University Library
  • Login
A gateway to Melbourne's research publications
Minerva Access is the University's Institutional Repository. It aims to collect, preserve, and showcase the intellectual output of staff and students of the University of Melbourne for a global audience.
View Item 
  • Minerva Access
  • Science
  • School of Earth Sciences
  • School of Earth Sciences - Research Publications
  • View Item
  • Minerva Access
  • Science
  • School of Earth Sciences
  • School of Earth Sciences - Research Publications
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Evidence of thermophilisation and elevation-dependent warming during the Last Interglacial in the Italian Alps

    Thumbnail
    Download
    Published version (1.959Mb)

    Citations
    Scopus
    Web of Science
    Altmetric
    9
    8
    Author
    Johnston, VE; Borsato, A; Frisia, S; Spoetl, C; Dublyansky, Y; Toechterle, P; Hellstrom, JC; Bajo, P; Edwards, RL; Cheng, H
    Date
    2018-02-08
    Source Title
    Scientific Reports
    Publisher
    NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
    University of Melbourne Author/s
    Hellstrom, John
    Affiliation
    School of Earth Sciences
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Document Type
    Journal Article
    Citations
    Johnston, V. E., Borsato, A., Frisia, S., Spoetl, C., Dublyansky, Y., Toechterle, P., Hellstrom, J. C., Bajo, P., Edwards, R. L. & Cheng, H. (2018). Evidence of thermophilisation and elevation-dependent warming during the Last Interglacial in the Italian Alps. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 8 (1), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-21027-3.
    Access Status
    Open Access
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/11343/255882
    DOI
    10.1038/s41598-018-21027-3
    ARC Grant code
    ARC/FT130100801
    Abstract
    Thermophilisation is the response of plants communities in mountainous areas to increasing temperatures, causing an upward migration of warm-adapted (thermophilic) species and consequently, the timberline. This greening, associated with warming, causes enhanced evapotranspiration that leads to intensification of the hydrological cycle, which is recorded by hydroclimate-sensitive archives, such as stalagmites and flowstones formed in caves. Understanding how hydroclimate manifests at high altitudes is important for predicting future water resources of many regions of Europe that rely on glaciers and snow accumulation. Using proxy data from three coeval speleothems (stalagmites and flowstone) from the Italian Alps, we reconstructed both the ecosystem and hydrological setting during the Last Interglacial (LIG); a warm period that may provide an analogue to a near-future climate scenario. Our speleothem proxy data, including calcite fabrics and the stable isotopes of calcite and fluid inclusions, indicate a +4.3 ± 1.6 °C temperature anomaly at ~2000 m a.s.l. for the peak LIG, with respect to present-day values (1961-1990). This anomaly is significantly higher than any low-altitude reconstructions for the LIG in Europe, implying elevation-dependent warming during the LIG. The enhanced warming at high altitudes must be accounted for when considering future climate adaption strategies in sensitive mountainous regions.

    Export Reference in RIS Format     

    Endnote

    • Click on "Export Reference in RIS Format" and choose "open with... Endnote".

    Refworks

    • Click on "Export Reference in RIS Format". Login to Refworks, go to References => Import References


    Collections
    • Minerva Elements Records [45770]
    • School of Earth Sciences - Research Publications [416]
    Minerva AccessDepositing Your Work (for University of Melbourne Staff and Students)NewsFAQs

    BrowseCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects
    My AccountLoginRegister
    StatisticsMost Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors