Simulated European stalagmite record and its relation to a quasi-decadal climate mode

• Published in: Climate of the Past
• Main Authors: Lohmann, G., Wackerbarth, A., Langebroek, P. M., Werner, M., Fohlmeister, J., Scholz, D., Mangini, A.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-89-2013; https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/9/89/2013/

A synthetic stalagmite δ 18 O record for the Bunker Cave (51° N, 7° E) is constructed using a combined climate–stalagmite modelling approach where we combine an atmospheric circulation model equipped with water isotopes and a model simulating stalagmite calcite δ 18 O values. Mixing processes in the soil and karst above the cave represent a natural low-pass filter of the speleothem climate archive. Stalagmite δ 18 O values at Bunker Cave lag the regional surface climate by 3–4 yr. The power spectrum of the simulated speleothem calcite δ 18 O record has a pronounced peak at quasi-decadal time scale, which is associated with a large-scale climate variability pattern in the North Atlantic. Our modelling study suggests that stalagmite records from Bunker Cave are representative for large-scale teleconnections and can be used to obtain information about the North Atlantic and its decadal variability.