Brown, JL, Hill, DJ orcid.org/0000-0001-5492-3925 and Haywood, AM orcid.org/0000-0001-7008-0534 (2020) A critical evaluation of the Oscillayers methods and datasets. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 29 (8). pp. 1435-1442. ISSN 1466-822X
Abstract
Here we evaluate Oscillayers, a new method that aims to estimate palaeoclimates for the past 5.4 Myr, and discuss the associated theoretical and methodological issues. We show that the theoretical foundation of Oscillayers is inherently limited, because the method cannot incorporate spatio‐temporal variation and different forcing mechanisms into climate reconstructions. In addition, several methodological weaknesses are clarified that entrench the palaeoclimatic reconstruction of Oscillayers to patterns of climate change observed between the Last Glacial Maximum and current climates. We test the utility of the Oscillayers method to produce palaeoclimatic reconstructions that are similar to general circulation model (GCM)‐based estimates. On average, only 55.6% of values in the mean annual temperature datasets across the Pliocene and Pleistocene were within ±3°C when compared with corresponding GCM‐based datasets. Furthermore, on average only 75.3% of values in the mean annual precipitation datasets across the Pliocene and Pleistocene were within ±200 mm of rainfall of the GCM‐based estimates. Our results demonstrate that the Oscillayers approach does not provide a robust approximation of palaeoclimatic conditions throughout the Plio‐Pleistocene. Thus, when these datasets are used for scientific analyses, the results should be interpreted with a full appreciation of their limitations, particularly for periods outside the last glacial cycle.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the post peer reviewed version of the following article: Brown, JL, Hill, DJ and Haywood, AM (2020) A critical evaluation of the Oscillayers methods and datasets. Global Ecology and Biogeography, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13103. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Inst for Climate & Atmos Science (ICAS) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 28 Apr 2020 15:09 |
Last Modified: | 29 Jul 2022 15:48 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/geb.13103 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:159975 |