Low-resolution Australasian palaeoclimate records of the last 2000 years
Abstract. Non-annually resolved palaeoclimate records in the Australasian region were compiled to facilitate investigations of decadal to centennial climate variability over the past 2000 years. A total of 661 lake/wetland, geomorphic, marine, and speleothem records were identified and then assessed against a set of a priori criteria based on temporal resolution, record length, dating methods, and confidence of the proxy-climate relationship over the Common Era. A high quality subset of 22 records across Australasia met the criteria and they are endorsed for subsequent analyses. New chronologies based on progressive Bayesian techniques were constructed for the high quality records to ensure a consistent approach to age modelling and quantification of age uncertainties. Chronological uncertainty was the primary reason why records did not meet the selection criteria. Despite present limitations, existing proxies and reconstruction techniques that successfully capture climate variability in the region show potential to address spatial gaps and expand the range of climate variables covering the last 2000 years from the Australasian region.