A 300-year tree-ring δ18O-based precipitation reconstruction for the South American Altiplano highlights decadal hydroclimate teleconnections

Abstract

Tropical South American climate is influenced by the South American Summer Monsoon and the El Niño Southern Oscillation. However, assessing natural hydroclimate variability in the region is hindered by the scarcity of long-term instrumental records. Here we present a tree-ring δ¹⁸O-based precipitation reconstruction for the South American Altiplano for 1700–2013 C.E., derived from Polylepis tarapacana tree rings. This record explains 56% of December–March instrumental precipitation variability in the Altiplano. The tree-ring δ¹⁸O chronology shows interannual (2–5 years) and decadal (~11 years) oscillations that are remarkably consistent with periodicities observed in Altiplano precipitation, central tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures, southern-tropical Andean ice core δ¹⁸O and tropical Pacific coral δ¹⁸O archives. These results demonstrate the value of annual-resolution tree-ring δ¹⁸O records to capture hydroclimate teleconnections and generate robust tropical climate reconstructions. This work contributes to a better understanding of global oxygen-isotope patterns, as well as atmospheric and oceanic processes across the tropics.

Oxygen isotopes tree rings from polylepis tarapacana trees across the South American Altiplano provide a terrestrial precipitation record that is sensitive to decadal hydroclimate teleconnections and correlates well with other proxy records.