Recent anthropogenic climate change exceeds the rate and magnitude of natural Holocene variability on the Balearic Islands

David Kaniewski; Nick Marriner; Rachid Cheddadi; Christophe Morhange; Miguel Ángel Cau Ontiveros; Joan J. Fornós; Matthieu Giaime; Valérie Trichon; Thierry Otto; Frédéric Luce; Elise Van Campo

doi:10.1016/j.ancene.2020.100268

Recent anthropogenic climate change exceeds the rate and magnitude of natural Holocene variability on the Balearic Islands

David Kaniewski, Nick Marriner, Rachid Cheddadi, Christophe Morhange, Miguel Ángel Cau Ontiveros, Joan J. Fornós, Matthieu Giaime, Valérie Trichon, Thierry Otto, Frédéric Luce, Elise Van Campo

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Industrial-era warming and aridification have underlined the importance of past climate reconstructions in contextualizing present-day anomalies from a long-term perspective. While the issue of climate change is global, studies have long stressed the vulnerability of the Mediterranean basin, especially with regard to its islands with likely acute environmental and socioeconomic impacts. This study uses paleoecological data from Mallorca to quantify climate changes during the last eight millennia. We compared and contrasted past ecosystem dynamics with recent instrumental climate data to characterize the emergence of industrial-era warming. We show that anthropogenic warming has transgressed both the rate and magnitude of natural variability. At the scale of the last 8000 years, this study highlights the uniqueness of Mallorca's present climate and emphasizes the rapidity of current changes compared to the climate history of the island. The present-day mean annual temperature appears 3.3 ± 1.2 °C warmer than the reconstructed value for the last eight millennia, with a 33 % drop in precipitation between the last 8000 years and the industrial era. This long-term view underscores human impacts on climate in Mallorca, the fourth most populated island of the Mediterranean. It suggests that the ongoing warming and aridification trends will be a significant challenge to Mediterranean islands, at both present and future timescales.

Original language	English
Article number	100268
Journal	Anthropocene
Volume	32
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2020.100268
State	Published - Dec 2020
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Financial support was provided by the Ecosystèmes urbains CNRS 2019, URBMED program. This work is a contribution to Labex OT-Med (n° ANR-11-LABX-0061) and has received funding from the E xcellence Initiative of Aix-Marseille University - A*MIDEX, a French “Investissements d’Avenir” project. This research is also part of the project ARCHREMOTELANDS (HAR2017-83335-P) funded by the M inisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, with a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund of the European Commission .

Funding Information:
This manuscript is dedicated to the memory of our friend Valérie Trichon. She was involved in the field campaign and in the design of this study. This work constitutes part of the activities of the Equip de Recerca Arqueològica i Arqueomètrica de la Universitat de Barcelona (ERAAUB), Consolidated Group (2017 SGR 1043), supported by the Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca del DIUE de la Generalitat de Catalunya. We are also indebted to the Conselleria de Medi Ambient del Govern de les Illes Balears, Consell de Mallorca, and Albufera Natural Park for granting permission for core POL12. The Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia kindly provided instrumental climate data. The coring campaign was supported by the Consorci de la Ciutat Romana de Pollèntia within the framework of archaeological research on the Roman city of Pollentia (Alcúdia, Mallorca). We are indebted to Esther Chávez, co-director of the project and the rest of the team for their support. Financial support was provided by the Ecosystèmes urbains CNRS 2019, URBMED program. This work is a contribution to Labex OT-Med (n° ANR-11-LABX-0061) and has received funding from the Excellence Initiative of Aix-Marseille University - A*MIDEX, a French “Investissements d'Avenir” project. This research is also part of the project ARCHREMOTELANDS (HAR2017-83335-P) funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, with a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund of the European Commission.

