Dr. Stephen R. Meyers
Assistant Professor
Paleoclimatology, Sedimentary Geochemisty, Stratigraphy, Geostatistics

Ph.D., Northwestern University, 2003

Download Curriculum Vitae

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UNC Chapel Hill, Winter 2007
(Photo © Gigi Cohen)

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The Astronomical Clock
Old Town Square, Prague, 2005
(Photo: S. Meyers)

CENTENNIAL-MILLENIAL SCALE OSCILLATIONS
IN QUATERNARY PALEOCLIMATE RECORDS




(Figure modified from Willard, Bernhardt, Korejwo and Meyers, 2005)

In addition to the longer-term quasi-periodic climate changes associated with Milankovitch orbital forcing, and the inter-annual to inter-decadal scale variability attributable to the internal modes, increasing interest has come to bear on centennial-millennial scale climate variability that has been identified in a wide array of paleoclimate data series from the Holocene and the end of the Pleistocene epoch. For example, millenial scale oscillations have been reported from (1) oxygen isotopic time series derived from ice cores, which are interpreted to primarily record temperature variability (Schulz, 2002), (2) paleobiologic data from North Atlantic sediment cores that record ocean surface temperature variability (Bond et al., 1997), and (3) sedimentologic data from North Atlantic sediment cores that record the rate of deep water flow (Bianchi and McCave, 1999) and changes in the delivery of ice-rafted debris (Bond et al., 1997). Although the origin of this climate variability is still an issue of debate, some have suggested a potential linkage between millenial scale climate change and quasiperiodic solar variability (e.g., Bond et al., 2001). Shorter-term centennial-scale oscillations in solar activity have also been been proposed as an important driver of Holocene climates (e.g., Hodell et al., 2001).

The objective of this research project is to address the temporal stability of centennial- millennial scale quasiperiods and their relationship to the longer-term climate evolution associated with Milankovitch orbital-insolation cycles. Are frequency and amplitude modulations of these quasiperiods linked to glacial vs. interglacial climates? How are these signals expressed regionally (in terrestrial and oceanic settings), and how can this manifestation be employed to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms for their propagation through the atmosphere and ocean? Initial work has focused on the analysis of pollen records from the Chesapeake Bay (Willard et al., 2005; see graphic at top of page).


References

Bianchi, G., and McCave, N., 1999, Holocene periodicity in North Atlantic climate and deep-ocean flow south of Iceland: Nature, v. 397, p. 515-517.

Bond, G., Showers, W., Cheseby, M., Lotti, R., Almasi, P., deMenocal, P., Priore, P., Cullen, H., Hajdas, I., and Bonani, G., 1997, A pervasive millennial-scale cycle in the North Atlantic Holocene and glacial climates: Science, v. 278, p. 1257-1266.

Bond, G., Kromer, B., Beer, J, Muscheler, R., Evans, M., Showers, W., Hoffmann, S., Lotti-Bond, R., Hajdas, I., Bonani,G., 2001, Persistent solar influence on North Atlantic climate during the Holocene: Science, v. 294, p. 2130-2135.

Hodell, D., Brenner, M., Curtis, J. and Guilderson, T., 2001, Solar forcing of drought frequency in the Maya Lowlands: Science, v. 292, p. 1367-1370.

Schulz, M., 2002, On the 1470-year pacing of Dansgaard-Oeschger warm events: Paleoceanography, v. 17., p. 4-1- 4-10.

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