American Geophysical Union Become an AGU Member
Subscribe to AGU Journals		 AGU Home AGU Publications

Read Full Article (file size: 378360 bytes)    Cited by

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 29, NO. 14, 1667, doi:10.1029/2001GL014580, 2002

Evidence for a ‘Medieval Warm Period’ in a 1,100 year tree-ring reconstruction of past austral summer temperatures in New Zealand

Edward R. Cook

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY, USA


Jonathan G. Palmer

Palaeocology Centre, Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK


Rosanne D. D'Arrigo

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY, USA


Abstract

The occurrence of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) in the Southern Hemisphere is uncertain because of the paucity of well-dated, high-resolution paleo-temperature records covering the past 1,000 years. We describe a new tree-ring reconstruction of Austral summer temperatures from the South Island of New Zealand, covering the past 1,100 years. This record is the longest yet produced for New Zealand and shows clear evidence for persistent above-average temperatures within the interval commonly assigned to the MWP. Comparisons with selected temperature proxies from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres confirm that the MWP was highly variable in time and space. Regardless, the New Zealand temperature reconstruction supports the global occurrence of the MWP.

Published 18 July 2002.

Index Terms: 4221 Oceanography: General: Dendrochronology; 4215 Oceanography: General: Climate and interannual variability (3309); 3309 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Climatology (1620); 3344 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Paleoclimatology; 1620 Global Change: Climate dynamics (3309).

Read Full Article (file size: 378360 bytes)    Cited by

Citation: Cook, E. R., J. G. Palmer, and R. D. D'Arrigo (2002), Evidence for a ‘Medieval Warm Period’ in a 1,100 year tree-ring reconstruction of past austral summer temperatures in New Zealand, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(14), 1667, doi:10.1029/2001GL014580.