A 217-year record of summer air temperature reconstructed from freshwater pearl mussels ( M. margarifitera, Sweden)

Abstract

Variations in annual shell growth of the freshwater pearl mussel Margritifera margritifera (L.) were utilized to reconstruct summer (June–August) air temperatures for each year over the period AD 1777–1993. Our study is based on 60 live-collected specimens with overlapping life-spans from six different Swedish rivers. Individual age-detrended and standardized chronologies ranging from 10 to 127 years in length were strung together to form one master chronology (AD 1777–1993) and three regional mean chronologies (Stensele, Uppsala, and Karlshamn). Standardized annual growth rates and air temperature (river water covaries with water temperature) exhibit a significant positive correlation and high running similarity confirming previous experimental findings. Up to 55% in the variability of annual shell growth is explained by temperature changes. From north to south this correlation slightly decreases. We establish a growth-temperature model capable of reconstructing summer air temperature from annual shell growth increments with a precision error of ±0.6–0.9°C (2SD). The validity of the model was tested against instrumentally determined air temperatures and proxy temperatures derived from tree rings. Our study demonstrates that freshwater pearl mussels provide an independent measure for past (i.e., prior to the 20th century greenhouse forcing) changes in air temperature. It can be used to test and verify other air temperature proxies and thus improve climate models.