Funding Information:
This manuscript is dedicated to the memory of our friend Valérie Trichon. She was involved in the field campaign and in the design of this study. This work constitutes part of the activities of the Equip de Recerca Arqueològica i Arqueomètrica de la Universitat de Barcelona (ERAAUB), Consolidated Group (2017 SGR 1043), supported by the C omissionat per a Universitats i Recerca del DIUE de la Generalitat de Catalunya. We are also indebted to the Conselleria de Medi Ambient del Govern de les Illes Balears, Consell de Mallorca, and Albufera Natural Park for granting permission for core POL12. The Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia kindly provided instrumental climate data. The coring campaign was supported by the Consorci de la Ciutat Romana de Pollèntia within the framework of archaeological research on the Roman city of Pollentia (Alcúdia, Mallorca). We are indebted to Esther Chávez, co-director of the project and the rest of the team for their support.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Aridification
Climate change
Ecosystem dynamics
Holocene
Industrial-era warming
Island
Mallorca
Mediterranean
Pollen-based climate reconstruction

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Global and Planetary Change
Ecology
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.ancene.2020.100268

Cite this

@article{2b9434a4369b4ff2b64b8c73cdc6d6e2,

title = "Recent anthropogenic climate change exceeds the rate and magnitude of natural Holocene variability on the Balearic Islands",

abstract = "Industrial-era warming and aridification have underlined the importance of past climate reconstructions in contextualizing present-day anomalies from a long-term perspective. While the issue of climate change is global, studies have long stressed the vulnerability of the Mediterranean basin, especially with regard to its islands with likely acute environmental and socioeconomic impacts. This study uses paleoecological data from Mallorca to quantify climate changes during the last eight millennia. We compared and contrasted past ecosystem dynamics with recent instrumental climate data to characterize the emergence of industrial-era warming. We show that anthropogenic warming has transgressed both the rate and magnitude of natural variability. At the scale of the last 8000 years, this study highlights the uniqueness of Mallorca's present climate and emphasizes the rapidity of current changes compared to the climate history of the island. The present-day mean annual temperature appears 3.3 ± 1.2 °C warmer than the reconstructed value for the last eight millennia, with a 33 % drop in precipitation between the last 8000 years and the industrial era. This long-term view underscores human impacts on climate in Mallorca, the fourth most populated island of the Mediterranean. It suggests that the ongoing warming and aridification trends will be a significant challenge to Mediterranean islands, at both present and future timescales.",

keywords = "Aridification, Climate change, Ecosystem dynamics, Holocene, Industrial-era warming, Island, Mallorca, Mediterranean, Pollen-based climate reconstruction",

author = "David Kaniewski and Nick Marriner and Rachid Cheddadi and Christophe Morhange and Ontiveros, {Miguel {\'A}ngel Cau} and Forn{\'o}s, {Joan J.} and Matthieu Giaime and Val{\'e}rie Trichon and Thierry Otto and Fr{\'e}d{\'e}ric Luce and {Van Campo}, Elise",

