Stable Isotopes of Fossil Teeth Corroborate Key General Circulation Model Predictions for the Last Glacial Maximum in North America

Matthew J. Kohn, Moriah McKay

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Oxygen isotope data provide a key test of general circulation models (GCMs) for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in North America, which have otherwise proved difficult to validate. High δ18O pedogenic carbonates in central Wyoming have been interpreted to indicate increased summer precipitation sourced from the Gulf of Mexico. Here we show that tooth enamel δ18O of large mammals, which is strongly correlated with local water and precipitation δ18O, is lower during the LGM in Wyoming, not higher. Similar data from Texas, California, Florida and Arizona indicate higher δ18O values than in the Holocene, which is also predicted by GCMs. Tooth enamel data closely validate some recent models of atmospheric circulation and precipitation δ18O, including an increase in the proportion of winter precipitation for central North America, and summer precipitation in the southern US, but suggest aridity can bias pedogenic carbonate δ18O values significantly.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalGeosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations
StatePublished - 23 Nov 2010

Keywords

  • Last Glacial Maximum
  • general circulation model
  • oxygen isotope

EGS Disciplines

  • Earth Sciences
  • Geophysics and Seismology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Stable Isotopes of Fossil Teeth Corroborate Key General Circulation Model Predictions for the Last Glacial Maximum in North America'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this