A Late Quaternary Chironomid-inferred Temperature Record from the Sierra Nevada, California, with Connections to Northeast Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures

Authors

Aaron P. Potito, The Ohio State University
David F. Porinchu, The Ohio State University
Glen M. MacDonald, University of California - Los Angeles
Katrina A. Moser, The University of Western Ontario

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2006

Volume

66

Issue

2

Journal

Quaternary Research

First Page

356

Last Page

363

URL with Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2006.05.005

Abstract

Chironomid remains from a mid-elevation lake in the Sierra Nevada, California, were used to estimate quantitative summer surface water temperatures during the past not, vert, similar15,000 yr. Reconstructed temperatures increased by not, vert, similar3°C between lake initiation and the onset of the Holocene at not, vert, similar10,600 cal yr BP (calibrated years before present). Temperatures peaked at 6500 cal yr BP, displayed high variability from 6500 to 3500 cal yr BP, and stabilized after 3500 cal yr BP. This record generally tracks reconstructed Santa Barbara Basin sea surface temperatures (SSTs) through much of the Holocene, highlighting the correspondence between SST variability and California land temperatures during this interval.