Dennis Dahms | University of Northern Iowa (original) (raw)
Papers by Dennis Dahms
ABSTRACT Spectral analyses of varve thickness measurements in sediment cores from two moraine-dam... more ABSTRACT Spectral analyses of varve thickness measurements in sediment cores from two moraine-dammed lakes in the Wind River Range of Wyoming, USA, reveal a 2.8-to-8-yr cyclicity consistent with that expressed by ENSO. The lakes [Louis Lake (42.596°N,108.846°W, 2610 m and nearby Fiddlers Lake 42.6312°N, 108.8786°W, 2868 m] and hold the possibility of longer records of mid-continental climate change even into the last interglacial. Nine macrofossil-based 14C ages (AMS) combined with varve thicknesses indicate the lakes were deep enough during the LGM to form and preserve varves and that the minimum age for the lacustrine sediments here is ~20 kyrs. The ENSO signal is most robust in the Louis Lake varves, displaying high spectral power across the entire band of frequencies associated with ENSO. Analysis of the Fiddlers Lake varves yield predictably less significant results, a consequence of the different geomorphic settings of these two lakes. Specifically, (1) Louis Lake has a large catchment and receives surface water input from a stream, which has delivered a large quantity of sediment to the lake margin and deposited a substantial delta. In this setting, variations in precipitation appear closely linked to sediment delivery to the lake, and are reflected in sediment distributions, while (2) Fiddlers Lake is located in a small re-entrant basin with a relatively insignificant catchment area and fed almost entirely by groundwater and direct rain/snow events, with little surface runoff; (3) the deeper water of Louis Lake aids in the formation and preservation of varves, while (4) lake level fluctuations in the shallower Fiddlers Lake directly affect varve creation and preservation (the onset of glaciation in the Fiddlers Lake core is represented by thick sediment packages that eventually thin to varves by ~1m up-core). The significant ENSO-like periodicities in the the varved sediments in these lakes suggests that the effects of ENSO forcing were felt far into the western interior of North America during the late Pleistocene, a result that accords with earlier work on lacustrine sediments of similar age in New England (Rittenour et al., 2000).
Buried soils occur on kettle floors of four Pinedale moraine catenas of the western Wind River Mo... more Buried soils occur on kettle floors of four Pinedale moraine catenas of the western Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. Radiocarbon ages from bulk samples of Ab horizons indicate the soils were buried during the mid-Holocene. Soils on kettle floors have silty A and Bw horizons that overlie buried A and B horizons that also formed in silt-rich sediments. Crests and backslope soils also have A and Bw horizons of sandy loam formed over 2BCb and 2Cb horizons of stony coarse loamy sand. Recent data show the silty textures of the A and B horizons are due to eolian silt and clay from the Green River Basin just west of the mountains. The buried soils appear to represent alternate periods of erosion and deposition on the moraines during the Holocene. The original soils developed on higher slopes of the moraines were eroded during the mid-Holocene and the 2BC and 2C horizons exposed at the surface. Eroded soil sediments were transported downslope onto the kettle floors. Following erosion, silt-r...
Quaternary Science Reviews
Frontiers in Environmental Science
Recent modeling and comparison with field results showed that soil formation by chemical weatheri... more Recent modeling and comparison with field results showed that soil formation by chemical weathering, either from bedrock or unconsolidated material, is limited largely by solute transport. Chemical weathering rates are proportional to solute velocities. Nonreactive solute transport described by non-Gaussian transport theory appears compatible with soil formation rates. This change in understanding opens new possibilities for predicting soil production and depth across orders of magnitude of time scales. Percolation theory for modeling the evolution of soil depth and production was applied to new and published data for alpine and Mediterranean soils. The first goal was to check whether the empirical data conform to the theory. Secondly we analyzed discrepancies between theory and observation to find out if the theory is incomplete, if modifications of existing experimental procedures are needed and what parameters might be estimated improperly. Not all input parameters required for current theoretical formulations (particle size, erosion, and infiltration rates) are collected routinely in the field; thus, theory must address how to find these quantities from existing climate and soil data repositories, which implicitly introduces some uncertainties. Existing results for soil texture, typically reported at relevant field sites, had to be transformed to results for a median particle size, d 50 , a specific theoretical input parameter. The modeling tracked reasonably well the evolution of the alpine and Mediterranean soils. For the Alpine sites we found, however, that we consistently overestimated soil depths by ∼45%. Particularly during early soil formation, chemical weathering is more severely limited by reaction kinetics than by solute transport. The kinetic limitation of mineral weathering can affect the system until 1 kyr to a maximum of 10 kyr of soil evolution. Thereafter, solute transport seems dominant. The trend and scatter of soil depth evolution is well captured, particularly for Mediterranean soils. We assume that some neglected processes, such as bioturbation, tree throw, and land use change contributed to local reorganization of the soil and thus to some differences to the model. Nonetheless, the model is able to generate soil depth and confirms decreasing production rates with age. A steady state for soils is not reached before about 100 kyr to 1 Myr
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Arctic and Alpine Research
... 5). At Hobbs Lake and Black Joe Lake, the Forest Service reported sulfate deposition was high... more ... 5). At Hobbs Lake and Black Joe Lake, the Forest Service reported sulfate deposition was highest from May to September and lowest during ... found in soils beneath the montane and subalpine forests and tundra of the range than in soils below lower treeline (Dahms, 1991, 1993 ...
