Holocene-length alkenone-based summer temperarature record from Arctic Svalbard lake sediments

Situated at the crossroads of global oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns, the Arctic is a key component of Earth's climate system. Amplified by sea-ice feedbacks, even modest shifts in regional heat budget drive large climate responses. This is highlighted by the amplified response of the Arctic to global warming. Assessing the signature of underlying forcing mechanisms require paleoclimate records, allowing us to expand our knowledge beyond the short instrumental period and contextualize ongoing warming. However, such data are scarce and sparse in the Arctic, limiting our ability to address these issues. We present 2 quantitative Holocene-length summer temperature reconstructions from the Arctic Svalbard archipelago. Temperature estimates are based on Alkenone unsaturation ratios measured on sediment cores from 2 lakes. Our data reveal a variable Holocene temperature history, with reconstructed temperatures spanning a range of ~6-8 °C, and characterized by 4 phases.