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Reconstructing temperature at Egelsee, Switzerland, using North American and Swedish chironomid transfer functions: potential and pitfalls

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Abstract

The temperature reconstruction obtained from chironomids preserved in the sediment of Egelsee, Switzerland, was partially flawed by the low percentages of fossil taxa represented in the Swiss calibration set (Larocque-Tobler et al. 2009a). Transfer functions (TFs) from other regions, which allow a good representation of the fossil taxa (>80%), could be applied to the fossil assemblages of Egelsee. First, the validity of using two (a Swedish and a North American (NA)) TFs was tested by comparing the chironomid-inferred temperatures with instrumental data. Since good relationships (r Pearson = 0.71 and 0.61, p = 0.001 for the NA and Swedish TFs, respectively) were obtained, these two models were used to reconstruct the Late Glacial and early Holocene periods at Egelsee. Reconstructions using both models showed clear cold periods during the Younger Dryas and the so-called 8,200 calibrated years BP event. However, the amplitude of changes during these periods was higher when the NA transfer function was used, probably due to the fact that 37% of the taxa in the core had temperature optima colder in the NA than in the Swedish and Swiss models. The results indicate that TFs from other regions can be applied when they are based on samples with good modern analogues, however, caution should be taken when the amplitude of temperature changes is considered.

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Acknowledgments

This research was possible with funding from Swiss National Funds from the Marie-Heim-Vötglin Program. Thanks to Oliver Heiri for providing the Swiss transfer function, to Mark Brenner and two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Zähringerstrasse 25, 3013, Bern, Switzerland

    Isabelle Larocque-Tobler

  2. Institut National de Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau, Terre et Environnement, 490 De La Couronne, Québec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada

    Isabelle Larocque-Tobler

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Correspondence to Isabelle Larocque-Tobler.

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Larocque-Tobler, I. Reconstructing temperature at Egelsee, Switzerland, using North American and Swedish chironomid transfer functions: potential and pitfalls. J Paleolimnol 44, 243–251 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-009-9400-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-009-9400-1

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