Climate change influences the evolution of soil and landscape. With changing climate, both flora ... more Climate change influences the evolution of soil and landscape. With changing climate, both flora and fauna must adapt to new conditions. It is unknown in many respects to what extent soils will react to warming and vegetation change. The aim of this study was to identify possible consequences for soils in a dry-alpine region with respect to weathering of primary minerals and leaching of elements under expected warming climate conditions due to shifts in vegetation. To achieve this, a field empirical approach was used in combination with laboratory weathering experiments simulating several scenarios. Study sites located in Sinks Canyon and in Stough Basin of the Wind River Range, Wyoming, USA, encompass ecotones that consist of tundra, forest, or sagebrush (from moist to dry, with increasing temperature, respectively). All soils are developed on granitoid moraines. The mineralogy of the soils along the altitudinal sequence was analysed using cathodoluminescence and X-ray diffraction,...
CATENA, 2015
Peat and lake sediments as well as a nearby soil catena were sampled to reconstruct the environme... more Peat and lake sediments as well as a nearby soil catena were sampled to reconstruct the environmental history of a small infilled lake basin (mire) in the central alpine foreland of Switzerland. Soil evolution is best regarded as discontinuous over time and conceptualised by 'progressive' or 'regressive' process phases. We analysed the surrounding soils and used corresponding pedosignatures in the mire sediments to characterise notable phases of erosion and deposition. We assumed that the mire sediments would reflect these phases, that elemental composition (major and minor compounds) and rare earth elements (REEs) would allow us to differentiate past processes and that progressive and regressive phases of soil development can be discerned. Although radiocarbon ages are equivocal, it appears from pollen analyses that a lake was present here by c. 45 ka BP. After the retreat of the glacier from this area following the LGM, continuous sedimentation occurred until a mire developed during Pleistocene-Holocene transition. This transition period was accompanied by more intense erosion, as characterised by chemical signatures. A stable phase developed between c. 10-5 ka BP giving rise to progressive soil evolution. Between 5 and 4 ka BP, evidence appears for several erosional phases, predominantly detectable at the margin of the mire. These erosion phases, coupled with accumulation in the mire, are even more evident after 4 ka BP and especially after 2.1 ka BP. Based on soil investigations, elemental fluxes are detected along the slopes with distinct accumulations at the footslope. Evidence for anthropogenic influences and subsequent regressive soil formation phases appear in this pre-alpine landscape about 5 ka BP (Neolithic/Early Bronze Age), which appears to intensify after 2.1 ka BP (Roman period to present). Multi-elemental signatures enabled us to identify the important geochemical processes that have occurred here. Together with radiocarbon and pollen analyses, we placed these processes in a logical temporal context. The use of lacustrine (lake or mire) sediments has great potential to decipher and detail the surrounding landscape history and soil evolution of this region of Switzerland. . Pre-alpine mire sediments as a mirror of erosion, soil formation and landscape evolution during the last 45ka. Catena, 128:63-79.
