The South American Climate During the Last Two Millennia

Abstract

Paleoclimate reconstructions are essential for understanding the dynamics of the climate system and its past variations. By utilizing climate-dependent proxies, these reconstructions provide a comprehensive perspective on climatic variations that extend far beyond the limited scope of instrumental records, spanning centuries to millennia. Particularly, proxy-based reconstructions for the last two millennia provide valuable insights into natural climate variability during the preindustrial era and the anthropogenic influence on current climate change. As a result, paleoclimate studies are also critical for interpreting climate projections in the context of anthropogenic forcing. South America, with its vast and diverse climate conditions, is a region rich in high-resolution paleoclimate records, including marine, lacustrine, and fjord sediments, speleothems, ice cores, tree rings, glacial and aeolian deposits, archaeological evidence, and historical documents, among others, all of which capture past climate changes. However, despite numerous paleoclimate reconstructions conducted across the continent and significant advances in understanding its past climate, substantial research gaps remain. These gaps are particularly evident in understudied regions and poorly understood phenomena, hindering a comprehensive understanding of climate variability at both regional and continental scales. To advance paleoclimatic research in South America, future efforts should prioritize (a) the collection of high-resolution records from key locations, (b) the integration of diverse proxies and innovative methodologies, (c) enhancing our understanding of climate-proxy relationships, and (d) developing new proxy calibrations. Collaboration with local communities and indigenous peoples and adopting interdisciplinary approaches will be vital in driving the field forward.