Symposium 4. Dendrogeochemistry ‘moving beyond potential’
In their book chapter in 2011 Gagen et al. (2011) highlighted the need for stable isotope dendroclimatology to move beyond studies that simply demonstrate ‘potential’. This symposium, more than a decade since this publication, will focus on dendrogeochemical studies that demonstrate that the field has moved beyond studies focused on ‘potential’. In particular, this session will strive to identify compelling new insights into unique aspects of reconstructions that can be developed through the use of dendrogeochemical records. We also welcome submissions that present multi-proxy studies including isotopes to highlight the advantages that can be gained by expanding our dendroclimatological toolbox.
This symposium should thus serve to stimulate new advances and collaborations by showing how geochemical records from tree-rings can be used as a valuable tool in ways that serve to complement or enhance what can be gained through traditional ring width-based dendroclimatology.
Tree ring stable isotopes, for example, can record different, or stronger, climate signals than those available from traditional tree-ring proxies, do not require detrending, and thus can provide a more comprehensive view of past climates. New high resolution radiocarbon studies from tree rings have improved our ability to date archaeological material, as well as provided insight into past cosmogenic events, finally providing evidence of the elusive solar signals originally sought by A.E. Douglass. Advances in dendrogeochemistry of mercury, and other heavy elements has provided important insight into historic patterns of atmospheric pollution, wildfire and volcanic activities. This session aims to demonstrate to the tree-ring community how far beyond potential dendrogeochemistry has come.