Upper Pinto Fen, Alberta 8000 Year Peat Density and Accumulation Data Yu, Z.; Campbell, I.D.; Campbell, C.; Vitt, D.H.; Bond, G.C.; Apps, M.J. Yu, Z. Campbell, I.D. Campbell, C. Vitt, D.H. Bond, G.C. Apps, M.J. hydrology earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (density,peat,null,gram per cubic centimeter,null,paleolimnology,corrected,null,N,ash-free) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (depth,null,null,centimeter,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (age,null,null,calendar year before present,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (accumulation rate,peat,null,gram per square meter per year,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (Upper Pinto Fen>LATITUDE 53.5833>LONGITUDE -118.0167) A high-resolution fen peat record and 79 basal peat dates from paludified peatlands in continental western Canada provide evidence for cyclic change in moisture conditions and in peat carbon accumulation. The ash-free bulk density, a proxy for degree of peat decomposition and thus moisture conditions, shows periodicities at both millennial (from 1500 to 2190 yr, with a mean of 1785 yr) and century scales (386 yr and 667 yr). Wet periods of 200-600 yr in duration, especially at ~6900, 5500 and 4000 cal. BP, correlate with rapid peat accumulation, new peatland initiation and declines in the rate of increase of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The wet periods in western North America are coeval with warm periods in the North Atlantic, a phasing relationship that has been documented in other published palaeorecords for the glacial period and late Holocene, probably in response to variations in solar activity. These results indicate a strong connection between climate and the global carbon cycle at the millennial scale, mediated in part by peatland dynamics. This is the first demonstration that peatland carbon sequestration rates are highly sensitive even to minor climatic fluctuations, which are too small to produce detectable changes in major species in the peatland. That global atmospheric CO2 concentrations have in the past responded to these changes in peatland dynamics implies a strong potential for peatlands to be a major player in affecting future global change. STUDY NOTES: Ash-free bulk density (g/cm3) and peat accumulation rates (g/m2/yr) from peat core at Upper Pinto Fen, Alberta, Canada NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Yu, Z. Investigator : Campbell, I.D. Investigator : Campbell, C. Investigator : Vitt, D.H. Investigator : Bond, G.C. Investigator : Apps, M.J. 2012-12-20 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/13665 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/northamerica/canada/ab/pinto2003.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/northamerica/canada/ab/pinto2003.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/13665 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/northamerica/canada/ab/pinto2003.txt Zicheng Yu, Ian D. Campbell, Celina Campbell, Dale H. Vitt, Gerard C. Bond, and Michael J. Apps. 2003. Carbon sequestration in western Canadian peat highly sensitive to Holocene wet-dry climate cycles at millennial timescales. The Holocene, Vol. 13 (6), pp. 801-808. DOI: 10.1191/0959683603hl667ft Zicheng Yu, Dale H Vitt, Ian D Campbell, Michael J Apps. 2003. Understanding Holocene peat accumulation pattern of continental fens in western Canada. Canadian Journal of Botany, Vol. 81 (3), pp. 267-282. DOI: 10.1139/b03-016 START YEAR: 8017 cal yr BP * END YEAR: -50 cal yr BP -118.0167 53.5833 -118.0167 53.5833