Paleoclimate in continental northwestern Europe during the Eemian and early Weichselian (125–97 ka): insights from a Belgian speleothem
The last interglacial serves as an excellent time interval for studying climate dynamics during past warm periods. Speleothems have been successfully used for reconstructing the paleoclimate of last interglacial continental Europe. However, all previously investigated speleothems are restricted to s...
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ftnonlinearchiv:oai:noa.gwlb.de:cop_mods_00011942 2023-05-15T16:28:12+02:00 Paleoclimate in continental northwestern Europe during the Eemian and early Weichselian (125–97 ka): insights from a Belgian speleothem Vansteenberge, Stef Verheyden, Sophie Cheng, Hai Edwards, R. Lawrence Keppens, Eddy Claeys, Philippe 2016-07 electronic https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1445-2016 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00011942 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00011899/cp-12-1445-2016.pdf https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/12/1445/2016/cp-12-1445-2016.pdf eng eng Copernicus Publications Climate of the Past -- http://www.copernicus.org/EGU/cp/cp/published_papers.html -- http://www.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/?2217985 -- 1814-9332 https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1445-2016 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00011942 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00011899/cp-12-1445-2016.pdf https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/12/1445/2016/cp-12-1445-2016.pdf uneingeschränkt info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article Verlagsveröffentlichung article Text doc-type:article 2016 ftnonlinearchiv https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1445-2016 2022-02-08T22:56:18Z The last interglacial serves as an excellent time interval for studying climate dynamics during past warm periods. Speleothems have been successfully used for reconstructing the paleoclimate of last interglacial continental Europe. However, all previously investigated speleothems are restricted to southern Europe or the Alps, leaving large parts of northwestern Europe undocumented. To better understand regional climate changes over the past, a larger spatial coverage of European last interglacial continental records is essential, and speleothems, because of their ability to obtain excellent chronologies, can provide a major contribution. Here, we present new, high-resolution data from a stalagmite (Han-9) obtained from the Han-sur-Lesse Cave in Belgium. Han-9 formed between 125.3 and ∼ 97 ka, with interruptions of growth occurring at 117.3–112.9 and 106.6–103.6 ka. The speleothem was investigated for its growth, morphology and stable isotope (δ13C and δ18O) composition. The speleothem started growing relatively late within the last interglacial, at 125.3 ka, as other European continental archives suggest that Eemian optimum conditions were already present during that time. It appears that the initiation of Han-9 growth is caused by an increase in moisture availability, linked to wetter conditions around 125.3 ka. The δ13C and δ18O proxies indicate a period of relatively stable conditions after 125.3 ka; however, at 120 ka the speleothem δ18O registered the first signs of regionally changing climate conditions, being a modification of ocean source δ18O linked to an increase in ice volume towards the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e–5d transition. At 117.5 ka, drastic vegetation changes are recorded by Han-9 δ13C immediately followed by a cessation of speleothem growth at 117.3 ka, suggesting a transition to significantly dryer conditions. The Han-9 record covering the early Weichselian displays larger amplitudes in both isotope proxies and changes in stalagmite morphology, evidencing increased variability compared to the Eemian. Stadials that appear to be analogous to those in Greenland are recognized in Han-9, and the chronology is consistent with other European (speleothem) records. Greenland Stadial 25 is reflected as a cold/dry period within Han-9 stable isotope proxies, and the second interruption in speleothem growth occurs simultaneously with Greenland Stadial 24. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Niedersächsisches Online-Archiv NOA Greenland Climate of the Past 12 7 1445 1458 |
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article Verlagsveröffentlichung Vansteenberge, Stef Verheyden, Sophie Cheng, Hai Edwards, R. Lawrence Keppens, Eddy Claeys, Philippe Paleoclimate in continental northwestern Europe during the Eemian and early Weichselian (125–97 ka): insights from a Belgian speleothem |
topic_facet |
article Verlagsveröffentlichung |
description |
