1.        Shi, F., Fang, K., Xu, C., Guo,Z., & Borgaonkar, H. P. (2016). Interannual to centennial variability ofthe South Asian summer monsoon over the past millennium. Climate Dynamics,1-12.

Proxy-based reconstructions have indicatedthat the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) has shown interannual- tocentennial-scale oscillations over the past millennium; however, thevariability and mechanisms that operate over different timescales remain to beexplicitly identified. This is firstly because of the inadequate spatialrepresentation within previous SASM reconstructions, which is caused by the scarcityof tree-ring records from the core monsoon region. This study used eightadditional Indian tree-ring width chronologies from the core region of the SASMto update the reconstructed SASM index that covers the past 1105 years. Wefound that the most significant interannual variability of SASM is mainlyrelated to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) over the past few hundredyears. The decadal/multidecadal oscillations show a high negative/positivecorrelation with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)/Atlantic MultidecadalOscillation (AMO) after the late 19th century. The centennial component of theSASM, which accounts for 19.4% of the total variance, begins to weaken from themid-13th century and reaches a minimum in the mid-15th century. The componentgradually strengthens again to reach its peak in the early 17th century,followed by a decline trend toward recent. The centennial variations agree wellwith historical changes in solar activity before the nineteenth century thatcaused changes in land–sea thermal contrast. However, the close linkage betweenthe SASM and solar activity has weakened since the Industrial era, probablybecause of the enhanced influence of anthropogenic aerosol emissions.

http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs00382-016-3493-9.pdf

2.        Bose, T., Sengupta, S.,Chakraborty, S., & Borgaonkar, H. (2016). Reconstruction of soil wateroxygen isotope values from tree ring cellulose and its implications forpaleoclimate studies. Quaternary International, 425(38), 387-398.

We present here a rationale for estimationof soil water oxygen isotope values (dsw) from tree ring cellulose oxygenisotope data and examine, for the first time, its (dsw) efficacy as a tool toobtain paleoclimate information. We analyzed pre-dated tree ring cellulosesamples collected from a site at Western Himalaya for oxygen isotopes, usedsimilar dataset of overlapping time period from 12 different locations acrossthe world, reconstructed dsw for 1901e2004 CE, compared the data with availableobservations and examined implications of this technique. Our study shows (a)good agreement in spatial ranges between observed and estimated dsw datasuggesting its suitability for a representative parameter, and (b) reconstructeddsw largely depend on soil moisture content modulated by regional evaporationregimes. Considering a growing importance of measurement of recycled soilmoisture and its ensuing role in rainfall amount, a method to reconstruct soilmoisture isotope as presented in this work will enable application of landhydrological models to the past.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saikat_Sengupta3/publication/307622667_Reconstruction_of_soil_water_oxygen_isotope_values_from_tree_ring_cellulose_and_its_implications_for_paleoclimate_studies/links/585a5f5508ae3852d256f32f.pdf

3.        Allen, K. J., Nichols, S. C.,Evans, R., Allie, S., Carson, G., Ling, F., ... & Baker, P. J. (2016). A277 year cool season dam inflow reconstruction for Tasmania, southeasternAustralia. Water Resources Research.

Seasonal variability is a significantsource of uncertainty in projected changes to precipitation across southeasternAustralia (SEA). While existing instrumental records provide seasonal data forrecent decades, most proxy records (e.g., tree rings, corals, speleothems)offer only annual reconstructions of hydroclimate. We present the firstcool-season (July – August) reconstruction of dam inflow (Lake Burbury) forwestern Tasmania in SEA based on tree-ring width (Athrotaxis selaginoides) andmean latewood cell wall thickness (Phyllocladus aspleniifolius) chronologies.The reconstruction, produced using principal component regression, verifiesback to 1731 and is moderately skillful, explaining around 23% of the variance.According to the reconstruction, relatively low inflow periods occurred around1860, the early 1900s and 1970, while relatively high inflows occurred in the1770s and 1810s. Highest reconstructed inflows occurred in 1816, and lowest in1909. Comparison with available documentary and instrumental records indicatesthat the reconstruction better captures high rather than low flow events. Thereis virtually no correlation between our reconstruction and another forDecember-January inflow for the same catchment, a result consistent with therelationship between seasonal instrumental data. This suggests that conditionsin one season have not generally reflected conditions in the other season overthe instrumental record, or for the past 277 years. This illustrates the valueof obtaining reconstructions of regional hydroclimatic variability for multipleindividual seasons in regions where dry and wet seasons are not stronglydefined. The results also indicate that the hydroclimate of southeasternAustralian region cannot be adequately represented by a single regionalreconstruction.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016WR018906/epdf

4.        Salaorni, E., Stoffel, M.,Tutubalina, O., Chernomorets, S., Seynova, I., & Sorg, A. (2017).Dendrogeomorphic reconstruction of lahar activity and triggers: Shiveluchvolcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Bulletin of Volcanology, 79(1), 6.

Lahars are highly concentrated,water-saturated volcanic hyperconcentrated flows or debris flows containingpyroclastic material and are a characteristic mass movement process on volcanicslopes. On Kamchatka Peninsula (Russian Federation), lahars are widespread andmay affect remote settlements. Historical records of past lahar occurrences aregenerally sparse and mostly limited to events which damaged infrastructure onthe slopes or at the foot of volcanoes. In this study, we present atree-ring-based reconstruction of spatiotemporal patterns of past laharactivity at Shiveluch volcano. Using increment cores and cross sections from126 Larix cajanderi trees, we document 34 events covering the period AD1729–2012. Analyses of the seasonality of damage in trees reveal that 95% ofall lahars occurred between October and May and thus point to the predominantrole of the sudden melt of the snow cover by volcanic material. Theseobservations suggest that most lahars were likely syn-eruptive and that laharactivity is largely restricted to periods of volcanic activity. By contrast,rainfall events do not seem to play a significant role in lahar triggering.

http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs00445-016-1094-4.pdf

5.        Aussenac, R., Bergeron, Y.,Ghotsa Mekontchou, C., Gravel, D., Pilch, K., & Drobyshev, I. (2016).Intraspecific variability in growth response to environmental fluctuationsmodulates the stabilizing effect of species diversity on forest growth. Journalof Ecology.

1.Differences between species in theirresponse to environmental fluctuations cause asynchronized growth series,suggesting that species diversity may help communities buffer the effects ofenvironmental fluctuations. However, within-species variability of responsesmay impact the stabilizing effect of growth asynchrony.

2.We used tree ring data to investigate thediversity-stability relationship and its underlying mechanisms within thetemperate and boreal mixed woods of Eastern Canada. We worked at the individualtree level to take into account the intraspecific variability of responses toenvironmental fluctuations.

3.We found that species diversitystabilized growth in forest ecosystems. The asynchrony of species’ response toclimatic fluctuations and to insect outbreaks explained this effect. We alsofound that the intraspecific variability of responses to environmentalfluctuations was high, making the stabilizing effect of diversity highlyvariable.

4.Synthesis. Our results are consistentwith previous studies suggesting that the asynchrony of species’ response toenvironmental fluctuations drives the stabilizing effect of diversity. Theintraspecific variability of these responses modulates the stabilizing effectof species diversity. Interactions between individuals, variation in tree sizeand spatial heterogeneity of environmental conditions could play a criticalrole in the stabilizing effect of diversity.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2745.12728/epdf