Western North America Network of Moisture Sensitive Proxy Records from 6000 yr BP Hermann, N.W.; Oster, J.L.; Ibarra, D.E. Hermann, N.W. Oster, J.L. Ibarra, D.E. Precipitation Reconstruction earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions (sample identification,null,null,null,null,climate reconstructions,null,null,C,number of aggregated site or name of sites aggregated) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions (moisture index,multiple proxies,null,null,null,climate reconstructions,null,null,C,hydroclimatic designation at 6 ka) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions (number of samples,null,null,count,null,climate reconstructions,null,null,N,number of sites for aggregated locations) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions (notes,null,null,null,null,climate reconstructions,null,null,C,Reference for sample) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions (longitude,null,null,degree east,null,climate reconstructions,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions (notes,null,null,null,null,climate reconstructions,null,null,C,Aggregate Confidence between site designations noted by Robust Majority) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions (latitude,null,null,degree north,null,climate reconstructions,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions (sample identification,null,null,null,null,climate reconstructions,null,null,C,Name of site or number for aggregated sites) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions (notes,null,null,null,null,climate reconstructions,null,null,C,Type of paleoclimate archive) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions (moisture index,multiple proxies,null,null,null,climate reconstructions,null,null,C,hydroclimatic designation at 6 ka (d=drier) earth science/paleoclimate/reconstructions (Central Western North America>LATITUDE >LONGITUDE ) Mid-Holocene paleoclimate proxy records from drought-sensitive western North America suggest widespread aridity in areas dominated by winter precipitation. We present spatial comparisons of a diverse network of moisture-sensitive proxies with 12 global circulation model simulations from the Paleoclimate Model Intercomparison Project to determine the most important atmospheric drivers behind observed mid-Holocene aridity in this region. Although model-proxy agreement is low for most models, in part reflecting small mid-Holocene precipitation anomalies, three show relatively strong agreement by successfully simulating arid conditions across the Pacific Northwest. The model that shows the strongest spatial agreement with the proxy network reveals an anticyclonic wind anomaly that is similar to but weaker than anomalies noted during westwide drought episodes of the past 500 years. This model suggests increased transient upper level ridging that reduced winter water vapor transport from the south-west during the mid-Holocene. These mechanisms are similar to those suggested to have supported megadrought conditions in western North America during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and which are also simulated in anthropogenic warming scenarios. Future work on quantitative proxy records to enhance temporal and spatial coverage, and explicitly address issues of seasonality, will improve the quality of future climate model–data comparison studies. STUDY NOTES: Provided Keywords: mid-Holocene, proxy-model comparison, terrestrial hydroclimate NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Hermann, N.W. Investigator : Oster, J.L. Investigator : Ibarra, D.E. 2018-03-21 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/23710 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/reconstructions/hydroclimate/hermann2018/hermann2018-aggregatesite.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/reconstructions/hydroclimate/hermann2018/hermann2018-RecordsUsed_Metadata.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/reconstructions/hydroclimate/hermann2018/hermann2018-finalnetwork.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/reconstructions/hydroclimate/hermann2018/hermann2018-aggregatesite.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/reconstructions/hydroclimate/hermann2018/hermann2018-RecordsUsed_Metadata.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/reconstructions/hydroclimate/hermann2018/hermann2018-finalnetwork.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/23710 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/reconstructions/hydroclimate/hermann2018/hermann2018-aggregatesite.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/reconstructions/hydroclimate/hermann2018/hermann2018-RecordsUsed_Metadata.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/reconstructions/hydroclimate/hermann2018/hermann2018-finalnetwork.txt Hermann, N.W., J.L. Oster, and D.E. Ibarra2018Spatial patterns and driving mechanisms of mid-Holocene hydroclimate in western North AmericaJournal of Quaternary Science10.1002/jqs.3023 START YEAR: 6000 cal yr BP * END YEAR: 6000 cal yr BP -125 28 -105 50