date: Tue Mar  3 14:56:03 2009
from: Keith Briffa <k.briffa@uea.ac.uk>
subject: Re: 2k Arctic synthesis
to: Darrell Kaufman <darrell.kaufman@nau.edu>

   Darrell
   I would like to make some comments but the earliest I can get to this is Thursday (we have
   visitors here all day tomorrow. In short I would like to be involved - but I would rather
   wait and see the basis of your reaction to my initial thoughts when I get a Tracked changes
   version back to you. You are correct that  there are clear limitations in the preservation
   of trend over two millennia in SOME of the data Mann et al used  - and in the current
   series you cite for Yamal (Hantemirov et al) . I do believe that the composite series in
   our Phil Trans paper is a convenient representation of the circum-western Eurasian Arctic
   tree-line data - though the Grudd and Nauzbaev papers are virtually similar to our data for
   their areas. However I have a few reservations/comments on other aspects of the manuscript
   that I believe any likely referee might pick up on . Is it ok to wait til Thursday or will
   this not be acceptable for getting comments back? I know how these time lines are crucial.
   Best wishes
   Keith
   At 14:15 02/03/2009, you wrote:

     Hello Keith:
     Following the recommendations of Malcolm and Phil (via Ray), it's
     clear that I should have come to you sooner. I am now well along on a
     manuscript that summarizes 2000-year-long proxy temperature records
     from the Arctic (attached). The impetus for the paper is the new
     compilation of high-resolution lake records that my group recently
     published in J Paleolimnology.
     On the tree-ring side, it's clear to me now that I should not have
     used the series from the Mann et al. compilation, and I hadn't see
     your 2008 Phil Trans paper until just last week. As far as I can
     tell, the only records that meet the criteria for this study are your
     three new RCS series from Eurasia and D'Arrigo's Gulf of Alaska
     record. Apparently, none of the Malcolm's series in Mann et al. were
     processed in a way that would preserve the millennial trend, and
     these should be omitted from the synthesis.
     I now need to substantially revamp the manuscript. Before I do, I
     want to be sure that I get it right this time and hope that you will
     be interested in joining as co-author to help guide the tree-ring
     component of the synthesis. I see that you have posted the Phil Trans
     data on your website, but would much prefer to have your involvement
     before using the data.
     Unfortunately, the timing for submission is an issue. I am leading a
     12-PI proposal that is currently pending and would benefit greatly if
     this paper were accepted for publication.
     Please have a look at the manuscript, which I realize needs
     substantial revisions, and let me know if you have time and interest
     in getting involved.
     Thanks,
     Darrell
     ￼
     Darrell S. Kaufman
     Professor of Geology and Environmental Sciences
     Northern Arizona University
     928-523-7192
     [1]http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~dsk5/
     Hello Keith:
     Following the recommendations of Malcolm and Phil (via Ray), it's clear that I should
     have come to you sooner. I am now well along on a manuscript that summarizes
     2000-year-long proxy temperature records from the Arctic (attached). The impetus for the
     paper is the new compilation of high-resolution lake records that my group recently
     published in J Paleolimnology.
     On the tree-ring side, it's clear to me now that I should not have used the series from
     the Mann et al. compilation, and I hadn't see your 2008 Phil Trans paper until just last
     week. As far as I can tell, the only records that meet the criteria for this study are
     your three new RCS series from Eurasia and D'Arrigo's Gulf of Alaska record. Apparently,
     none of the Malcolm's series in Mann et al. were processed in a way that would preserve
     the millennial trend, and these should be omitted from the synthesis.
     I now need to substantially revamp the manuscript. Before I do, I want to be sure that I
     get it right this time and hope that you will be interested in joining as co-author to
     help guide the tree-ring component of the synthesis. I see that you have posted the Phil
     Trans data on your website, but would much prefer to have your involvement before using
     the data.
     Unfortunately, the timing for submission is an issue. I am leading a 12-PI proposal that
     is currently pending and would benefit greatly if this paper were accepted for
     publication.
     Please have a look at the manuscript, which I realize needs substantial revisions, and
     let me know if you have time and interest in getting involved.
     Thanks,
     Darrell
     Darrell S. Kaufman
     Professor of Geology and Environmental Sciences
     Northern Arizona University
     928-523-7192
     [2]http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~dsk5/

   --
   Professor Keith Briffa,
   Climatic Research Unit
   University of East Anglia
   Norwich, NR4 7TJ, U.K.

   Phone: +44-1603-593909
   Fax: +44-1603-507784
   [3]http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/people/briffa/

