7. LINKAGES8. SUMMARY
The scientific importance of paleoclimate records derived from lacustrine sediments is difficult to over-emphasize. Continental records are needed to fully develop a global grid of sites that is necessary to document regional patterns of climate change, define regional- to local-scale responses to those climate changes, and to test climatic models at relevant spatial scales. Continental paleoclimatic records not only provide information about past climate changes at scales relevant to human activities, they demonstrate how the components of the landscape with which humans interact (such as vegetation, streams, and lakes) respond to perturbations, climatic or otherwise.
High temporal resolution and continuity are particularly important aspects of records for lacustrine sediments. Variousclimatic proxies contained in the sediment must be sensitive to some aspect of climate, and proxies need to be quantitatively calibrated against modern conditions or historical records.
Based on this discussion of the organizational, operat-ional, analytical, and data aspects of lake drilling projects, the following evaluation criteria are recommended:
· Quality of potential paleoclimate records, dating control, and scientific importance of the site;
· Adequate preliminary data and site surveys
· A defined organizational structure.
· Efficient use of existing equipment or construction of new equipment.
· Arrangements for obtaining and preserving cores in as high-quality a condition as possible;
· Recommendations for "standard" core analyses including non-destructive and pre-sampling measurements;
· Sampling and analysis protocols that include ALL relevant dating and climate-proxy analyses;
· Adequate core storage and archiving facilities;
· Protocols for data dissemination, core archiving, and sample availability to the scientific community, and publication of results.
Paleoclimate records derived from continental sediments are clearly a high priority for climate and global change issues. Three types of long paleoclimate records form the primary basis for true global paleoclimate reconstruction: marine deposits, ice cores, and lacustrine sediments. Compared to the other two, lacust-rine paleoclimate records are underdeveloped. Drilling and coring projects focused on paleoclimate records derived from lake sediments would benefit from an approach more like their marine and ice-core analogs than has been their tradition. They need to be larger, broader, and better organized if the full potential of lacustrine records of paleoclimate is to be fully realized.
9. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would especially like to thank my fellow Workshop Organizers, Suzanne Leroy and Jörg Negendank for help in all phases of the Workshop, the Lakes Drilling Task Force, and this report. Thanks are also due to the discussion leaders (T. Johnson, J. Negendank, and F. Gasse) and recorders (T. Ager, J. Magee, and M. Duvall) who contributed written material to the report. K. Kelts provided a variety of useful material as well. S. Leroy, V. Markgraf, and J. Dodson provided helpful comments on various versions of the manuscript. F. Oldfield provided editing and overall guidance; he, P. Guilizzoni, V. Hall, S. Leroy, R. Reynolds, E. Spiker, and G. Wolff provided material for the sections on individual analytical methods. U. Schotterer and C. Jones performed most of the layout and production of the report.
The original impetus for the Workshop and much support came from Herman Zimmerman, then Co-Director of PAGES. J. Negendank organized all of the local arrangements for the Workshop, and liaisons to ICDP were provided by I. MacGregor and R. Emmmerman.
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