Reconstruction of paleo climate and environmental changes since the Little Ice Age in the North Pacific region analyzed with alpine ice cores

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26400460
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Meteorology/Physical oceanography/Hydrology
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: MATOBA Sumito 北海道大学, 低温科学研究所, 助教 (30391163)
• Research Collaborator: IIZUKA Yoshinori ; TSUSHIMA Akane ; SASAKI Hirotaka ; OYABU Ikumi ; KADOYA Moe
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: アイスコア / 古環境 / 山岳氷河 / 水同位体 / 小氷期 / 黄砂 / アラスカ / グリーンランド

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have analyzed several ice cores obtained from alpine glaciers as Mt. Wrangell and Aurora Peak in Alaska, and shallow ice cores from northwestern and eastern Greenland Ice Sheet, which were newly drilled in 2014 and 2015, and reconstruct climate and environmental changes from the Little Ice Age (LIA) to present. From the late LIA to present, we found obvious climate shifts of air temperature and precipitation amount in 1700s and 1850s in both of Alaska and Greenland. The changes both of air temperature and precipitation showed seesaw relationship between Alaska and Greenland. We assume that the changes of air temperature and precipitation are associated with the shift of the route of the Jest Stream. In 1990s, we found an another climate shift. The variation tendencies of air temperature and precipitation are different from those before the climate shift.

Free Research Field

地球科学