The goal of the proposed work is to use alkenone paleothermometry and compound-specific hydrogen isotope techniques to generate decadal-scale temperature records from the laminated sediments of a series of lakes across the Arctic, including the Canadian High Arctic, Norway and Sweden. A further fifty sediment cores will be examined for the presence of alkenone, in order to identify sites for future paleotemperature reconstructions. The proposed interdisciplinary approach combines organic geochemical and stable isotopic techniques novel to the study regions, and represents an innovative approach to paleoclimate research. The study will provide new insights into Holocene climate variability in different regions of the Arctic, and will allow the first multi-millennia, centennial-scale spatial reconstruction of Arctic climate patterns (e.g. the AO/NAO). The research will contribute to a better understanding of the role of climate change in driving patterns of Viking settlement in the Lofoten Islands and High Canadian Arctic during the late Holocene. The benefits of the Post-doctoral Fellowship to the PI include (1) the formation of new partnerships with American and international scientists, (2) cultivate university teaching skills, (3) develop skills for communicating science with the general public, (4) develop and apply new skills in spatial data analysis, and (5) receive training on analytical instruments for future research. The Broader Impacts include (1) increasing the scope of climate research at the UMass Amherst by sharing knowledge of lacustrine alkenone paleothermometry, (2) research opportunities for undergraduates at UMass Amherst, (3) new partnerships for cross-disciplinary research, (4) data to be shared with the scientific community via the National Climatic Data Center, journal publications and presentations at conferences, and with the general public through visits to schools, (5) construction of a project Web site and development of a presentation designed for the general public.
