Late Holocene environmental change in arctic western Siberia

A study of the Putorana Plateau, western Siberia, reveals significant late Holocene climate shifts with implications for Arctic environmental change. Chironomid subfossil analysis from three lakes on an altitudinal transect indicates a more maritime climate around 3400 cal. BP, with July temperatures approximately 1.5°C warmer than present, followed by a rapid cooling of about 2°C and a more continental climate between 3200 and 2600 cal. BP. These trends align with other northern hemisphere records, suggesting widespread climatic shifts during this period. Recent chironomid records show pronounced faunal changes over the last 50 years, likely due to climate-driven hydrological changes, particularly in an open lake within a large wetland habitat. This study provides the first detailed palaeoclimatic reconstructions for this remote region, offering insights into the sensitivity of Arctic environments to atmospheric circulation changes.

Self, A. E., Jones, V. J., & Brooks, S. J. (2014). Late Holocene environmental change in arctic western Siberia. The Holocene, 25(1), 150–165. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683614556387