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Anthropogenic climate change has altered primary productivity in Lake Superior

Author

Listed:
  • M. D. O’Beirne

    (Large Lakes Observatory (LLO), University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)
    Present address: Department of Geology and Environmental Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA)

  • J. P. Werne

    (Large Lakes Observatory (LLO), University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)
    Present address: Department of Geology and Environmental Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA)

  • R. E. Hecky

    (Large Lakes Observatory (LLO), University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)
    UMD)

  • T. C. Johnson

    (Large Lakes Observatory (LLO), University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)
    UMD)

  • S. Katsev

    (Large Lakes Observatory (LLO), University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)
    UMD)

  • E. D. Reavie

    (Center for Water and the Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute, UMD)

Abstract

Anthropogenic climate change has the potential to alter many facets of Earth’s freshwater resources, especially lacustrine ecosystems. The effects of anthropogenic changes in Lake Superior, which is Earth’s largest freshwater lake by area, are not well documented (spatially or temporally) and predicted future states in response to climate change vary. Here we show that Lake Superior experienced a slow, steady increase in production throughout the Holocene using (paleo)productivity proxies in lacustrine sediments to reconstruct past changes in primary production. Furthermore, data from the last century indicate a rapid increase in primary production, which we attribute to increasing surface water temperatures and longer seasonal stratification related to longer ice-free periods in Lake Superior due to anthropogenic climate warming. These observations demonstrate that anthropogenic effects have become a prominent influence on one of Earth’s largest, most pristine lacustrine ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • M. D. O’Beirne & J. P. Werne & R. E. Hecky & T. C. Johnson & S. Katsev & E. D. Reavie, 2017. "Anthropogenic climate change has altered primary productivity in Lake Superior," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-8, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15713
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15713
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Peng & Li, Kefeng & Liu, Qingyuan & Zou, Qingping & Liang, Ruifeng & Qin, Leilei & Wang, Yuanming, 2024. "Thermal stratification characteristics and cooling water shortage risks for pumped storage reservoir–green data centers under extreme climates," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).

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