Upper Snowy Mountains, Australia 6,500 Year Dust Deposition Data Marx, S.K.; Kamber, B.A.; McGowan, H.A.; Denholm, J. Marx, S.K. Kamber, B.A. McGowan, H.A. Denholm, J. earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (sample identification,null,null,null,null,paleolimnology,null,null,C,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (depth,null,null,millimeter,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (dust,null,null,gram per square meter per year,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 (Upper Snowy Mountains>LATITUDE -36.463>LONGITUDE 148.299) Millennial scale variability in the strength/position of the mid-latitude westerlies, as interpreted from rates of dust deposition in an alpine mire south-eastern Australia, is demonstrated to be a major driver of climate variability during the mid to late Holocene. Dust deposition rates were calculated with a trace element provenance model. This approach is capable of distinguishing between sedimentation of local alluvium and genuine deposition of aeolian dust into the studied mire. Low dust deposition from 6500 to 5500 cal. BP occurred during a period of enhanced south-westerly winds which advected moisture into south-eastern Australia resulting in wet conditions. A subsequent dust pulse at 5500-4000 cal. BP is interpreted as a relaxation in south-westerlies resulting in a more arid phase and possibly enhanced climate variability. Reduced dust deposition between 4000 and 2000 cal. BP indicates a return to increased precipitation/moisture in the lower MDB associated with increased south-westerly geostrophic flow. The onset of more arid conditions after 2000 cal. BP implies a reduction in the frequency of precipitation bearing south-westerly winds. A final further significant finding from this study is the identification of a major dust deposition/wind erosion episode coinciding with the onset of European land clearing and agriculture in Australia. STUDY NOTES: Dust deposition rate from mire sediments collected in the Upper Snowy Range, New South Wales. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Marx, S.K. Investigator : Kamber, B.A. Investigator : McGowan, H.A. Investigator : Denholm, J. 2017-07-10 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/22413 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/australia/snowy2011dust.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/australia/snowy2011dust.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/22413 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/australia/snowy2011dust.txt Samuel K. Marx, Balz S. Kamber, Hamish A. McGowan, John Denholm2011Holocene dust deposition rates in Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin record the interplay between aridity and the position of the mid-latitude westerliesQuaternary Science Reviews3023-243290-330510.1016/j.quascirev.2011.07.015http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379111002198 Samuel K. Marx, Balz S. Kamber, Hamish A. McGowan, Atun Zawadzki2010Atmospheric pollutants in alpine peat bogs record a detailed chronology of industrial and agricultural development on the Australian continentEnvironmental Pollution15851615-162810.1016/j.envpol.2009.12.009http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749109006034 START YEAR: 6493 cal yr BP * END YEAR: 3 cal yr BP 148.299 -36.463 148.299 -36.463