from Lime Lake, which has an open-basin configuration and is located in northeastern Washington. The lake sediment records are dated using primarily a combination of radiocarbon measurements on terrestrial macrofossils, Pb-210, Cs-137, and tephrochronology. The δ18OCO3 drought index, along with changes in Castor Lake sediment facies, suggest periods of prolonged drought in the Pacific Northwest between 11,200 and 6200 cal yr BP, a finding that is supported by other lacustrine proxy records of lake level and temperature change. Early Holocene drought likely resulted from higher than present summer isolation that promoted longer, hotter summers and greater evaporation. Lower than present winter insolation at this time likely altered the location and/or strength of the westerlies, reducing cold season precipitation/snowpack and intensifying the dry conditions. This study highlights the sensitivity of hydroclimate in an already drought- and fire-prone region to the magnitude and duration of summer warmth and precipitation and snowpack levels during the winter.",

keywords = "Inorganic geochemistry, Lake sediment, North America, Paleoclimatology, Paleolimnology, Radiogenic isotopes, Stable isotopes",

author = "Lehmann, {Sophie B.} and Steinman, {Byron A.} and Finkenbinder, {Matthew S.} and Abbott, {Mark B.}",

note = "Funding Information: This project was funded by National Science Foundation grants EAR-1447048 ( University of Minnesota Duluth ) and EAR-1446283 ( University of Pittsburgh ). We are grateful to Editor Patrick Rioual and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which greatly improved this manuscript. We thank Nathan Stansell, Danial Nelson, and Graham Abbott for assistance in the field and Jeremy Moberg for providing access to his property and allowing water and sediment sampling from Castor Lake. This work would not have been possible without the help of graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences and the University of Minnesota, Duluth, both in sample collection and sample preparation for isotope analyses. Funding Information: This project was funded by National Science Foundation grants EAR-1447048 (University of Minnesota Duluth) and EAR-1446283 (University of Pittsburgh). We are grateful to Editor Patrick Rioual and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which greatly improved this manuscript. We thank Nathan Stansell, Danial Nelson, and Graham Abbott for assistance in the field and Jeremy Moberg for providing access to his property and allowing water and sediment sampling from Castor Lake. This work would not have been possible without the help of graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences and the University of Minnesota, Duluth, both in sample collection and sample preparation for isotope analyses. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2021",

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doi = "10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107192",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "271",

journal = "Quaternary Science Reviews",

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T1 - Prolonged early to middle Holocene drought in the Pacific Northwest inferred from lacustrine carbonate oxygen isotope values and sedimentology

AU - Lehmann, Sophie B.

AU - Steinman, Byron A.

AU - Finkenbinder, Matthew S.

AU - Abbott, Mark B.

N1 - Funding Information: This project was funded by National Science Foundation grants EAR-1447048 ( University of Minnesota Duluth ) and EAR-1446283 ( University of Pittsburgh ). We are grateful to Editor Patrick Rioual and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which greatly improved this manuscript. We thank Nathan Stansell, Danial Nelson, and Graham Abbott for assistance in the field and Jeremy Moberg for providing access to his property and allowing water and sediment sampling from Castor Lake. This work would not have been possible without the help of graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences and the University of Minnesota, Duluth, both in sample collection and sample preparation for isotope analyses. Funding Information: This project was funded by National Science Foundation grants EAR-1447048 (University of Minnesota Duluth) and EAR-1446283 (University of Pittsburgh). We are grateful to Editor Patrick Rioual and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which greatly improved this manuscript. We thank Nathan Stansell, Danial Nelson, and Graham Abbott for assistance in the field and Jeremy Moberg for providing access to his property and allowing water and sediment sampling from Castor Lake. This work would not have been possible without the help of graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences and the University of Minnesota, Duluth, both in sample collection and sample preparation for isotope analyses. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2021/11/1

Y1 - 2021/11/1

N2 - Sediment-based lake-level reconstructions and the oxygen isotopic composition of lacustrine carbonate (δ18OCO3) provide insight on hydroclimate conditions during the early Holocene in western North America and the Pacific Northwest. There are relatively few such records with decadal temporal resolution, and changes in the isotopic composition of meteoric water potentially obscure the hydroclimate signal (precipitation-evaporation) in lacustrine δ18OCO3 data. Here, we present a Holocene-length drought index developed by combining the δ18OCO3 record from Castor Lake, a closed-basin system located in north-central Washington (USA), with the δ18OCO3 record from Lime Lake, which has an open-basin configuration and is located in northeastern Washington. The lake sediment records are dated using primarily a combination of radiocarbon measurements on terrestrial macrofossils, Pb-210, Cs-137, and tephrochronology. The δ18OCO3 drought index, along with changes in Castor Lake sediment facies, suggest periods of prolonged drought in the Pacific Northwest between 11,200 and 6200 cal yr BP, a finding that is supported by other lacustrine proxy records of lake level and temperature change. Early Holocene drought likely resulted from higher than present summer isolation that promoted longer, hotter summers and greater evaporation. Lower than present winter insolation at this time likely altered the location and/or strength of the westerlies, reducing cold season precipitation/snowpack and intensifying the dry conditions. This study highlights the sensitivity of hydroclimate in an already drought- and fire-prone region to the magnitude and duration of summer warmth and precipitation and snowpack levels during the winter.

AB - Sediment-based lake-level reconstructions and the oxygen isotopic composition of lacustrine carbonate (δ18OCO3) provide insight on hydroclimate conditions during the early Holocene in western North America and the Pacific Northwest. There are relatively few such records with decadal temporal resolution, and changes in the isotopic composition of meteoric water potentially obscure the hydroclimate signal (precipitation-evaporation) in lacustrine δ18OCO3 data. Here, we present a Holocene-length drought index developed by combining the δ18OCO3 record from Castor Lake, a closed-basin system located in north-central Washington (USA), with the δ18OCO3 record from Lime Lake, which has an open-basin configuration and is located in northeastern Washington. The lake sediment records are dated using primarily a combination of radiocarbon measurements on terrestrial macrofossils, Pb-210, Cs-137, and tephrochronology. The δ18OCO3 drought index, along with changes in Castor Lake sediment facies, suggest periods of prolonged drought in the Pacific Northwest between 11,200 and 6200 cal yr BP, a finding that is supported by other lacustrine proxy records of lake level and temperature change. Early Holocene drought likely resulted from higher than present summer isolation that promoted longer, hotter summers and greater evaporation. Lower than present winter insolation at this time likely altered the location and/or strength of the westerlies, reducing cold season precipitation/snowpack and intensifying the dry conditions. This study highlights the sensitivity of hydroclimate in an already drought- and fire-prone region to the magnitude and duration of summer warmth and precipitation and snowpack levels during the winter.

KW - Inorganic geochemistry

KW - Lake sediment

KW - North America

KW - Paleoclimatology

KW - Paleolimnology

KW - Radiogenic isotopes

KW - Stable isotopes

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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85115889753&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107192

DO - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107192

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85115889753

SN - 0277-3791

VL - 271

JO - Quaternary Science Reviews

JF - Quaternary Science Reviews

M1 - 107192

ER -

Prolonged early to middle Holocene drought in the Pacific Northwest inferred from lacustrine carbonate oxygen isotope values and sedimentology

Abstract

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