Holocene and Modern Geomorphic Response to Wildfires and Climate Change in Northeastern Yellowstone National Park

1988年大黄石地区（GYA）的大范围火灾构成了罕见的景观扰动，具有重要的生态、地貌和气候影响。为了从更长远的角度研究这一事件，我们建议利用现代火灾相关沉积和火灾前沉积的实际研究来研究黄石东北部全新世沉积的历史，以指导地层记录的解释。在Soda Butte Creek流域的冲积和崩积沉积物中保存了与全新世火灾相关的沉积事件的详细、高度可确定年代的记录。对这些事件的初步放射性碳定年表明它们与全新世气候变化时期有关。将火灾相关事件的时间与古植物学和气候代理记录进行比较，可以阐明该地貌系统中植被和水文状况变化、野火效应和内在阈值的相对重要性。我们还将研究与GYA大范围火灾和大型水文事件相关的气象和区域大气条件的历史记录，并尝试开发与火灾相关沉积相关的气候类似物。这项研究将有助于评估1988年GYA火灾的短期地貌响应，并指出潜在的全球变暖和气候变化对GYA生态系统景观稳定性的可能后果。

The extensive 1988 Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) fires constitute a landscape disturbance of rare magnitude, and one with important ecological, geomorphic, and climatic implications. In order to provide a longer-term perspective on this event, we propose to investigate the history of Holocene sedimentation in northeastern Yellowstone, using actualistic study of modern fire-related and prefire sedimentation as a guide for interpretation of the stratigraphic record. A detailed, highly datable record of Holocene fire-related sedimentation events is preserved in alluvial and colluvial deposits of the Soda Butte Creek drainage. Initial radiocarbon dating of these events suggests a link with times of Holocene climatic change. Comparison of the timing of fire-related events with paleobotanical and climate proxy records can elucidate the relative importance of changing vegetation and hydrological regime, wildfire effects, and intrinsic thresholds in this geomorphic system. We will also examine historical records of meteorological and regional atmospheric conditions associated with both extensive fires and large hydrological events in the GYA, and attempt to develop analogs for climate associated with fire-related sedimentation. This research will help to assess the short-term geomorphic response to the 1988 GYA fires, as well as indicate possible consequences of potential global warming and climatic change for landscape stability in the GYA ecosystem.