Castor Lake, Washington 6KYr Sediment Grayscale Data Nelson, D.B.; Abbott, M.B.; Steinman, B.; Polissar, P.J.; Stansell, N.D.; Ortiz, J.D. ; Rosenmeier, M.F.; Finney, B.P.; Riedel, J. Nelson, D.B. Abbott, M.B. Steinman, B. Polissar, P.J. Stansell, N.D. Ortiz, J.D. Rosenmeier, M.F. Finney, B.P. Riedel, J. drought earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (green intensity,sediment,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,null,image analysis,N,relative reflectance value) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (delta 18O,aragonite,null,per mil VPDB,null,paleolimnology,null,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (depth,null,null,centimeter,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (red intensity,sediment,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,null,image analysis,N,relative reflectance value) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (delta 18O,aragonite,null,per mil VPDB,null,paleolimnology,detrended|normalized,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (delta 13C,aragonite,null,per mil VPDB,null,paleolimnology,null,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (age,null,null,year Common Era,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (delta 13C,aragonite,null,per mil VPDB,null,paleolimnology,detrended|normalized,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (blue intensity,sediment,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,null,image analysis,N,relative reflectance value) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (age,null,null,calendar year before present,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (grayscale,sediment,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,null,image analysis,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (grayscale,sediment,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,normalized,image analysis,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (Castor Lake>LATITUDE 48.54>LONGITUDE -119.56) We present a 6,000-yr record of changing water balance in the Pacific Northwest inferred from measurements of carbonate d18O and grayscale on a sediment core collected from Castor Lake, Washington. This subdecadally resolved drought record tracks the 1,500-yr tree-ring-based Palmer Drought Severity Index reconstructions of Cook et al. [Cook ER, Woodhouse CA, Eakin CM, Meko DM, Stahle DW (2004) Science 306:1015-1018] in the Pacific Northwest and extends our knowledge back to 6,000 yr B.P. The results demonstrate that low-frequency drought/pluvial cycles, with occasional long-duration, multidecadal events, are a persistent feature of regional climate. Furthermore, the average duration of multidecadal wet/dry cycles has increased since the middle Holocene, which has acted to increase the amplitude and impact of these events. This is especially apparent during the last 1,000 yr. We suggest these transitions were driven by changes in the tropical and extratropical Pacific and are related to apparent intensification of the El Niño Southern Oscillation over this interval and its related effects on the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. The Castor Lake record also corroborates the notion that the 20th century, prior to recent aridity, was a relatively wet period compared to the last 6,000 yr. Our findings suggest that the hydroclimate response in the Pacific Northwest to future warming will be intimately tied to the impact of warming on the El Niño Southern Oscillation. STUDY NOTES: Sediment gray scale data for Castor Lake, Washington, USA, providing a subdecadally resolved drought record for the Pacific Northwest over the past 6,000 years. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Nelson, D.B. Investigator : Abbott, M.B. Investigator : Steinman, B. Investigator : Polissar, P.J. Investigator : Stansell, N.D. Investigator : Ortiz, J.D. Investigator : Rosenmeier, M.F. Investigator : Finney, B.P. Investigator : Riedel, J. 2011-02-22 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/10310 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/northamerica/usa/washington/castor2011.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/northamerica/usa/washington/castor2011.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/northamerica/usa/washington/castor2011.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/northamerica/usa/washington/castor2011.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/10310 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/northamerica/usa/washington/castor2011.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/northamerica/usa/washington/castor2011.txt Nelson, D.B., M.B. Abbott, B. Steinman, P.J. Polissar, N.D. Stansell, J.D. Ortiz, M.F. Rosenmeier, B.P. Finney, and J. Riedel. 2011. Drought variability in the Pacific Northwest from a 6,000-yr lake sediment record. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS published ahead of print February 22, 2011, doi:10.1073/pnas.1009194108. START YEAR: 6000 cal yr BP * END YEAR: 100 cal yr BP -119.56 48.54 -119.56 48.54