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Abrupt climate changes during Termination III in Southern Europe.
Carlos Pérez-Mejías1,2, Ana Moreno3, Carlos Sancho2
1Department of Geoenvironmental Processes and Global Change, Pyrenean Institute of Ecology-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC), 50059 Zaragoza, Spain; cperez@ipe.csic.es.
Summary
Investigating Termination III (T-III) climate shifts reveals millennial-scale arid events (S8.1, S8.2) in southern Europe. These ancient climate changes offer insights into glacial-interglacial transitions and abrupt climate reversals.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Quaternary Geology
- Speleothem Science
Background:
- Late Quaternary glacial-interglacial transitions exhibit significant climate variability.
- Termination III (T-III) is challenging to study due to limited well-dated records.
- Understanding T-III feedbacks is crucial for comprehending abrupt climate changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct the climate and environmental conditions during Termination III (T-III).
- To investigate millennial-scale climate variability and potential abrupt climate reversals.
- To establish a high-resolution chronology for the MIS 8 to MIS 7e transition.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of speleothem samples from southern Europe.
- High-resolution measurement of stable isotopes (δ13C, δ18O) and Mg/Ca ratios.
- Uranium-thorium (U-Th) dating for chronological control.
Main Results:
- Speleothem records reveal millennial-scale changes in aridity, water availability, and vegetation productivity.
- Two distinct millennial-scale events (S8.1 and S8.2) were identified and dated.
- The identified events show similarities to Heinrich events in Termination I.
Conclusions:
- Speleothem data provide valuable insights into the climate dynamics of Termination III.
- Millennial-scale climate variability and abrupt events occurred during this transition.
- Comparison with other terminations aids in understanding glacial-interglacial dynamics.
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