Physical Geography, 2005
Few studies exist of the alluvial stratigraphy and geomorphology of the Iowan Surface landform re... more Few studies exist of the alluvial stratigraphy and geomorphology of the Iowan Surface landform region. We investigated the alluvial stratigraphy, soils, and geomorphology along a section of the lower Little Cedar River to aid in understanding the processes forming this landform region. We used terrace-and floodplain-surface height above the Little Cedar River, soil development, sedimentological characteristics, and stone lines to distinguish alluvial units and landforms. Three Pleistocene surfaces were mapped in the valley, including two terraces and an erosion footslope. The soils and sedimentary characteristics of these surfaces are extremely variable and are used to interpret geomorphic forces acting on the landscape. Holocene alluvial units identified include three terraces and the modern floodplain. Elsewhere in the Midwest, these units have been described as the DeForest Formation, and include the Camp Creek, Roberts Creek, and Gunder Members. The most strongly developed Holocene soils are found within the Gunder Member. Profiles exhibit either A/Bt/C or A/Bw/C horizonation. Soils in Roberts Creek alluvium are not as developed as those in the Gunder Member. These profiles are predominately A/Bw/ C. Soil development within Camp Creek alluvium is minimal with A/C profiles. [
Geoderma, 2015
Climate change and a related increase in temperature, particularly in alpine areas, force both fl... more Climate change and a related increase in temperature, particularly in alpine areas, force both flora and fauna to adapt to the new conditions. These changes should in turn affect soil formation processes. The aim of this study was to identify possible consequences for soils in a dry-alpine region with respect to weathering of primary minerals and leaching of elements under expected vegetation and climate changes. To achieve this, a field empirical approach investigating an altitudinal sequence was used in combination with laboratory weathering experiments simulating several scenarios. The study sites are located in Sinks Canyon and Stough Basin of the Wind River Range, Wyoming, USA. The following sites (from moist to dry with increasing temperature along the sequence) were investigated: 10 soil profiles (Typic Haplocryoll) in a tundra ecotone, 10 soil profiles (Ustic Haplocryoll) in a pine-fir forest and 20 soil profiles (Ustic Argicryoll) in sagebrush. All soils developed on granitoid moraines. Soil mineralogy was analysed using cathodoluminescence and X-ray diffraction. This revealed that biotite and plagioclase were both weathered to smectite while plagioclase also weathered to kaolinite. Cooler, wetter, altitude-dependent conditions promoted weathering of primary minerals. Furthermore, the soils of the tundra and forest zone exhibited a higher acidity and more organic carbon. In a series of wet laboratory batch experiments, materials from topsoils (A horizons) and subsoils (B horizons) in each ecotone were examined alone or in combination with other samples. In a first step, aqueous extracts of the topsoil samples were generated in batch reactors and analysed for the main ions. In a second and a third step the topsoil extracts were reacted with the subsoil samples of the same ecotone, and with the subsoil samples of the ecotones at higher altitude. The total duration of these batch experiments was 1800 h, and the solutes were measured using ICP-OES and ion chromatography. Dissolved Ca, Mg and K were mainly controlled by the chemical weathering of oligoclase, K-feldspar and biotite. With increasing altitude the total concentrations of Ca, Mg and K in the aqueous extracts decreased, the relative ionic contribution from K decreased, while the ionic contribution from Ca increased. Climate change (warming, changed precipitation) potentially will reduce weathering intensity, soil acidity and the content of organic carbon. An altitudinal shift in vegetation due to climate change seems to affect the ionic composition of the soil solution. In the case of a shift from forest to sagebrush and tundra to forest or sagebrush, the relative contribution from K would increase at the expense of Ca. We hypothesise that K will play an important role in future biogeochemical cycles under the assumptions of climate warming and subsequent vegetation shifts to higher altitudes.
A) Location of the Wind River Range (Wyoming) in the western U.S. (B) Detail of the WRR showing l... more A) Location of the Wind River Range (Wyoming) in the western U.S. (B) Detail of the WRR showing location of Little PopoAgie basin. Detail of Little PopoAgie basin shown in Figure 2. (Image source: ABSTRACT ENSO-like cycles are reported from North American proxy records throughout the Holocene (Asmerom et al., 2007; Bacon et al., 2010; Godsey et al., 1999; Menking & Anderson, 2003; Rasmussen et al., 2006). LGM records are limited to coastal and near-coastal regions of California and Arizona (Anderson et al., 1990; Heusser & Sirocko, 1997; Polyak et al., 2004). In the North American interior, pre-Younger Dryas (<12.9 kcalyr) ENSO-like sequences are reported only from one locality: the late glacial sediments of the New England varve sequence (Rittenour et al., 2000). We present the first evidence for full-glacial ENSO-like teleconnections into the North American interior. Spectral analyses of varve thickness measurements from lake sediments accumulated in two proglacial lakes in the...
