MODERN PERSPECTIVES ON HIGH RESOLUTION PALEOCLIMATE DATA FROM THE EASTERN GREAT BASIN, USA

The Great Basin is a topographically diverse landscape in a hydrologically sensitive region with multiple large-scale climate controls including El Nino/Southern Oscillation and the North American Monsoon. While much work has been done at coarse resolution (spatial and/or temporal) to constrain this variability, little attention has been given to high resolution climate variability and anomalies in this region. We compiled multiple records that cover the last few centuries at decadal-scale resolution. These data were used to closely examine high resolution spatial and temporal climate variability across a longitudinal profile of proxy data sites in the eastern Great Basin. Specifically we created a 20^th century baseline for anomalous decadal-scale climate episodes for the high plateaus of Utah and the Northern Wasatch Mountains using historical climate data. Climate signals were extracted from pollen and isotope records. A key challenge to calibrating contemporary pollen records for climate signals is disentangling human and natural ecosystem disturbance. Proxy signals were compared with the 20^th century climate records, and additional analyses identified spatial patterns among the sites for the last 150 years. This analysis allowed us to identify trends in climate, spatial heterogeneity, and climate controls, extending back 1200 years.