Publication details
A tree ring-based hydroclimate reconstruction for eastern Europe reveals large-scale teleconnection patterns
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Climate Dynamics |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-022-06255-8#citeas |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00382-022-06255-8 |
| Keywords | Climate reconstructions; Dendroclimatology; Drought extremes; Eastern Europe; Teleconnection patterns; Tree rings; Beech |
| Description | We present a new beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) tree-ring width composite chronology from five natural low-elevation forests in eastern Romania, which represent the species' continental distribution limit. Our regional beech chronology reflects April-June hydroclimate variability in form of the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index over large parts of Romania, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova, for which high-resolution paleoclimatic evidence is broadly missing. Most of the reconstructed hydroclimatic extremes back to 1768 CE are confirmed by documentary evidences, and a robust association is found with large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns in the Northern Hemisphere and sea surface temperatures over the North Atlantic. Reconstructed pluvials coincide with a high-pressure system over the North Atlantic Ocean and north-western Europe, and with a low-pressure system over south-western, central and eastern Europe, whereas historical droughts coincide with a high-pressure system over Europe and a low-pressure system over the central part of the Atlantic Ocean. Our study demonstrates the potential to produce well-replicated, multi-centennial beech chronologies for eastern Europe to reconstruct regional hydroclimate variation and better understand the causes and consequences of large-scale teleconnection patterns. |