ABSTRACT Spectral analyses of varve thickness measurements in sediment cores from two moraine-dam... more ABSTRACT Spectral analyses of varve thickness measurements in sediment cores from two moraine-dammed lakes in the Wind River Range of Wyoming, USA, reveal a 2.8-to-8-yr cyclicity consistent with that expressed by ENSO. The lakes [Louis Lake (42.596°N,108.846°W, 2610 m and nearby Fiddlers Lake 42.6312°N, 108.8786°W, 2868 m] and hold the possibility of longer records of mid-continental climate change even into the last interglacial. Nine macrofossil-based 14C ages (AMS) combined with varve thicknesses indicate the lakes were deep enough during the LGM to form and preserve varves and that the minimum age for the lacustrine sediments here is ~20 kyrs. The ENSO signal is most robust in the Louis Lake varves, displaying high spectral power across the entire band of frequencies associated with ENSO. Analysis of the Fiddlers Lake varves yield predictably less significant results, a consequence of the different geomorphic settings of these two lakes. Specifically, (1) Louis Lake has a large catchment and receives surface water input from a stream, which has delivered a large quantity of sediment to the lake margin and deposited a substantial delta. In this setting, variations in precipitation appear closely linked to sediment delivery to the lake, and are reflected in sediment distributions, while (2) Fiddlers Lake is located in a small re-entrant basin with a relatively insignificant catchment area and fed almost entirely by groundwater and direct rain/snow events, with little surface runoff; (3) the deeper water of Louis Lake aids in the formation and preservation of varves, while (4) lake level fluctuations in the shallower Fiddlers Lake directly affect varve creation and preservation (the onset of glaciation in the Fiddlers Lake core is represented by thick sediment packages that eventually thin to varves by ~1m up-core). The significant ENSO-like periodicities in the the varved sediments in these lakes suggests that the effects of ENSO forcing were felt far into the western interior of North America during the late Pleistocene, a result that accords with earlier work on lacustrine sediments of similar age in New England (Rittenour et al., 2000).
Buried soils occur on kettle floors of four Pinedale moraine catenas of the western Wind River Mo... more Buried soils occur on kettle floors of four Pinedale moraine catenas of the western Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. Radiocarbon ages from bulk samples of Ab horizons indicate the soils were buried during the mid-Holocene. Soils on kettle floors have silty A and Bw horizons that overlie buried A and B horizons that also formed in silt-rich sediments. Crests and backslope soils also have A and Bw horizons of sandy loam formed over 2BCb and 2Cb horizons of stony coarse loamy sand. Recent data show the silty textures of the A and B horizons are due to eolian silt and clay from the Green River Basin just west of the mountains. The buried soils appear to represent alternate periods of erosion and deposition on the moraines during the Holocene. The original soils developed on higher slopes of the moraines were eroded during the mid-Holocene and the 2BC and 2C horizons exposed at the surface. Eroded soil sediments were transported downslope onto the kettle floors. Following erosion, silt-r...
Quaternary Science Reviews
Frontiers in Environmental Science
Recent modeling and comparison with field results showed that soil formation by chemical weatheri... more Recent modeling and comparison with field results showed that soil formation by chemical weathering, either from bedrock or unconsolidated material, is limited largely by solute transport. Chemical weathering rates are proportional to solute velocities. Nonreactive solute transport described by non-Gaussian transport theory appears compatible with soil formation rates. This change in understanding opens new possibilities for predicting soil production and depth across orders of magnitude of time scales. Percolation theory for modeling the evolution of soil depth and production was applied to new and published data for alpine and Mediterranean soils. The first goal was to check whether the empirical data conform to the theory. Secondly we analyzed discrepancies between theory and observation to find out if the theory is incomplete, if modifications of existing experimental procedures are needed and what parameters might be estimated improperly. Not all input parameters required for current theoretical formulations (particle size, erosion, and infiltration rates) are collected routinely in the field; thus, theory must address how to find these quantities from existing climate and soil data repositories, which implicitly introduces some uncertainties. Existing results for soil texture, typically reported at relevant field sites, had to be transformed to results for a median particle size, d 50 , a specific theoretical input parameter. The modeling tracked reasonably well the evolution of the alpine and Mediterranean soils. For the Alpine sites we found, however, that we consistently overestimated soil depths by ∼45%. Particularly during early soil formation, chemical weathering is more severely limited by reaction kinetics than by solute transport. The kinetic limitation of mineral weathering can affect the system until 1 kyr to a maximum of 10 kyr of soil evolution. Thereafter, solute transport seems dominant. The trend and scatter of soil depth evolution is well captured, particularly for Mediterranean soils. We assume that some neglected processes, such as bioturbation, tree throw, and land use change contributed to local reorganization of the soil and thus to some differences to the model. Nonetheless, the model is able to generate soil depth and confirms decreasing production rates with age. A steady state for soils is not reached before about 100 kyr to 1 Myr
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Arctic and Alpine Research
... 5). At Hobbs Lake and Black Joe Lake, the Forest Service reported sulfate deposition was high... more ... 5). At Hobbs Lake and Black Joe Lake, the Forest Service reported sulfate deposition was highest from May to September and lowest during ... found in soils beneath the montane and subalpine forests and tundra of the range than in soils below lower treeline (Dahms, 1991, 1993 ...
