A multi-proxy μ-XRF inferred lake sediment record of environmental change spanning the last ca. 2230 years from Lake Kanono, Northland, New Zealand

Reliable interpretation of annual-resolution climate proxies for wind, precipitation, and detrital influx are required for identifying the onset and periodicities of climatic events. In particular, this is essential for the evaluation of inter-annual, decadal, and centennial trends driven by shifting positions of the Southern Westerly Winds (SWW) and subsequent storm belts associated with the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Here we present a quasi-annual data set of mu-XRF time series spanning ca. 2230 years from lake sediment cores from Lake Kanono, Northland, New Zealand. The mu-XRF time series were interpreted using a combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis, then verified with comparison to regionally averaged empirical rainfall and wind climate station data. Our results show that the wavelet patterns align with the PCA results allowing the mu-XRF time series to be classified into: Group I (detrital) and Group II (biological productivity and normalized climate proxies). The normalized Group II mu-XRF time series wavelet analyses displayed periodicities in the 2-16 year frequency, likely associated with ENSO, from ca. 237 BCE 1330 CE. The data show clear evidence of both Polynesian and European settlement phases in this part of northern New Zealand, and that Polynesian settlement impact was coeval with changes in ENSO intensity and a phase shift in SAM ca. 1350 CE. The Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and the Little Ice Age (LIA) appear in the mu-XRF time series data as separate clusters. This data suggests that the MCA is associated with windy/dry conditions with intermittent storminess. During the LIA, the 2-16 year periodicity associated with ENSO decreased and centennial to multi-decadal length periodicities increase, which may be an indication of an underlying SAM signal within the data. European settlement also had a direct impact on the lake basin via increased detrital influx, likely from farming activities and intensification of local forestry operations. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.