The last interglacial serves as an excellent time interval for studying climate dynamics during past warm periods. Speleothems have been successfully used for reconstructing the paleoclimate of last interglacial continental Europe. However, all previously investigated speleothems are restricted to southern Europe or the Alps, leaving large parts of northwestern Europe undocumented. To better understand regional climate changes over the past, a larger spatial coverage of European last interglacial continental records is essential, and speleothems, because of their ability to obtain excellent chronologies, can provide a major contribution. Here, we present new, high-resolution data from a stalagmite (Han-9) obtained from the Han-sur-Lesse Cave in Belgium. Han-9 formed between 125.3 and ∼ 97 ka, with interruptions of growth occurring at 117.3–112.9 and 106.6–103.6 ka. The speleothem was investigated for its growth, morphology and stable isotope (δ13C and δ18O) composition. The speleothem started growing relatively late within the last interglacial, at 125.3 ka, as other European continental archives suggest that Eemian optimum conditions were already present during that time. It appears that the initiation of Han-9 growth is caused by an increase in moisture availability, linked to wetter conditions around 125.3 ka. The δ13C and δ18O proxies indicate a period of relatively stable conditions after 125.3 ka; however, at 120 ka the speleothem δ18O registered the first signs of regionally changing climate conditions, being a modification of ocean source δ18O linked to an increase in ice volume towards the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e–5d transition. At 117.5 ka, drastic vegetation changes are recorded by Han-9 δ13C immediately followed by a cessation of speleothem growth at 117.3 ka, suggesting a transition to significantly dryer conditions. The Han-9 record covering the early Weichselian displays larger amplitudes in both isotope proxies and changes in stalagmite morphology, evidencing increased variability compared to the Eemian. Stadials that appear to be analogous to those in Greenland are recognized in Han-9, and the chronology is consistent with other European (speleothem) records. Greenland Stadial 25 is reflected as a cold/dry period within Han-9 stable isotope proxies, and the second interruption in speleothem growth occurs simultaneously with Greenland Stadial 24. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Vansteenberge, Stef Verheyden, Sophie Cheng, Hai Edwards, R. Lawrence Keppens, Eddy Claeys, Philippe |
author_facet |
Vansteenberge, Stef Verheyden, Sophie Cheng, Hai Edwards, R. Lawrence Keppens, Eddy Claeys, Philippe |
author_sort |
Vansteenberge, Stef |
title |
Paleoclimate in continental northwestern Europe during the Eemian and early Weichselian (125–97 ka): insights from a Belgian speleothem |
title_short |
Paleoclimate in continental northwestern Europe during the Eemian and early Weichselian (125–97 ka): insights from a Belgian speleothem |
title_full |
Paleoclimate in continental northwestern Europe during the Eemian and early Weichselian (125–97 ka): insights from a Belgian speleothem |
title_fullStr |
Paleoclimate in continental northwestern Europe during the Eemian and early Weichselian (125–97 ka): insights from a Belgian speleothem |
title_full_unstemmed |
Paleoclimate in continental northwestern Europe during the Eemian and early Weichselian (125–97 ka): insights from a Belgian speleothem |
title_sort |
paleoclimate in continental northwestern europe during the eemian and early weichselian (125–97 ka): insights from a belgian speleothem |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1445-2016 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00011942 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00011899/cp-12-1445-2016.pdf https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/12/1445/2016/cp-12-1445-2016.pdf |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Greenland |
genre_facet |
Greenland |
op_relation |
Climate of the Past -- http://www.copernicus.org/EGU/cp/cp/published_papers.html -- http://www.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/?2217985 -- 1814-9332 https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1445-2016 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00011942 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00011899/cp-12-1445-2016.pdf https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/12/1445/2016/cp-12-1445-2016.pdf |
op_rights |
uneingeschränkt info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1445-2016 |
container_title |
Climate of the Past |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
1445 |
op_container_end_page |
1458 |
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1766017831754792960 |