Interpreting past climate using southwest Australian speleothems

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dc.contributor.authorTreble, PCen_AU
dc.contributor.authorAzcurra, CSen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBaker, AAen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBradley, Cen_AU
dc.contributor.authorWood, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorFischer, MJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorFairchild, IJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHellstrom, JCen_AU
dc.contributor.authorGagan, MKen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2020-06-09T06:48:05Zen_AU
dc.date.available2020-06-09T06:48:05Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2012-01-31en_AU
dc.date.statistics2020-06-01en_AU
dc.description.abstractThere is an identified need to extend our baseline climate information beyond the relatively short duration of instrumental records in Australia. An improved knowledge of natural rainfall variability would assist in our understanding of climate change. SW Australia (SWWA) is one region that has been identified as having a changing climate since the 1970s. Speleothems (cave stalagmites) are an effective archive of past climate variability and caves from the coastal region of SWWA are being studied for paleoclimate records. The modern speleothem record from this region has been assessed and shown to record the post-1970s rainfall decrease (Treble et al., 2003; 2005; Fischer and Treble, 2008). The extension of the speleothem record is currently underway, however, a long-term cave monitoring program was also deemed necessary to separate the climatic from non-climatic signals i.e. to reduce uncertainty when interpreting these records. This presentation outlines what we have learnt about the possible hydrological modification of the climate signal in speleothems. In particular, we present results from a five-year long monitoring study of rainfall and cave drip water O isotopes (!18O) from Golgotha Cave, SWWA. From this study, we have been able to characterize the probable flow paths feeding stalagmites in our monitored cave. These flow paths range from slow diffuse flow of isotopically-averaged rainfall to preferential routing of high-magnitude, 18O-depleted, events along fast flow routes into the cave. Hence, we offer a possible explanation for why paleoclimate records from coeval speleothems in our cave may differ. Our study suggests that this disagreement may simply be due to different flow paths resulting in a bias towards the preservation of high or low magnitude rainfall events.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationTreble, P. C., Azcurra, C., Baker, A., Bradley, C., Wood, A., Fischer, M. J., Fairchild, I. J., Hellstrom, J. C., & Gagan, M. K. (2012). Interpreting past climate using southwest Australian speleothems. Paper presented at the AMOS 18th National Conference, "connections in climate systems", University of New South Wales, Sydney, 31 January to 4 February 2022.en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate3 February 2012en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencenameAMOS 18th National Conference, 'connections in climate systems'en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplaceSydney, Australiaen_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate31 January 2012en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc9662en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/9525en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherAustralian Meterological & Oceanographic Societyen_AU
dc.subjectAustraliaen_AU
dc.subjectCavesen_AU
dc.subjectClimatesen_AU
dc.subjectMeasuring instrumentsen_AU
dc.subjectRainen_AU
dc.subjectCoastal regionsen_AU
dc.subjectMonitoringen_AU
dc.subjectIsotopesen_AU
dc.subjectPreservationen_AU
dc.titleInterpreting past climate using southwest Australian speleothemsen_AU
dc.typeConference Posteren_AU
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