RECORDS OF CLIMATIC-CHANGE IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC - TOWARDS CALIBRATING OXYGEN-ISOTOPE DATA WITH GEOTHERMAL DATA

Borehole temperature-depth data have been combined with oxygen isotope data from an ice core at a nearby location in the Canadian Arctic to calibrate the oxygen isotope data to ground temperature histories. The relationship of oxygen isotope data to ground surface temperature his tory is delta(18)O = 0.42 Delta T-g and this reproduces the main featu res of the observed subsurface temperature profile measured at the bor ehole site. These results suggests that oxygen isotope data are a good representation of the regional, long term climatic variations at thes e latitudes. Discrepancies between the observed subsurface profile and the theoretical profile calculated from the calibrated oxygen isotope time series may be explained in terms of the different character of t he records, in particular snow cover, and active layer processes.