Eastern Mediterranean Sea during the Last Glacial Maximum; an 18,000-years B.P. Reconstruction

• Published in: Quaternary Research
• Main Author: Thunell, Robert C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1979
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Earth-Surface Processes; Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous); North Atlantic; Planktonic foraminifera; Siberia
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(79)90080-2; http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589479900802?httpAccept=text/xml; http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589479900802?httpAccept=text/plain; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400029847

An ecological transfer function based on the distribution of planktonic foraminifera in 66 Mediterranean and 8 North Atlantic surface-sediment samples is used to estimate sea-surface temperatures and salinities for the eastern Mediterranean during the last glacial maximum (18,000 yr B.P.). The present-day distribution of planktonic foraminifera can be explained by four faunal assemblages, each of which has diagnostic environmental preferences. Factor 1 is a tropical-subtropical assemblage; factor 2 is a transitional assemblage; factor 3 is a low-salinity assemblage; and factor 4 is a subpolar assemblage. The geographic distribution of these faunal assemblages reflect the variation in overlying hydrographic conditions. The 18,000-yr B.P. samples were selected based on total faunal stratigraphy, oxygen-isotope stratigraphy, and previously determined radiometric dates for eastern Mediterranean volcanic ash layers. Estimated temperature and salinity patterns show that the greatest change between present-day and 18,000-yr B.P. sea-surface conditions existed in the Aegean Sea and immediately south of Crete. The winter temperature anomaly (18,000 yr B.P.-present) within the Aegean Sea is 6°C cooler than present. In contrast to this, the maximum summer temperature anomaly exists to the south of Crete, where sea-surface temperatures were 4°C cooler than present. Estimated sea-surface salinities also show that the greatest change took place within the Aegean Sea, being 5‰ less saline than present. The estimated temperature and salinity patterns seem to reflect changing drainage patterns during glacial times and the diversion of cool, low-salinity water into the Aegean Sea. The source of this glacial runoff appears to be large freshwater lakes that existed during this time over parts of eastern Europe and western Siberia.