Climate records from Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, over the past 15,000 years

Comparison of changes in seasonal solar radiation (insolation) and the environmental history of Lower Geyser Basin (modified from Whitlock et al. 2026). (A) Insolation anomaly for summer and winter at 45 oN latitude. (B) Pollen-based vegetation reconstructions from Rush Lake (Lower Geyser Basin) and Cygnet Lake (Central Plateau). (C) Anomalies of standardized charcoal accumulation rates (CHAR), compared to the long-term average, showing wildfire variations on the rhyolitic Yellowstone Plateau. (D) Nutrient levels, notably phosphorous, as inferred from the Rush Lake diatom record. (E) Periods of hydrothermal activity and age of lake origin as inferred from sedimentary arsenic (As) data.  Thick bars indicate higher-than-present As concentrations.