note = "Funding Information: Financial support was provided by the Ecosyst{\`e}mes urbains CNRS 2019, URBMED program. This work is a contribution to Labex OT-Med (n° ANR-11-LABX-0061) and has received funding from the E xcellence Initiative of Aix-Marseille University - A*MIDEX, a French “Investissements d{\textquoteright}Avenir” project. This research is also part of the project ARCHREMOTELANDS (HAR2017-83335-P) funded by the M inisterio de Ciencia, Innovaci{\'o}n y Universidades, with a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund of the European Commission . Funding Information: This manuscript is dedicated to the memory of our friend Val{\'e}rie Trichon. She was involved in the field campaign and in the design of this study. This work constitutes part of the activities of the Equip de Recerca Arqueol{\`o}gica i Arqueom{\`e}trica de la Universitat de Barcelona (ERAAUB), Consolidated Group (2017 SGR 1043), supported by the Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca del DIUE de la Generalitat de Catalunya. We are also indebted to the Conselleria de Medi Ambient del Govern de les Illes Balears, Consell de Mallorca, and Albufera Natural Park for granting permission for core POL12. The Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia kindly provided instrumental climate data. The coring campaign was supported by the Consorci de la Ciutat Romana de Poll{\`e}ntia within the framework of archaeological research on the Roman city of Pollentia (Alc{\'u}dia, Mallorca). We are indebted to Esther Ch{\'a}vez, co-director of the project and the rest of the team for their support. Financial support was provided by the Ecosyst{\`e}mes urbains CNRS 2019, URBMED program. This work is a contribution to Labex OT-Med (n° ANR-11-LABX-0061) and has received funding from the Excellence Initiative of Aix-Marseille University - A*MIDEX, a French “Investissements d'Avenir” project. This research is also part of the project ARCHREMOTELANDS (HAR2017-83335-P) funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci{\'o}n y Universidades, with a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund of the European Commission. Funding Information: This manuscript is dedicated to the memory of our friend Val{\'e}rie Trichon. She was involved in the field campaign and in the design of this study. This work constitutes part of the activities of the Equip de Recerca Arqueol{\`o}gica i Arqueom{\`e}trica de la Universitat de Barcelona (ERAAUB), Consolidated Group (2017 SGR 1043), supported by the C omissionat per a Universitats i Recerca del DIUE de la Generalitat de Catalunya. We are also indebted to the Conselleria de Medi Ambient del Govern de les Illes Balears, Consell de Mallorca, and Albufera Natural Park for granting permission for core POL12. The Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia kindly provided instrumental climate data. The coring campaign was supported by the Consorci de la Ciutat Romana de Poll{\`e}ntia within the framework of archaeological research on the Roman city of Pollentia (Alc{\'u}dia, Mallorca). We are indebted to Esther Ch{\'a}vez, co-director of the project and the rest of the team for their support. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2020",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.ancene.2020.100268",

language = "English",

volume = "32",

journal = "Anthropocene",

issn = "2213-3054",

publisher = "Elsevier",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Recent anthropogenic climate change exceeds the rate and magnitude of natural Holocene variability on the Balearic Islands

AU - Kaniewski, David

AU - Marriner, Nick

AU - Cheddadi, Rachid

AU - Morhange, Christophe

AU - Ontiveros, Miguel Ángel Cau

AU - Fornós, Joan J.

AU - Giaime, Matthieu

AU - Trichon, Valérie

AU - Otto, Thierry

AU - Luce, Frédéric

AU - Van Campo, Elise

N1 - Funding Information: Financial support was provided by the Ecosystèmes urbains CNRS 2019, URBMED program. This work is a contribution to Labex OT-Med (n° ANR-11-LABX-0061) and has received funding from the E xcellence Initiative of Aix-Marseille University - A*MIDEX, a French “Investissements d’Avenir” project. This research is also part of the project ARCHREMOTELANDS (HAR2017-83335-P) funded by the M inisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, with a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund of the European Commission . Funding Information: This manuscript is dedicated to the memory of our friend Valérie Trichon. She was involved in the field campaign and in the design of this study. This work constitutes part of the activities of the Equip de Recerca Arqueològica i Arqueomètrica de la Universitat de Barcelona (ERAAUB), Consolidated Group (2017 SGR 1043), supported by the Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca del DIUE de la Generalitat de Catalunya. We are also indebted to the Conselleria de Medi Ambient del Govern de les Illes Balears, Consell de Mallorca, and Albufera Natural Park for granting permission for core POL12. The Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia kindly provided instrumental climate data. The coring campaign was supported by the Consorci de la Ciutat Romana de Pollèntia within the framework of archaeological research on the Roman city of Pollentia (Alcúdia, Mallorca). We are indebted to Esther Chávez, co-director of the project and the rest of the team for their support. Financial support was provided by the Ecosystèmes urbains CNRS 2019, URBMED program. This work is a contribution to Labex OT-Med (n° ANR-11-LABX-0061) and has received funding from the Excellence Initiative of Aix-Marseille University - A*MIDEX, a French “Investissements d'Avenir” project. This research is also part of the project ARCHREMOTELANDS (HAR2017-83335-P) funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, with a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund of the European Commission. Funding Information: This manuscript is dedicated to the memory of our friend Valérie Trichon. She was involved in the field campaign and in the design of this study. This work constitutes part of the activities of the Equip de Recerca Arqueològica i Arqueomètrica de la Universitat de Barcelona (ERAAUB), Consolidated Group (2017 SGR 1043), supported by the C omissionat per a Universitats i Recerca del DIUE de la Generalitat de Catalunya. We are also indebted to the Conselleria de Medi Ambient del Govern de les Illes Balears, Consell de Mallorca, and Albufera Natural Park for granting permission for core POL12. The Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia kindly provided instrumental climate data. The coring campaign was supported by the Consorci de la Ciutat Romana de Pollèntia within the framework of archaeological research on the Roman city of Pollentia (Alcúdia, Mallorca). We are indebted to Esther Chávez, co-director of the project and the rest of the team for their support. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

