Influence of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, El Niño-Southern Oscillation and solar forcing on climate and primary productivity changes in the northeast Pacific

Evidence of 11-year Schwabe solar sunspot cycles, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) were detected in an annual record of diatomaceous laminated sediments from anoxic Effingham Inlet, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Radiometric dating and counting of annual varves dates the sediments from AD 1947-1993. Intact sediment slabs were X-rayed for sediment structure (lamina thickness and composition based on gray-scale), and subsamples were examined for diatom abundances and for grain size. Wavelet analysis reveals the presence of ~2-3, ~4.5, ~7 and ~9-12-year cycles in the diatom record and an w11e13 year record in the sedimentary varve thickness record. These cycle lengths suggest that both ENSO and the sunspot cycle had an influence on primary productivity and sedimentation patterns. Sediment grain size could not be correlated to the sunspot cycle although a peak in the grain size data centered around the mid-1970s may be related to the 1976-1977 Pacific climate shift, which occurred when the PDO index shifted from negative (cool conditions) to positive (warm conditions). Additional evidence of the PDO regime shift is found in wavelet and cross-wavelet results for Skeletonema costatum, a weakly silicified variant of S. costatum, annual precipitation and April to June precipitation. Higher spring (April/May) values of the North Pacific High pressure index during sunspot minima suggest that during this time, increased cloud cover and concomitant suppression of the Aleutian Low (AL) pressure system led to strengthened coastal upwelling and enhanced diatom production earlier in the year. These results suggest that the 11-year solar cycle, amplified by cloud cover and upwelling changes, as well as ENSO, exert significant influence on marine primary productivity in the northeast Pacific. The expression of these cyclic phenomena in the sedimentary record were in turn modulated by the phase of PDO, as indicated by the change in period of ENSO and suppression of the solar signal in the record after the 1976-1977 regime shift. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

Climate change and decadal to centennial-scale periodicities recorded in a late Holocene NE Pacific marine record: Examining the role of solar forcing

We present a decadal-scale late Holocene climate record based on diatoms, biogenic silica, and grain size from a 12-m sediment core (VEC02A04) obtained from Frederick Sound in the Seymour-Belize Inlet Complex of British Columbia, Canada. Sediments are characterized by graded, massive, and laminated intervals. Laminated intervals are most common between c. 2948–2708 cal. yr BP and c. 1992–1727 cal. yr BP. Increased preservation of laminated sediments and diatom assemblage changes at this time suggest that cli- mate became moderately drier and cooler relative to the preceding and succeeding intervals. Spectral and wavelet analyses are used to test for statistically significant periodicities in time series of proxies of primary production (total diatom abundance, biogenic silica) and hydrology (grain size) preserved in the Frederick Sound record. Periodicities of c. 42–53, 60–70, 82–89, 241–243, and 380 yrs are present. Results are com- pared to reconstructed sunspot number data of Solanki et al. (2004) using cross wavelet transform to evalu- ate the role of solar forcing on NE Pacific climate. Significant common power of periodicities between c. 42– 60, 70–89, 241–243, and of 380 yrs occur, suggesting that celestial forcing impacted late Holocene climate at Frederick Sound. Replication of the c. 241–243 yr periodicity in sunspot time series is most pronounced be- tween c. 2900 cal. yr BP and c. 2000 cal. yr BP, broadly correlative to the timing of maximum preservation of laminated sedimentary successions and diatom assemblage changes. High solar activity at the Suess/de Vries band may have been manifested as a prolonged westward shift and/or weakening of the Aleutian Low in the mid-late Holocene, which would have diverted fewer North Pacific storms and resulted in the relatively dry conditions reconstructed for the Seymour-Belize Inlet Complex.

Finding ‘Good Friday’ An explorative study into the sedimentary structures left from the Good Friday tsunami

Senior thesis written for Oceanography 444

Circulation patterns and processes in Barkley Sound, Vancouver, BC

Senior thesis written for Oceanography 444

Survey of dinoflagellate cysts in Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island, Canada

