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Topics and sessions > Topic VI - PaleoclimateVI-1-Lake sediments as recorders of glacier changeConveners
Most glaciers in both hemispheres are experiencing rapid retreat and thinning due to a combination of global human-driven factors and regional feedback. A better understanding of the behaviour of these glaciers over longer (Quaternary) timescales helps us predict their uncertain future trajectories. This session aims to create a platform for such work to showcase the use of lake sediments as archives for past glacial activity. In recent years, new laboratory techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and computed tomography (CT) scanning, as well as granulometric end-member modelling analysis (EMMA), have enhanced our ability to fingerprint glacier-climate changes on human-relevant timescales. Improvements in glacial sediment chronologies, including quantifying varves and detecting tephra deposits, have also improved age control and allowed instrumental calibration. We welcome work that advances the current state of the art by presenting (and integrating) new empirical, statistical, and modelling methods. Contributions focusing on the societal implications of glacier change, such as geohazards (glacial lake outburst floods or GLOFs), or water availability (including power generation), are also encouraged.
VI-2-Identifying climate extremes from lake archives Conveners
The analysis of lake sediment archives provides valuable insights into past climate conditions, offering a rich resource for understanding the drivers of long-term climate variability and identifying extreme climate events. This session will focus on innovative methodologies for identifying climate extremes from lake archives, particularly through the use of multi-proxy data, high-resolution sediment cores, and advanced geochemical techniques. We will explore how changes in lake sediment composition, microfossil assemblages, stable isotopes, and elemental concentrations can be leveraged to reconstruct past climate extremes such as droughts, floods, and temperature anomalies. Additionally, we will highlight case studies that demonstrate how lake records can be used to assess the frequency, intensity, and duration of past extreme events. This session invites contributions from researchers working on lake sediment archives, climate reconstruction, and paleoclimate modeling, to foster discussion on the methods, challenges, and future directions of this emerging field.
VI-3-Understanding southern South America (SSA) climate: local to regional climate signals with modern and paleo data Conveners
Since the first report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1990, countless studies have looked at aspects of climate change. South America shows trends of increasing climatic variability and extreme events with severe impacts on the hydrological cycle (e.g. water availability and water-ecosystem relationships). In southern South America (SSA; <30°S), the Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds (SWW) and the Andes mountains generate hydrological and vegetation gradients with latitude, longitude, and elevation, which likely varied in the past with SWW strength and location. Climate models project a poleward shift and intensification of the SWW, superimposed on natural climate variability which is less well understood in regions like SSA where meteorological data are absent or low in spatial and temporal resolution. Thus, we need to turn to paleoclimate proxy records to gather data on spatial climate variability and their impact on ecosystems to help validate future climate projections in the region. This session invites researchers in diverse fields, including proxy development and modeling, to examine modern and past climate in SSA.
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