Mid-late Holocene El Niño variability in the equatorial Pacific from coral microatolls

Colin D. Woodroffe; Matthew R. Beech; Michael K. Gagan

doi:10.1029/2002GL015868

Mid-late Holocene El Niño variability in the equatorial Pacific from coral microatolls

Colin D. Woodroffe^*, Matthew R. Beech, Michael K. Gagan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

88 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Oxygen isotope ratios in Porites microatolls from Christmas Island in the central Pacific provide high-resolution proxy records of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability since 3.8 thousand years ago (ka). Compared with modern microatolls, reconstructions from fossil microatolls imply that interannual variations in ENSO sea-surface temperature and precipitation were less intense 3.8-2.8 ka, but more pronounced at 1.7 ka. Amplification of ENSO at ∼2 ka is consistent with precessional changes in insolation seasonality, but exceeds model predictions and may reflect stronger rainfall teleconnections through enhanced interaction between the Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Intertropical Convergence Zone.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	10-1 - 10-4
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	30
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL015868
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2003

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title = "Mid-late Holocene El Ni{\~n}o variability in the equatorial Pacific from coral microatolls",

abstract = "Oxygen isotope ratios in Porites microatolls from Christmas Island in the central Pacific provide high-resolution proxy records of El Ni{\~n}o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability since 3.8 thousand years ago (ka). Compared with modern microatolls, reconstructions from fossil microatolls imply that interannual variations in ENSO sea-surface temperature and precipitation were less intense 3.8-2.8 ka, but more pronounced at 1.7 ka. Amplification of ENSO at ∼2 ka is consistent with precessional changes in insolation seasonality, but exceeds model predictions and may reflect stronger rainfall teleconnections through enhanced interaction between the Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Intertropical Convergence Zone.",

keywords = "Coral paleoclimatology, ENSO, Equatorial Pacific Ocean, Holocene, Sea surface temperature",

author = "Woodroffe, {Colin D.} and Beech, {Matthew R.} and Gagan, {Michael K.}",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Mid-late Holocene El Niño variability in the equatorial Pacific from coral microatolls

AU - Woodroffe, Colin D.

AU - Beech, Matthew R.

AU - Gagan, Michael K.

PY - 2003/4/1

Y1 - 2003/4/1

N2 - Oxygen isotope ratios in Porites microatolls from Christmas Island in the central Pacific provide high-resolution proxy records of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability since 3.8 thousand years ago (ka). Compared with modern microatolls, reconstructions from fossil microatolls imply that interannual variations in ENSO sea-surface temperature and precipitation were less intense 3.8-2.8 ka, but more pronounced at 1.7 ka. Amplification of ENSO at ∼2 ka is consistent with precessional changes in insolation seasonality, but exceeds model predictions and may reflect stronger rainfall teleconnections through enhanced interaction between the Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Intertropical Convergence Zone.

AB - Oxygen isotope ratios in Porites microatolls from Christmas Island in the central Pacific provide high-resolution proxy records of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability since 3.8 thousand years ago (ka). Compared with modern microatolls, reconstructions from fossil microatolls imply that interannual variations in ENSO sea-surface temperature and precipitation were less intense 3.8-2.8 ka, but more pronounced at 1.7 ka. Amplification of ENSO at ∼2 ka is consistent with precessional changes in insolation seasonality, but exceeds model predictions and may reflect stronger rainfall teleconnections through enhanced interaction between the Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Intertropical Convergence Zone.

KW - Coral paleoclimatology

KW - ENSO

KW - Equatorial Pacific Ocean

KW - Holocene

KW - Sea surface temperature

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U2 - 10.1029/2002GL015868

DO - 10.1029/2002GL015868

M3 - Article

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 30

SP - 10-1 - 10-4

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 7

ER -

Mid-late Holocene El Niño variability in the equatorial Pacific from coral microatolls

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