Senior thesis written for Oceanography 445

The generation and propagation of internal waves in Nootka Sound

senior thesis written for Oceanography 445

Office of the University President Sous fonds: Dr. James A. Gibson

Dr. James A. Gibson was born in Ottawa on January 29, 1912 to John W. and Belle Gibson. At an early age the family moved to Victoria, B.C. where John W. Gibson was a director of the Elementary Agricultural Education Branch, Department of Education. Gibson received his early education in Victoria, receiving a B.A. (honours) at UBC in 1931. In 1931 he was awarded the Rhodes scholarship and received his B.A., M.A., B.Litt and D. Phil at New College, Oxford. This was to be the beginning of a long and dedicated relationship with the Rhodes Scholar Association. Upon his return to Canada, Dr. Gibson lectured in Economics and Government at the University of British Columbia. In 1938 he was married to Caroline Stein in Philadelphia, and the same year joined the staff of the Department of External Affairs as a Foreign Service officer. Within twenty minutes of his arrival he was seconded to the Office of the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for External Affairs, W. L. Mackenzie King in charge of War Records and Liaison Officer. This was a critical time in the history of Canada, and Dr. Gibson experienced firsthand several milestones, including the Royal Visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939. Dr. Gibson was present at the formation of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945, being part of the Prime Minister’s professional staff as well as attending conferences in Washington, Quebec and London as an advisor to the Canadian delegation. Gibson contributed many articles to the publication bout de papier about his experiences during these years. After his resignation in 1947, Gibson joined the staff of the fledgling Carleton College, as a lecturer. In 1949 he was appointed a professor and in 1951 became Dean of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Gibson acted as President from 1955 to 1956 upon the sudden death of Dr. MacOdrum. In 1963 Dr. Gibson accepted the invitation of the Brock University Founders’ Committee, chaired by Arthur Schmon, to become the founding president. Dr. Gibson guided the new University from a converted refrigeration plant, to an ever expanding University campus on the brow of the Niagara Escarpment. Dr. Gibson remained firmly “attached” to Brock University. Even after official retirement, in 1974, he retained the title President Emeritus. Gibson’s final official contribution was an unpublished ten year history of the University. In retirement Gibson remained active in scholarly pursuits. He was a visiting scholar at the Center of Canadian Studies, University of Edinburgh; continued his ongoing research activities focusing on W. L. Mackenzie King, the Office of the Governor General of Canada, and political prisoners transported to Van Dieman’s Land. He remained active in the Canadian Association of Rhodes Scholars, becoming editor from 1975 to 1994 and was appointed Editor Emeritus and Director for Life in 1995 in honour of his dedicated and outstanding service. In 1993 he was awarded one of Canada’s highest achievements, the Order of Canada. Gibson retained close ties with Brock University and many of its faculty. He maintained an office in the Politics Department where he became a vital part of the department. In 1996 Brock University honoured Gibson by naming the University Library in his honour. James A. Gibson Library staff was instrumental in celebrating the 90th birthday of Gibson in 2002, with a widely attended party in the Pond Inlet where many former students, including Silver Badgers. The attendees also included former and current colleagues from Brock University, Canadian Rhodes Scholars Association, family and friends. Gibson was later to remark that the highlight of this event was the gift of his original academic robe which he had personally designed in 1964. In 2003 Dr. Gibson moved to Ottawa to be near some of his children and the city of his birth and early career. In that year “two visits to Brock ensued: the first, to attend a special celebration of the James A. Gibson Library; his late to attend the 74th Convocation on Saturday, October 18, 2003. A week later, in Ottawa, he went for a long walk, returned to his residence, Rideau Gardens, went into the lounge area, took off his coat and folded it up, put it on the back of his chair, sat down, folded his hands in his lap, closed his eyes, and died”. With sources from: Carleton University The Charlatan, Gibson CV, and Memorial Service Programme

(Table 1) Summary of accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) radiocarbon ages in ODP Sites 169-1033 and 169-1034

Continuous coring in Saanich Inlet (Ocean Drilling Program, ODP Leg 169S), British Columbia, Canada, yielded a detailed record of Late Quaternary climate, oceanography, marine productivity, and terrestrial vegetation. Two sites (1033 and 1034) were drilled to maximum depths of 105 and 118 m, recovering sediments ranging in age from 13,300 to less than 300 14C yr. Earliest sediments consist of dense, largely massive, gray glaciomarine muds with dropstones and sand and silt laminae deposited during the waning stages of glaciation. Deposition of organic-rich olive gray sediments began in the fjord about 12,000 14C yr ago, under well-oxygenated conditions as reflected by the presence of bioturbation and a diverse infaunal bivalve community. At about 10,500 14C yr, a massive, gray unit, 40-50 cm thick, was emplaced in a very short span of time. The unit is marked by a sharp lower contact, a gradational upper contact and an abundance of reworked Tertiary microfossils. It has been interpreted as resulting from massive flood events caused by the collapse of glacial dams in the Fraser Valley of mainland British Columbia. Progressively greater anoxia in bottom waters of Saanich Inlet began about 7000 14C yr ago. This is reflected in the preservation of varved sediments consisting of diatomaceous spring-summer laminae and terrigenous winter laminae. Correlation of the sediments was based on: marked lithologic changes, the presence of massive intervals (reflecting localized sediment gravity flow events), the Mazama Ash, occasional thin gray laminae (indicative of abnormal flood events in nearby watersheds), varve counts between marker horizons, and 71 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates.

(Table 1) Depth and time of first appearance of species identified by fish remains in ODP Site 169-1034

Ocean Drilling Program Leg 169S retrieved a complete Holocene sequence from Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, Canada. Fish and diatom remains were extracted from sediments at Site 1034. Very small fish bones, teeth and scales were ubiquitous except in the lowermost glaciomarine clays; scales degraded with depth. In the identifiable fraction, Pacific herring were the most abundant with Pacific hake and cartilaginous fish yielding significant fractions. Fish remains appear just before 12 000 BP but greatest diversity does not occur until about 6500 BP. A smoothed abundance curve highlights two periods of maximal abundance at about 1500 and 6500 BP. Abundances in the last 1000 years are lower than the rest of the record. A correlation with abundances of seven phytoplankton taxa is significant; diatoms explain about a third of the variance. This study demonstrates the use of fish and diatoms from the same paleosedimentary matrix to examine millennia-scale correlations between primary and tertiary production.