Climate change influences the evolution of soil and landscape. With changing climate, both flora ... more Climate change influences the evolution of soil and landscape. With changing climate, both flora and fauna must adapt to new conditions. It is unknown in many respects to what extent soils will react to warming and vegetation change. The aim of this study was to identify possible consequences for soils in a dry-alpine region with respect to weathering of primary minerals and leaching of elements under expected warming climate conditions due to shifts in vegetation. To achieve this, a field empirical approach was used in combination with laboratory weathering experiments simulating several scenarios. Study sites located in Sinks Canyon and in Stough Basin of the Wind River Range, Wyoming, USA, encompass ecotones that consist of tundra, forest, or sagebrush (from moist to dry, with increasing temperature, respectively). All soils are developed on granitoid moraines. The mineralogy of the soils along the altitudinal sequence was analysed using cathodoluminescence and X-ray diffraction,...
CATENA, 2015
Peat and lake sediments as well as a nearby soil catena were sampled to reconstruct the environme... more Peat and lake sediments as well as a nearby soil catena were sampled to reconstruct the environmental history of a small infilled lake basin (mire) in the central alpine foreland of Switzerland. Soil evolution is best regarded as discontinuous over time and conceptualised by 'progressive' or 'regressive' process phases. We analysed the surrounding soils and used corresponding pedosignatures in the mire sediments to characterise notable phases of erosion and deposition. We assumed that the mire sediments would reflect these phases, that elemental composition (major and minor compounds) and rare earth elements (REEs) would allow us to differentiate past processes and that progressive and regressive phases of soil development can be discerned. Although radiocarbon ages are equivocal, it appears from pollen analyses that a lake was present here by c. 45 ka BP. After the retreat of the glacier from this area following the LGM, continuous sedimentation occurred until a mire developed during Pleistocene-Holocene transition. This transition period was accompanied by more intense erosion, as characterised by chemical signatures. A stable phase developed between c. 10-5 ka BP giving rise to progressive soil evolution. Between 5 and 4 ka BP, evidence appears for several erosional phases, predominantly detectable at the margin of the mire. These erosion phases, coupled with accumulation in the mire, are even more evident after 4 ka BP and especially after 2.1 ka BP. Based on soil investigations, elemental fluxes are detected along the slopes with distinct accumulations at the footslope. Evidence for anthropogenic influences and subsequent regressive soil formation phases appear in this pre-alpine landscape about 5 ka BP (Neolithic/Early Bronze Age), which appears to intensify after 2.1 ka BP (Roman period to present). Multi-elemental signatures enabled us to identify the important geochemical processes that have occurred here. Together with radiocarbon and pollen analyses, we placed these processes in a logical temporal context. The use of lacustrine (lake or mire) sediments has great potential to decipher and detail the surrounding landscape history and soil evolution of this region of Switzerland. . Pre-alpine mire sediments as a mirror of erosion, soil formation and landscape evolution during the last 45ka. Catena, 128:63-79.
