Second Annual Workshop of the Last Millennium Reanalysis Project; Friday Harbor, Washington, 25–26 October 2016
proxies
Improving Our Understanding of El Niño in a Warm Climate
A new study seeks to bring together the strongest features of proxy data and climate models to reduce uncertainties in reconstructions of past El Niño behavior.
Follow Earthworm Tracks to Better Simulate Water Flow in Soils
Incorporating paths carved by the critters and by tree roots helps scientists align simulations of tropical soils more closely with real-world data.
Mushrooms Could Provide a Record of Grassland History
Scientists measured carbon isotopes in certain types of fungi to assess whether the organisms can track how climate change is affecting grasses.
Biogenic Oxygen on the Moon Could Hold Secrets to Earth's Past
Lunar orbiting data show that terrestrial oxygen rains down periodically on the Moon, enticing researchers with an opportunity to study Earth's ancient atmosphere.
Bat Guano: A Possible New Source for Paleoclimate Reconstructions
Nitrogen isotopes within samples of bat excrement accurately reflect modern precipitation patterns. So could guano serve as a paleoclimate record?
Subterranean Caverns Hold Clues to Past Droughts
Cave formations offer highly resolved paleoclimate data that scientists plan to use to reconstruct California's ancient patterns of drought.
Rocks in Chile Help Scientists Hunt for Life on Mars
Investigating oxalate minerals in the Atacama Desert provides a terrestrial analogue to test techniques that could be used to study the carbon cycle in the cold deserts of Mars.
Japan's Volcanic History, Hidden Under the Sea
Scientists investigate marine tephra layers for clues to Japan's volcanic past.
Early Agriculture Has Kept Earth Warm for Millennia
Ice core data, archeological evidence, and other studies suggest humans had a significant influence on Earth's preindustrial climate.