1. Lake-level fluctuations
Based on the notion that climate controls the hydrological balance of lakes.
Earlier studies focused on closed basins, where precipitation and evaporation are nearly the only or fluxes of water in/out the basin.
Modern studies are focusing on open lakes.
Laguna de Fuquene

2. Lake-level fluctuation
Hydrological balance:
At equilibrium:
Inputs = Outputs
P+R+U = E+O
P = precipitation
R = runoff
U = groundwater inflow
E = evaporation
O = groundwater outflow

3. Lake-level fluctuation
Changes in lake levels (i.e., volume) over time reflect changes in inputs and outputs over time.
Factors affecting inputs/outputs: Rainfall, temperature, wind speed, soil type, vegetation, water depth, salinity, basin morphology, etc.

4. Reconstruction of past lake levels
It is best when based on lakes exhibiting a close relationship between water levels and precipitation and/or evaporation.
If not, some modeling is needed.
Lake Michigan

5. Reconstruction of past lake levels
Rely on lake-shore deposits (e.g., beach ridges, terraces, wetlands, etc).

6. Reconstruction of past lake levels

7. Thompson and Baedke, 1997

8. Thompson and Baedke, 1995

10. Fig (a and b) Century-scale hydrologic balance reconstructed from two widely separated sites in subtropical North Africa by using lake sediments illustrates that monsoon variability changes substantially over the last 10,000 (adapted from ref
Overpeck, Jonathan and Webb, Robert (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97,
Copyright ©2000 by the National Academy of Sciences

11. Fig Lake salinity record reconstructed for Moon Lake, ND, illustrating drought variability over the last 2,000 years for an important agricultural region of the U
Overpeck, Jonathan and Webb, Robert (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97,
Copyright ©2000 by the National Academy of Sciences

12. Fig Recent 20th century decadal Sahel drought variability from the perspective of 200 years of Lake Chad level fluctuations (dark lines)
Overpeck, Jonathan and Webb, Robert (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97,
Copyright ©2000 by the National Academy of Sciences

13. 0 ka
3 ka
Viau, A.E. and Gajewski, K., 2001.

14. 6 ka
9 ka
Viau, A.E. and Gajewski, K., 2001.

15. 3-0 ka
6-0 ka
Viau, A.E. and Gajewski, K., 2001.

16. 9-0 ka
12-0 ka
Viau, A.E. and Gajewski, K., 2001.

18. Kohfeld and Harrison (2000)

20. Detrended Canonical
Correspondence
Analysis (DCCA).
Larocque and Bigler, 2004)

22. Larocque and Bigler, 2004)