Physical Geography, 2005
Few studies exist of the alluvial stratigraphy and geomorphology of the Iowan Surface landform re... more Few studies exist of the alluvial stratigraphy and geomorphology of the Iowan Surface landform region. We investigated the alluvial stratigraphy, soils, and geomorphology along a section of the lower Little Cedar River to aid in understanding the processes forming this landform region. We used terrace-and floodplain-surface height above the Little Cedar River, soil development, sedimentological characteristics, and stone lines to distinguish alluvial units and landforms. Three Pleistocene surfaces were mapped in the valley, including two terraces and an erosion footslope. The soils and sedimentary characteristics of these surfaces are extremely variable and are used to interpret geomorphic forces acting on the landscape. Holocene alluvial units identified include three terraces and the modern floodplain. Elsewhere in the Midwest, these units have been described as the DeForest Formation, and include the Camp Creek, Roberts Creek, and Gunder Members. The most strongly developed Holocene soils are found within the Gunder Member. Profiles exhibit either A/Bt/C or A/Bw/C horizonation. Soils in Roberts Creek alluvium are not as developed as those in the Gunder Member. These profiles are predominately A/Bw/ C. Soil development within Camp Creek alluvium is minimal with A/C profiles. [
Geoderma, 2015
Climate change and a related increase in temperature, particularly in alpine areas, force both fl... more Climate change and a related increase in temperature, particularly in alpine areas, force both flora and fauna to adapt to the new conditions. These changes should in turn affect soil formation processes. The aim of this study was to identify possible consequences for soils in a dry-alpine region with respect to weathering of primary minerals and leaching of elements under expected vegetation and climate changes. To achieve this, a field empirical approach investigating an altitudinal sequence was used in combination with laboratory weathering experiments simulating several scenarios. The study sites are located in Sinks Canyon and Stough Basin of the Wind River Range, Wyoming, USA. The following sites (from moist to dry with increasing temperature along the sequence) were investigated: 10 soil profiles (Typic Haplocryoll) in a tundra ecotone, 10 soil profiles (Ustic Haplocryoll) in a pine-fir forest and 20 soil profiles (Ustic Argicryoll) in sagebrush. All soils developed on granitoid moraines. Soil mineralogy was analysed using cathodoluminescence and X-ray diffraction. This revealed that biotite and plagioclase were both weathered to smectite while plagioclase also weathered to kaolinite. Cooler, wetter, altitude-dependent conditions promoted weathering of primary minerals. Furthermore, the soils of the tundra and forest zone exhibited a higher acidity and more organic carbon. In a series of wet laboratory batch experiments, materials from topsoils (A horizons) and subsoils (B horizons) in each ecotone were examined alone or in combination with other samples. In a first step, aqueous extracts of the topsoil samples were generated in batch reactors and analysed for the main ions. In a second and a third step the topsoil extracts were reacted with the subsoil samples of the same ecotone, and with the subsoil samples of the ecotones at higher altitude. The total duration of these batch experiments was 1800 h, and the solutes were measured using ICP-OES and ion chromatography. Dissolved Ca, Mg and K were mainly controlled by the chemical weathering of oligoclase, K-feldspar and biotite. With increasing altitude the total concentrations of Ca, Mg and K in the aqueous extracts decreased, the relative ionic contribution from K decreased, while the ionic contribution from Ca increased. Climate change (warming, changed precipitation) potentially will reduce weathering intensity, soil acidity and the content of organic carbon. An altitudinal shift in vegetation due to climate change seems to affect the ionic composition of the soil solution. In the case of a shift from forest to sagebrush and tundra to forest or sagebrush, the relative contribution from K would increase at the expense of Ca. We hypothesise that K will play an important role in future biogeochemical cycles under the assumptions of climate warming and subsequent vegetation shifts to higher altitudes.
A) Location of the Wind River Range (Wyoming) in the western U.S. (B) Detail of the WRR showing l... more A) Location of the Wind River Range (Wyoming) in the western U.S. (B) Detail of the WRR showing location of Little PopoAgie basin. Detail of Little PopoAgie basin shown in Figure 2. (Image source: ABSTRACT ENSO-like cycles are reported from North American proxy records throughout the Holocene (Asmerom et al., 2007; Bacon et al., 2010; Godsey et al., 1999; Menking & Anderson, 2003; Rasmussen et al., 2006). LGM records are limited to coastal and near-coastal regions of California and Arizona (Anderson et al., 1990; Heusser & Sirocko, 1997; Polyak et al., 2004). In the North American interior, pre-Younger Dryas (<12.9 kcalyr) ENSO-like sequences are reported only from one locality: the late glacial sediments of the New England varve sequence (Rittenour et al., 2000). We present the first evidence for full-glacial ENSO-like teleconnections into the North American interior. Spectral analyses of varve thickness measurements from lake sediments accumulated in two proglacial lakes in the...