Increasing vegetation and climate gradient in Western Europe over the Last Glacial Inception (122-110 ka): data-model comparison

• Published in: Earth and Planetary Science Letters
• Main Authors: Goni, MFS, Loutre, Marie-France, Crucifix, Michel, Peyron, O, Santos, L, Duprat, J., Malaize, B, Turon, JL, Peypouquet, JP
• Other Authors: UCL
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Science Bv 2005
• Subjects: Eemian; MIS 5; Last Glacial Inception; western Europe; northwestern Iberia; EMIC; climate simulation; pollen; vegetation; climate reconstruction; Tundra
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/39504; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2004.12.010

High-resolution terrestrial (pollen) and marine (planktic and benthic isotopes, coarse fraction, and N. pachyderma (s)) analyses have been performed in the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 interval of IMAGES core MD99-2331 retrieved in the northwestern Iberian margin. This study shows the occurrence of a Zeifen Interstadial/Stadial succession on land and in the ocean during the first part of MIS 5e. In northwestern Iberia, the Eemian is marked from 126 to 122 ka by the development of deciduous Quercus forest at the same time as Mediterranean forest colonised southern Iberia, and deciduous Quercus-Corylus forest occupied northernmost European regions. From 121 to 115 ka Carpinus betulus forest developed in NW Iberia indicating a winter cooling by 2degreesC on land and an increase in annual precipitation by 100-200 min along with a Sea Surface Temperature (SST) decreasing trend off Iberia. A similar cooling has been documented at the same time in northern Germany (52degreesN) by the replacement of deciduous forest by coniferous (Abies-Picea) formations, implying a southward displacement of the deciduous tree line between similar to60degreesN and 50degreesN as early as 120 ka. The southward migration of the tree line between 72degreesN and 58degreesN simulated by the Earth Model of Intermediate Complexity MoBidiC from 122 and 120 ka and considered as a major process to initiate the last glaciation is, therefore, compatible with data. Between 115 and 110 ka, the substantial ice accumulation in northern high latitudes (MIS 5e/5d transition) was synchronous with successive drops, C26 and C25, in northeastern Atlantic SST. In northwestern Iberia Abies-Pinus trees developed at the expense of Quercus-Carpinus forest. A tundra-like environment occupied northern Germany, marking the end of the interglacial in northwestern Europe at 115 ka, and boreal forest likely colonised northeastern France. The first displacement of the vegetation belts at 121 ka was enhanced at 115 ka indicating an amplification of the vegetation and ...