NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - Arch Cave Geochemical Data

A combination of δ13C and δ18O analyses with U–Th disequilibrium dating on a stalagmite and groundwater from the deep and extensive Arch Cave network on northeastern Vancouver Island has produced a preliminary 12,200 y paleoclimatic profile. Speleothem depositional rates vary from 6 to 41 mm/ka and are consistent with the “Hendy” test for speleothem deposition under high-humidity equilibrium conditions. Relative to present day conditions, warmer periods are indicated at the end of the Younger Dryas, during the Holocene maximum, a possible Medieval Warming event, with the warmest period represented by a narrow peak at 8000 y BP. Relatively cooler periods are recorded at 3500, 8200, 9300 and 11,500 y BP with indications of minor cooling during the Little Ice Age and indications of relatively dry conditions during the earlier part of the Younger Dryas followed by warmer wetter conditions. The profile shows excellent agreement with other paleoclimatic indicators locally, most notably some partial speleothem records from Vancouver Island and Oregon, and some high-resolution global records such as the Greenland ice cores and speleothems from the Hulu Cave, China.

本归档古气候学研究数据集可由美国国家海洋和大气管理局（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA）下属的国家环境信息中心（National Centers for Environmental Information, NCEI）通过古气候学世界数据服务（World Data Service for Paleoclimatology, WDS）获取。该数据集对应的NCEI研究分类为洞穴类。数据集包含加拿大境内洞穴沉积物（speleothems）的相关参数，时间覆盖范围为无可用起始年份至无可用结束年份，单位为距今年份（BP，Before Present）。如需了解参数与研究地点的详细信息，请查阅元数据。使用本数据集时，请引用该研究。