Collaborative Research: Temperature Variability and Extremes at Multiple Temporal Scales in North Asia from Millennial-Length Wood Anatomical Records

In north Asia, extreme weather events, including unseasonal frost and summer drought, impact the traditional and primary livelihood, nomadic pastoralism, in this region. Existing annual tree-ring based climate reconstructions from the region are of annual temperature variation, and do not capture subannual weather events, so it is not known how the occurrence of these brief temperature extremes is changing with warming climate. The goal of this project is to use wood anatomical traits to develop two 1000-y long records of temperature from Mongolia, and use the records to assess the relationship between volcanic eruptions and cold conditions, and characterize longer-term temperature variability. This project will support building research capacity at William Patterson University, curriculum development, workshops between WPU, Columbia University and National University of Mongolia, and public outreach. The continental climate in north Asia is vulnerable to climate extremes, and recent severe droughts and temperature extremes impact regional communities. The goal of the project is to develop two millennial-length records of wood anatomical traits (cell wall thickness) and anomalies (e.g. blue rings and frost rings) from Siberian Larch (Larix sibierica) and Siberian Pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) from temperature-sensitive sites in Mongolia. The tree cores and cross-section samples for this study are already collected, and ring-width data from these samples are already measured. Ring width data do not capture intra-annual climate extremes, while quantitative wood anatomy and anatomical traits can record sub-annual and ephemeral temperature conditions. The quantitative wood anatomy proxy is new and there are few millennial-length records in the literature. The magnitude and timing of temperature extremes will be evaluated, and their frequency through time and connection to volcanism will be assessed. The multidecadal and millennial temperature variability will also be assessed. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.