Suomi
My current research mainly deals with Earth's climate change during the past 200,000 years. The primary focus is on past periods of global warming, which serve as important analogues for the ongoing global warming.
Resolving the Euro-Atlantic Temperature Conundrum of Rapid Deglaciation
(Formas, Sweden, 2024–2026)
The project studies the nature and causes of the rapid global warming which occurred at the end of the last ice age.
Personnel
Frederik Schenk (Project lead)
J. Sakari Salonen (Collaborator, co-applicant)
Qiong Zhang (Collaborator, co-applicant)
Climate shocks: exploring abrupt events in the palaeoclimate record
(Academy of Finland, 2020–2025)
The Climate shocks project studies so-called "abrupt climate events" which have occurred during past climate changes. These events refer to climatic disturbances of short duration or sudden onset, which represent significant deviations from the generally gradual, millennial trends of paleoclimate. The project examines abrupt climate change related to disruptions of the North Atlantic marine circulation (e.g., the Gulf stream), as well as the "megadrought" episodes of North America. One branch of the project further analyses the effect abrupt climate change has had on the ancient human populations of Fennoscandia.
Personnel
J. Sakari Salonen (Project lead)
Līva Trasūne (PhD student)
Petro Pesonen (University researcher)
Frederik Schenk (University researcher)
Niina Kuosmanen (Postdoctoral researcher)
Key publications
(To be updated)
Rijal et al. (2021) Science Advances (Holocene interglacial vegetation development in northern Fennoscandia based on ancient plant DNA)
Stivrins et al. (2021) Quaternary Science Reviews (The climate of the Younger Dryas event and its effect on chironomid fauna)
Radiocarbon dating of Northern Finland archaeological finds
(Arctic Avenue project, Finnish Society of
Sciences and Letters, Emil Aaltonen Foundation, 2021–2023)
The project radiocarbon dates existing, archived archaeological materials from Northern Finland. The new datings will be employed in the Climate shocks project (see above) to analyse the response of northern-European human populations to ancient climate changes.
Personnel
J. Sakari Salonen, Miikka Tallavaara, Petro Pesonen, Frederik Schenk, and Kerstin Lidén (Project leaders)
A paleoclimate perspective on recent European summer heatwaves and
droughts
(Formas, Sweden, 2020–2023)
The project studies the causes of the strong heatwaves and droughts which have been experienced in Europe during several years of the 2000s. The paleoclimate history of Europe includes multiple examples of stages with similar atmospheric and oceanic conditions compared to the recent hot and dry summers, allowing the analysis of the mechanisms underlying these extreme weather events. The project is closely linked with the Climate shocks project (see above), approaching the same research question using climate simulations.
Personnel
Frederik Schenk (Project lead)
J. Sakari Salonen (Collaborator, co-applicant)
Qiong Zhang (Collaborator, co-applicant)
(Concluded) Patterns, drivers, and abrupt change during warm interglacial climates
(Academy of
Finland, 2017–2020)
This project studied the climate of the Eemian Interglacial (115–130 thousand years ago) in Europe and other parts of the Circum-Atlantic region.
Personnel
J. Sakari Salonen (Project lead)
Key publications
Pearce et al. (2023) Science Advances (Europe's vegetation during the Eemian interglacial and human impact on vegetation development)
Salonen et al. (2021) Geology (Eemian Interglacial climate
development in northern and southern Europe, and the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation)
Sánchez-Goñi et al. (2021) Geological Society of America
Bulletin (Impact of the great North Atlantic iceberg discharges on climate in the Mediterranean region)
Katrantsiotis et al. (2021) Quaternary Science
Reviews
(Eemian Interglacial climate development in northern Europe based on hydrogen isotope data)
Helmens et al. (2021) Boreas (Assesses the question of the length
of
the Eemian Interglacial: "long" or "short" Eemian?)
Felde et al. (2020) Vegetation History and Archaeobotany (European vegetation development during the Eemian)
Salonen et al. (2018) Nature Communications (Eemian
Interglacial climate evolution in northern Europe, and Eemian disturbances in the North Atlantic ocean currents)
(Concluded) Machine learning in palaeoclimatology: increasing the sensitivity and robustness of climatic reconstructions
(Academy of Finland, 2014–2018)
This project studied the application of machine learning based statistical modelling tools in the reconstruction of paleoclimates.
Personnel
Miska Luoto (Project lead)
J. Sakari Salonen (Postdoctoral researcher)
Mikko Korpela (Researcher)
Niina Kuosmanen (Postdoctoral researcher)
Mimmi Oksman (Postdoctoral researcher)
Sanna Piilo (Research assistant)
Key publications
Salonen et al. (2019) Scientific Reports (Reconstruction
of
North American and European paleoclimate from fossil pollen data, using machine learning)
Salonen et al. (2016) The Holocene (Reconstruction of
paleoclimate from fossil chironomids and diatoms, using machine learning)
Salonen et al. (2014) Quaternary Science Reviews
(Reconstruction of northern European paleoclimate from fossili pollen data, using machine learning)
(Concluded) Reconstruction of the last ice age–interglacial cycle in Fennoscandia
(Finnish
Cultural Foundation, 2014)
This project analysed a geological sequence dating to the Eemian Interglacial (115–130 thousand years ago) discovered in Sokli, northeast Finland.
Personnel
J. Sakari Salonen (Project lead)
Key publications
Helmens et al. (2015) Quaternary Science Reviews
(Eemian climate in northern Europe and abrupt climate disturbances detected in it)