Pollen-Climate Transfer Functions for the Western Interior of Canada

Abstract

<p> The objective of this project was to construct pollen-climate transfer functions for the Western Interior of Canada and to apply these to dated fossil pollen records to obtain estimates of past climates.</p> <p> Climate curves from the calibration functions were constructed for summer precipitation and temperature, fall precipitation and temperature, winter temperature, and spring temperature.</p> <p> The palaeotemperature estimates suggest winter and fall temperatures were warmer during the mid-Holocene whereas the summer and spring temperatures suggest there was no significant difference in temperature between this time and the present. Results are not in accordance with the Milankovitch estimates of Holocene insolation variation or the conclusions of previous palaeoclimatic studies in the region.</p> <p> The palaeoprecipitation estimates constructed indicate decreased precipitation during the mid-Holocene. Increased aridity in the mid-Holocene is consistent with both the Milankovitch theory and the results of previous palaeoclimatic reconstructions from the study area. However, it is not clear if the high aridity reflects decreased precipitation or increased evapotranspiration.</p> <p> The theoretical and practical limitations of the pollen-climate transfer function approach to this approach to the estimation of paleoclimates are discussed.</p>