青藏高原全新世1月和7月气温序列重建

青藏高原自然环境受人类干扰相对较小,为利用古孢粉记录重建气候因子提供了可能,高原过去气候因子的重建对于预测未来气候变化趋势有重要意义.通过选取的29条高原化石孢粉记录,利用现代类比法和化石孢粉点与高原气温的函数关系,把化石孢粉点古气温转化为青藏高原古气温,重建了高原全新世1月和7月古气温序列.结果表明：对于1月和7月气温而言,全新世早期（11.5～8.5 ka BP）为气温波动上升期;全新世中期（8.5～4.6 ka BP）为全新世大暖期,气温整体高于现代;全新世晚期（4.6 ka BP～至今）又可分为两个阶段,一个是4.6～2.4 ka BP,在此阶段1月和7月气温都有减小的趋势,另一个阶段则是2.4 ka BP至今,气温出现反常的趋势.     

中全新世福建沿海地区海平面波动：基于NDQK5岩芯介形类化石记录

福建沿海地区第四系较为发育,是研究晚更新世以来相对海平面变化的理想区域。本文以福建宁德NDQK5岩芯中产出的高分辨率介形类化石为研究对象,结合加速器质谱法(accelerator mass spectrometry, AMS)14C和光释光测年技术建立岩芯年代框架,重建了中全新世期间福建沿海地区的相对海平面变化。结果显示,NDQK5岩芯中的介形类化石记录主要分布于4~17. 1 m段,对应年代约为8. 2~6. 9 ka BP。岩芯内共计识别出海相介形类23属26种,根据优势种以及特征种的相对丰度变化特征可将岩芯内的介形类动物群划分为3个组合：① 介形类组合A以Bicornucythere bisanensis和Sinocytheridea impressa为主,代表潮下带环境;② 介形类组合B以Sinocytheridea impressa和Neomonoceratina delicata为优势种,指示近岸内陆架的沉积环境;③ 介形类组合C以Sinocytheridea impressa和Loxoconcha ocellifera为主,代表潮间带的沉积环境。基于介形类组合的分布特征,本文推断福建沿海地区海平面约在8. 2~7. 4 ka BP期间持续上升,并在约7. 9~7. 4 ka BP区间达到最高;7. 4~7. 0 ka BP期间海平面下降,随后再次上升。因此,介形类化石记录指示福建沿海地区在全新世高海平面背景下依然存在相对海平面的次一级波动。同时,结合已有福建沿海地区海平面变化驱动机制的研究结果,本研究推断8. 2~7 ka BP期间福建沿海地区的海平面变化可能主要受控于冰盖融水;7 ka BP后该地区的海平面波动可能受控于“冰川- 水均衡调整”作用。     

珠江三角洲GZ-2孔全新统孢粉特征及古环境意义*

根据珠江三角洲GZ-2孔测年结果、岩相特征和孢粉地层信息推断,该地区全新统约在6.0 ka BP开始沉积, 全新统孢粉组合特征与更新统相比有明显的区别,表明全新世与更新世的气候相比有明显变化。孢粉与沉积信息揭示,全新世本区气候基本以暖湿为主,气候波动不大,在5.0～2.4 ka BP表现最为热湿,在2.4～1.9 ka BP相对偏凉干,随后恢复暖湿。在这些相对较明显的波动中还包含有次一级的微弱波动。除了反映气候变化,孢粉信息也指示了一定的沉积环境变迁以及人类活动信息。该区在中全新世经历了一次明显的海侵过程,进入晚全新世后人类活动对三角洲植被和环境的影响加剧, 期间水深逐渐变浅,沉积环境由河口湾、浅海、滨海潮滩逐渐演变为三角洲平原,区域气候的变化与海平面变化趋势基本一致。     

青藏高原东北部泥炭沉积粒度与元素记录的全新世千年尺度的气候变化

通过对青藏高原东北部共和盆地泥炭沉积的粒度与地球化学元素分析, 重建了区域全新世千年尺度的气候变化过程. 结果显示: 10.0~8.6 cal ka BP区域暖湿程度逐渐增加, 但在8.6~7.1 cal ka BP气候相对寒冷干燥, 7.1~3.8 cal ka BP 暖湿程度总体上为全新世最佳, 但也出现明显的气候波动, 3.8~0.5 cal ka BP气候向冷干方向发展, 0.5 cal ka BP以来气候又逐渐转向暖湿. 这一特征与中国东部季风区的气候变化有很好的一致性. 此外, 区域全新世气候变化过程中存在10次千年尺度的寒冷事件, 并与高原冰芯、 湖泊、 泥炭和风成沉积记录的古气候变化, 甚至与北半球高低纬度的气候变化都具有良好的可比性. 因此, 认为区域全新世气候变化具有"季风模式"与"千年尺度震荡"的双重特点.     

