Some of the Many Applications of Archaeoclimatology

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Some of the Many Applications of
Archaeoclimatology

• Katherine McEnaney
• and
• Reid Bryson

(The powerpoint will run itself automatically on
the slideshow setting)
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Archaeoclimatology

• Sometimes called Macrophysical modeling
• Tested hundreds of times against field data
• Based on
• orbital forcing of incoming radiation
• modulation by aerosols and variable snow-ice
  albedo
• standard dynamics
• synoptic climatology

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Archaeoclimatology

• Site specific
• Yields monthly 200 year mean values
• This makes the method unique
• It is now possible to produce 100 year
  resolution for the past 20,000 years

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Example La Crosse, WI
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Example La Crosse, WI
The difference between precipitation and
evaporation is known as water stress
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Large Scale Features

• Large scale features may be modeled

• Sea Ice
• Large River Discharge

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Large Scale Features

• In the far north, human usage of an area seems to
  be related to sea ice

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Discharge of the Mississippi
Intro ? Local ? Large Scale ? Storms ? Dunes ?
Composite
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The Effect of the onset of the Holocene is obvious

• Northern Example Dinwoody Creek, Wyoming

Intro ? Local ? Large Scale ? Storms ? Dunes ?
Composite
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Stream Discharge
These are associated with an increase in westerly
storms, not local events.
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Storms and Snow
Intro ? Local ? Large Scale ? Storms ? Dunes ?
Composite
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Farther south, there are different problems

• Hurricane or Typhoon frequency
• Thunderstorm frequency
• High Tropical Humidities
• Changing Prevailing Winds, Dunes

Intro ? Local ? Large Scale ? Storms ? Dunes ?
Composite
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Hurricanes

• Hurricanes are important
• Winds and storm surges
• Heavy rains from their residuals
• Heavy Rains, Gully-washers are often associated
  with deep masses of moist air originating in
  Tropical Storms and intruding into the Westerlies

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Hurricanes Farther North
Cape Cod
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Hurricanes Farther North

• Tropical storm number can be modeled

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Modeled Fire Hazard

• Thunderstorm frequency is important in areas
  prone to fires

Intro ? Local ? Large Scale ? Storms ? Dunes ?
Composite
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Modeled Fire Hazard
Stormy with Dry Air
Intro ? Local ? Large Scale ? Storms ? Dunes ?
Composite
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Dune Movement
Departure of ice from the Cochrane Moraine may
have increased dune movement in Southern Manitoba
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Dune Movement
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Composite Studies

• Models may be combined for a given state/region
• The results may be used to map precipitation
  values or anomalies through the past

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In Summary

• Almost any important climatic variable may be
  modeled
• Models are site-specific and high resolution
• Models are economical
• There seem to be no competitive models

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Please cite as

• McEnaney, K. A. and R. A. Bryson
• 2005 Some of the Many Applications of
  Archaeoclimatology. Paper presented at the
  Wisconsin Archaeological Survey Research Reports
  Meeting, April 23, 2005, Madison, WI.
• For more information, please contact
  rabryson_at_wisc.edu or kamcenaney_at_wisc.edu .