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N2 - Industrial-era warming and aridification have underlined the importance of past climate reconstructions in contextualizing present-day anomalies from a long-term perspective. While the issue of climate change is global, studies have long stressed the vulnerability of the Mediterranean basin, especially with regard to its islands with likely acute environmental and socioeconomic impacts. This study uses paleoecological data from Mallorca to quantify climate changes during the last eight millennia. We compared and contrasted past ecosystem dynamics with recent instrumental climate data to characterize the emergence of industrial-era warming. We show that anthropogenic warming has transgressed both the rate and magnitude of natural variability. At the scale of the last 8000 years, this study highlights the uniqueness of Mallorca's present climate and emphasizes the rapidity of current changes compared to the climate history of the island. The present-day mean annual temperature appears 3.3 ± 1.2 °C warmer than the reconstructed value for the last eight millennia, with a 33 % drop in precipitation between the last 8000 years and the industrial era. This long-term view underscores human impacts on climate in Mallorca, the fourth most populated island of the Mediterranean. It suggests that the ongoing warming and aridification trends will be a significant challenge to Mediterranean islands, at both present and future timescales.

AB - Industrial-era warming and aridification have underlined the importance of past climate reconstructions in contextualizing present-day anomalies from a long-term perspective. While the issue of climate change is global, studies have long stressed the vulnerability of the Mediterranean basin, especially with regard to its islands with likely acute environmental and socioeconomic impacts. This study uses paleoecological data from Mallorca to quantify climate changes during the last eight millennia. We compared and contrasted past ecosystem dynamics with recent instrumental climate data to characterize the emergence of industrial-era warming. We show that anthropogenic warming has transgressed both the rate and magnitude of natural variability. At the scale of the last 8000 years, this study highlights the uniqueness of Mallorca's present climate and emphasizes the rapidity of current changes compared to the climate history of the island. The present-day mean annual temperature appears 3.3 ± 1.2 °C warmer than the reconstructed value for the last eight millennia, with a 33 % drop in precipitation between the last 8000 years and the industrial era. This long-term view underscores human impacts on climate in Mallorca, the fourth most populated island of the Mediterranean. It suggests that the ongoing warming and aridification trends will be a significant challenge to Mediterranean islands, at both present and future timescales.

KW - Aridification

KW - Climate change

KW - Ecosystem dynamics

KW - Holocene

KW - Industrial-era warming

KW - Island

KW - Mallorca

KW - Mediterranean

KW - Pollen-based climate reconstruction

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DO - 10.1016/j.ancene.2020.100268

M3 - Article

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SN - 2213-3054

VL - 32

JO - Anthropocene

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M1 - 100268

ER -

Recent anthropogenic climate change exceeds the rate and magnitude of natural Holocene variability on the Balearic Islands

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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