Simulated climate variability in the region of Rapa Nui during the last millennium
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Abstract
Abstract. Rapa Nui, an isolated island in the Southeast Pacific, was settled by the Polynesians most likely around 1200 AD and was discovered by the Europeans in 1722 AD. While the Polynesians presumably found a profuse palm woodland on Rapa Nui, the Europeans faced a landscape dominated by grassland. Scientists have examined potential anthropogenic, biological and climatic induced vegetation changes on Rapa Nui. Here, we analyse observational climate data for the last decades and climate model results for the period 800–1750 AD to explore the potential for a climatic-induced vegetation change. A direct influence of the ENSO phenomenon on the climatic parameters of Rapa Nui could not be found in the model simulations. Furthermore, strong climatic trends from a warm Medieval Period to a Little Ice Age or rapid climatic fluctuations due to large volcanic eruptions were not verifiable for the Rapa Nui region, although they are detectable in the simulations for many regions world wide. Hence, we tentatively conclude that large-scale climate changes in the oceanic region around Rapa Nui might be too small to explain strong vegetation changes on the island over the last millennium.
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If past climatic conditions resembled modern ones, periodic droughts would have affected crop production, with taro most vulnerable and sweet potato more resilient to fluctuating rainfall.
“Recent analysis of modern rainfall data documents periodic droughts, and if similar conditions existed earlier in time (52), such climatic events would have affected crop production, with taro being most vulnerable and sweet potato being more resilient to the parameters of the island's fluctuating rainfall (17).”
From Variation in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) land use indicates production and population peaks prior to European contact (2015) · cites this paper as [52]
The role of ENSO in driving short-term Holocene climate variations in Rapa Nui has been debated, with model simulations and raw statistical analyses suggesting inconclusive or non-significant correlations at interannual and centennial scales.
“The role of ENSO in driving short-term Holocene climate variations in Rapa Nui has been hotly debated as model simulations, and raw statistical analyses on observational data suggest inconclusive or non-significant correlations at interannual and centennial scales [ 34 , 35 ].”
From Ecology of the collapse of Rapa Nui society (2020) · cites this paper as [34]
A relevant component of annual precipitation at Rapa Nui has been attributed to land-sea breeze convection storms.
“Additionally, a relevant component of annual precipitation has been attributed to land–sea breeze convection storms [ 34 ].”
From Ecology of the collapse of Rapa Nui society (2020) · cites this paper as [34]
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Sorted by citations
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- Authors
- Junk, C., & Claussen, M.
- Affiliations
- Universität Hamburg (DE)
- Venue
- Climate of the Past
- Publisher
- Copernicus GmbH
- Published
- 2011-06-06
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 579-586
- ISSN
- 1814-9324 (ISSN-L)
- 1814-9332
- OpenAlex
- W2156633278
- Cited by
- 23
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2022: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 0.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Climate of the past (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate variability and models
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Tree-ring climate responses
- Keywords
- Easter Island, climate variability, last millennium, ENSO, Little Ice Age, Medieval Warm Period, volcanic eruptions, climate model simulation, Polynesian settlement
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