Peatlands in Southern South America (SSA), in the path of the Southern Westerly Wind belt (SWW), offer the potential of reliable palaeoclimate archives. This investigation aimed to test the late-Holocene climate signal related to variability of the SWW. Three sites were investigated: San Juan and Karukinka bog, southernmost Chile and San Carlos, a Sphagnum dominated bog, discovered in the Falkland Islands, to form a regional comparison. A multi-proxy approach was used, combining both palaeoecological and stable isotopic methods. At one site, Karukinka, intra-site replicability was tested across three profiles located along a microtopographical gradient. A low number of statistically significant correlations between proxies were evident. KAR-EM-1, the low-hummock profile, displayed the highest number of significant correlations, suggesting an optimal coring location. Chronological uncertainty in the high-hummock profile, KAR-EM-3, was the focus of discussion. Intra-site replicability between the palaeoecological records was improved by plotting the records against a ‘master chronology’, from the mid-hummock profile, KAR-EM-2, assuming a synchronous acrotelm-catotelm boundary across the profiles. The testate amoeba inferred depth to water table (WTD) reconstructions offered the highest intra-site coherence, while the stable isotope records suggested generally poor intra-site replicability. A semi-quantitative method of intra-site comparison was carried out which resulted in a number of climate scenarios. The inter-site comparison assessed correlations between the records from the three sites. A lack of significant correlations between the sites may have been due to regional climate variations and differences in the temporal resolution of the records. Robust climatic inferences were limited to the last 300 years. The WTD reconstructions displayed the highest inter-site coherence and suggested a drying trend after AD 1930 due to a southerly shift of the SWW. Late-Holocene climate variability was inferred from the palaeoecological records from Karukinka. Two periods were identified: a MCA period of generally wetter conditions (AD 750-1100) and a LIA period of overall drier conditions (~AD 1100-1900) during a southerly and northerly shifted SWW respectively, driven by solar variability and polar cell strengthening.

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul / It was identified Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange (STE) events on Southern South America and their effects in the Ozone Total Column (OTC) above Central Region of Rio Grande do Sul (CRRS), Brazil, in the period between 2005 and 2014. To this end, it was developed a methodology able to verify the tropopause height and the descend mass flux in this region, using reanalysis 2 data provided by NCEP/DOE. Furthermore, these cases must have wind cores above 40m/s (Upper-level Jet Stream - ULJS) acting between 30 and 80°W and 20 and 50°S. The arrival confirmation of air parcels from the STE at the CRRS was made through HYSPLIT trajectory analysis model from NOAA. For cases that acted at the CRRS, it was computed the OTC variation in relation to five days prior to the STE effects, through daily OTC data obtained from the OMI instrument for Santa Maria city (29.72°S; 53.72°W). This methodology proved to be effective in identifying 755 STE events on Southern South America, from which 103 came to act on CRRS, with 65% of cases increasing and 35% reducing the OTC in this region. Seasonal analysis showed that most cases happens in winter, followed by spring and in less quantity in summer and fall. Averaged fields of the vertical wind profile, mass flux, temperature and potential vorticity, showed that STE events occur more often in post-frontal situations at the Bacia do Prata region. Moreover, it was analyzed the convergence role in relation to jet streak s vertical transversal circulations, demonstrating that, in STE cases, these circulations increase even more the stratospheric air intake into the troposphere by strong convergence in the ULJS level. In short, it was verified that STE events on Southern South America act as a stratospheric ozone-rich air source to the CRRS, having as an allied the ULJS, which increase the phenomena. / Foram identificados eventos de Troca Estratosfera-Troposfera (TET) sobre o Sul da América do Sul e seus efeitos na variação da Coluna Total de Ozônio (CTO) Região Central do Rio Grande do Sul (RCRS), Brasil, no período entre 2005 e 2014. Para este fim, desenvolveu-se uma metodologia capaz de verificar a altura da tropopausa e o fluxo de massa descendente nesta região, utilizando dados de reanálise 2 fornecidos pelo NCEP/DOE. Além disso, os casos deveriam possuir núcleos de vento acima de 40 m/s (Corrente de Jato em Altos Níveis - CJAN) atuando entre 30 e 80°O e 20 e 50°S. A confirmação da chegada das parcelas de ar provenientes da TET na RCRS deu-se através da análise das trajetórias do modelo Hysplit da NOAA. Para os casos que atuaram na RCRS, calculou-se a variação da CTO em relação aos cinco dias anteriores aos efeitos da TET, através de dados diários da CTO obtidos do instrumento OMI para a cidade de Santa Maria (29.72°S; 53.72°O). Esta metodologia mostrou-se eficaz na identificação de 755 eventos de TET sobre o Sul da América do Sul, dos quais 103 vieram a atuar na RCRS, com 65% dos casos aumentando e com 35% reduzindo a CTO nesta região. A análise sazonal mostrou que a maioria dos casos acontece no inverno, seguido da primavera e em menor quantidade no verão e outono. Campos médios do perfil vertical de vento, fluxo de massa, temperatura e vorticidade potencial, mostraram que os eventos de TET ocorrem com mais frequência em uma situação pós-frontal na região da Bacia do Prata. Além disso, analisou-se o papel da convergência relacionada às circulações verticais transversais do núcleo da CJAN, mostrando que, em casos de TET, estas circulações intensificam ainda mais a entrada de ar estratosférico para dentro da troposfera por intermédio da forte convergência no nível da CJAN. Em suma, verificou-se que os eventos de TET sobre o Sul da América do Sul atuam como uma fonte de ar estratosférico rico em Ozônio para a RCRS, tendo como um de seus aliados a CJAN, a qual intensifica o fenômeno.