T. Cronin et al., Climatic variability in the eastern United States over the past millenniumfrom Chesapeake Bay sediments, GEOLOGY, 28(1), 2000, pp. 3-6
Salinity oscillations caused by multidecadal climatic variability had major
impacts on the Chesapeake Bay estuarine ecosystem during the past 1000 yr.
Microfossils from sediments dated by radiometry (C-14, Cs-137, Pb-210) and
pollen stratigraphy indicate that salinity in mesohaline regions oscillate
d 10-15 ppt during periods of extreme drought (low fresh-water discharge) a
nd wet climate (high discharge). During the past 500 yr, 14 wet-dry cycles
occurred, including sixteenth and early seventeenth century megadroughts th
at exceeded twentieth century droughts in their severity, These droughts co
rrespond to extremely dry climate also recorded in North American tree-ring
records and by early colonists. Wet periods occurred every similar to 60-7
0 yr,began abruptly, lasted <20 yr, and had mean annual rainfall similar to
25%-30% and fresh-water discharge similar to 40%-50% greater than during d
roughts. A shift toward wetter regional climate occurred in the early ninet
eenth century, lowering salinity and compounding the effects of agricultura
l land clearance on bay ecosystems.