Holocene atmospheric circulation in the central North Pacific: A new terrestrial diatom and δ18O dataset from the Aleutian Islands

The North Pacific is a zone of cyclogenesis that modulates synoptic-scale atmospheric circulation, yet there is a paucity of instrumental and paleoclimate data to fully constrain its long-term state and variability. We present the first Holocene oxygen isotope record (delta O-18(diatom)) from the Aleutian Islands, using siliceous diatoms preserved in Heart Lake on Adak Island (51.85 degrees N, 176.69 degrees W). This study builds on previous work demonstrating that Heart Lake sedimentary delta O-18(diatom) values record the 8180 signal of precipitation, and correlate significantly with atmospheric circulation indices over the past century. We apply this empirical relationship to interpret a new 9.6 ka delta O-18(diatom) record from the same lake, supported by diatom assemblage analysis. Our results demonstrate distinct shifts in the prevailing trajectory of storm systems that drove spatially heterogeneous patterns of moisture delivery and climate across the region. During the early-mid Holocene, a warmer/wetter climate prevailed due to a predominantly westerly Aleutian Low that enhanced advection of warm O-18-enriched Pacific moisture to Adak, and culminated in a delta O-18(diatom) maxima (33.3 parts per thousand) at 7.6 ka during the Holocene Thermal Maximum. After 4.5 ka, relatively lower delta O-18(diatom) indicates cooler/drier conditions associated with enhanced northerly circulation that persisted into the 21st century. Our analysis is consistent with surface climate conditions inferred from a suite of terrestrial and marine climate-proxy records. This new Holocene dataset bridges the gap in an expanding regional network of paleoisotope studies, and provides a fresh assessment of the complex spatial patterns of Holocene climate across Beringia and the atmospheric forces driving them. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.