(Table 1) AMS radiocarbon ages from ODP Sites 169-1033 and 169-1034

This paper explores the paleoseismic record potentially preserved in the upper 40 m of hydraulic piston cores collected in 1996 at two sites in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, during ocean drilling program (ODP) Leg 169S. The ODP cores are missing 1-2 m of water-rich sediment directly underlying the seafloor, but this sediment is preserved in shorter piston cores collected in 1989 and 1991. The upper part of the ODP cores consists of rhythmically laminated (varved) marine mud with intercalated massive beds, interpreted to be debris flow deposits. Some of the debris flow deposits are linked to past earthquakes, including the 1946 Vancouver Island earthquake (M7.2), a great (M8-9) plate-boundary earthquake at the Cascadia subduction zone in January 1700, and a large crustal or plate-boundary earthquake about 1000 yr ago. Earthquakes may also be responsible for debris flows in about AD 1600, 1500, 1250, 1150, 850, 450, 350, 180, and BC 200, 220, 500, 900, and 1050. If so, the average recurrence interval for moderate to large earthquakes, which trigger debris flows in Saanich Inlet, is about 150 yr. This recurrence interval is broadly consistent with the frequency of moderate to large earthquakes in the region during the historical period. Debris flows, however, can also be triggered by non-seismic processes, making it difficult to assemble a complete earthquake record from the Saanich Inlet cores. We propose that extensive debris flow deposits, emplaced by single large failures or many smaller coincident failures, probably have a seismic origin.

(Table 2) Trace metal concentrations in ODP Hole 169-1033B

We measured the concentrations of redox-sensitive trace metals (Mn, V, Mo, U, Cd and Re) in sediments from ODP Leg 169S Hole 1033B in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, to determine changes in redox conditions associated with the onset of laminated sediments at ~12.5 kyr. The most striking result is a large peak in authigenic Re along with detrital levels of Mo at the glacial terrigenous clay-diatomaceous sediment transition. In contrast, the underlying glacial terrigenous clay, which extends throughout the bottom section of the core, is chemically similar to detrital concentrations, either Cowichan River particulates or average shale values. These data suggest a period of oxic bottom waters but reducing pore-waters. This could be due to the dramatic transformation of Saanich Inlet during the late deglaciation from an open bay to an inlet, which restricted circulation and slowed bottom water oxygen renewal. A peak and gradual increase in authigenic Mn in younger sediments subsequent to the Re peak suggests that increasingly oxic conditions followed the authigenic enrichment in Re. These conditions could be connected to the Younger Dryas cooling period, which was coincident with an increase in well oxygenated upwelled waters on the west coast of North America that form the bottom waters of Saanich Inlet. Metal concentrations in a gray clay bed (~11 kyr) are similar to their concentrations in the glacial terrigenous clay, implying that they have a common source. Authigenic enrichments of Re with little authigenic Mo and Cd suggest that before the deposition of this bed, bottom waters were oxic and pore-water oxygen was consumed in the top centimeter or less. Laminations above the clay layer suggest anoxic conditions, which are also indicated by higher authigenic Mo and Cd and slightly lower Re/Mo ratios in these sediments. The basin remained mostly anoxic after the gray clay was emplaced, as seen by continuous authigenic enrichment of the redox-sensitive trace metals. These results are consistent with increased stratification of the water column, brought about by an influx of fresh water to the basin by a large flood.

(Table 1) Depth and revised depth from ODP Sites 169-1033 and 169-1034

The Holocene section in Saanich Inlet, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is 50-70 m thick. Cores from Saanich Inlet obtained during Leg 169S of the Ocean Drilling Program afford an excellent opportunity to obtain an ultrahigh-resolution paleomagnetic and environmental magnetic record for the Holocene and Late Pleistocene of western Canada. We have used an automated, long-core cryogenic magnetometer to study over 380 m of continuous u-channel samples from ODP Sites 1033 and 1034, the two sites that constitute Leg 169S. Holocene records of paleomagnetic inclination and intensity show excellent intra-site correlation and can be used to fine-tune the lithologic correlation among cores from each site. The Late Pleistocene magnetic records provide a means of intra-site correlation of the otherwise featureless marine clay. Near the Holocene/Late Pleistocene boundary, both sites contain a magnetic intensity feature that is interpreted as a Missoula-type flood event on the Fraser River. The composite Holocene inclination records from the two sites are quite similar and provide a means of comparing current age-models that are based on radiocarbon dating of material from each site. This comparison shows only minor differences in the available age-models. It also provides strong evidence that the sediments of Saanich Inlet represent a reliable record of geomagnetic field behavior.