珠江三角洲陈村钻孔剖面沉积特征及有机碳同位素古环境意义

陈村剖面位于佛山市陈村镇。AMS14C及OSL测年结果显示,剖面自晚更新世中晚期以来开始沉积,结束于全新世晚期,由老至新经历了河流相—河口湾相—三角洲相沉积环境。根据有机碳同位素曲线变化特征,结合孢粉、有孔虫等鉴定结果及沉积环境综合分析,将剖面划分为4个演化阶段:1晚更新世,34.15~24.5ka BP,属河流相沉积环境,δ13Corg平均值为-28.13‰,对应MIS 3期冷—稍湿气候,期间小幅波动;2晚更新世—全新世早期,24.5~9ka BP,属河流相沉积环境,δ13Corg平均值为-29.8‰,对应MIS 2期干冷气候及全新世早期温—干气候,YD事件得以记录;3全新世早—中期,9~6.7ka BP,属于河口湾—三角洲相沉积环境,δ13Corg平均值为-27.97‰,变化幅度小,对应暖—湿气候;4全新世中—晚期,6.7~0.44ka BP,属于三角洲相沉积环境,δ13Corg平均值为-26.94‰,变化幅度大,冷暖变化显著,气候特征为热湿—偏凉—暖干。     

晚冰期以来青藏高原降水序列集成重建

选取青藏高原36条(34个地点)由孢粉已重建的降水序列(8条)和化石孢粉谱(28条),分别采用直接提取和现代类比法获得1852个具有年代的定量降水数据,以高原4个分区为单位,建立青藏高原晚冰期以来古降水数据集。构建分区古降水空间模拟-多区面积加权的集成方法,即借助GIS分析,基于现代高原降水空间分布的地理因子模拟,集成重建晚冰期以来高原古降水序列。结果表明:16~12 ka B.P.,高原总体降水量较少,其中16 ka B.P.不到200 mm,约为现代降水量的一半,15~13 ka B.P.后降水显著增长,较前期上升70 mm;13~12 ka B.P.,又跌至220 mm,较现代低100 mm。进入全新世后,降水量迅速增长,降水在全新世早期的9.2~8.7 ka B.P.即达到最大值,高出现代70 mm,9.2~5.0 ka B.P.为全新世湿润期,平均高出现代50 mm;5 ka B.P.之后,降水波动较小,与现代基本持平。集成降水与其他高低分辨率环境记录有很好的可比性,说明集成序列有很好的代表性和一定的准确性。此外,高原降水变化区域差异明显,全新世最大降水呈现出西早东晚,西南季风(ISM)区早于东南季风(EASM)区的特点,高原西部和南部全新世早期9 ka B.P.左右即达极大值,而高原东缘迟至全新世中期的8.0~7.5 ka B.P.;降水增加最为明显的是高原西北部,最盛期降水约高出为现代的1倍,高原东部和南部现季风控制区域,只比现代高出0.2倍。     

苏北平原沉积孢粉组合记录的全新世气候突变

通过中国东部苏北平原厚3.4 m的PM4剖面孢粉分析结果,重建了该地区全新世以来古植被更替过程,查明了5.20~3.00 cal.ka B.P.中国东部沿海平原百年尺度的海平面变化历史,并探讨了沿海平原植被对海平面变化的响应。孢粉结果表明,全新世以来该地区的植被与气候经历了以下5个阶段:1)11.90~8.80 cal.ka B.P.,亚热带常绿、落叶阔叶混交林繁盛,气候温暖湿润;2)8.80~7.40 cal.ka B.P.,发育了常绿、落叶阔叶混交林-草地,气候相对冷干;3)7.40~5.20 cal.ka B.P.,植被为常绿、落叶阔叶混交林,温度降低,降水增加;4)5.20~1.08 cal.ka B.P.,植被退化为盐生草甸;5)1.08 cal.ka B.P.以来植被中湿生草本群落繁盛。根据藜科、蒿属、禾本科和莎草科花粉的含量变化及粒度、有孔虫特征重建了相对海平面的变化历史,5.20~4.55 cal.ka B.P.、4.25~4.05 cal.ka B.P.与4.55~4.25 cal.ka B.P.、4.05~3.00 cal.ka B.P.分别为海平面上升和下降的阶段。研究区4.25~4.05 cal.ka B.P.海平面上升可与大范围尺度的"4.2 ka B.P.气候事件"相对应,可能受到了当时东亚季风减弱、苏北平原强降水与大规模洪水事件的共同驱动。     

内蒙古中东部达里湖湖岸堤记录的12.5 cal ka BP以来湖面波动过程

内蒙古中东部位于东亚夏季风过渡区,对气候变化响应敏感。广泛发育的湖泊沉积物提供了全新世以来的环境变化的理想材料。湖岸沉积物直接记录的古水位,与高分辨率的湖心钻孔记录相结合,有助于全面认识古气候的变化历史和湖面波动的定量重建。运用AMS14C测年和GPS、DEM及1︰5万地形图等相结合的方法确定了达里湖北侧湖岸堤的年代和高程,并结合湖岸堤剖面的沉积序列指示的湖面变化过程,重建了12.5cal ka BP以来达里湖的波动历史。12.5 cal ka BP,达里湖湖面海拔高度约为1253m,至12.3 cal ka BP湖面经历短暂上升,至海拔1266m左右;之后湖面下降,至全新世早期(11.2 cal ka BP),水位降至1254m左右;随后湖面开始逐步上升,10.7 cal ka BP湖面水位稳定在1274m左右;全新世中期湖面继续上升至某一高度(至少在1291m)后,于全新世晚期4.8 cal ka BP湖面高度降至1279m,并于4.6 cal ka BP湖面继续下降至1275m的高度。通过对比湖心钻孔记录的湖泊波动历史以及区域湖泊沉积记录,认为达里湖的水位波动受东亚季风活动的影响,具有区域的一致性。达里湖的水位变化较区域内的其他湖泊更为强烈,认为除了受区域气候变化的影响外,达里湖全新世晚期的湖面下降可能还与区域内强烈的构造活动和西拉木伦河溯源侵蚀导致区域水系的改变有关。     

台湾头社盆地湖沼相沉积孢粉记录的6.2~1.3 cal ka BP以来气候研究

头社盆地位于中国台湾省中部,东亚季风区的最前沿,对东亚季风的响应十分敏感,研究其中晚全新世以来古植被、重建古气候序列,探讨其气候与东亚夏季风的关系具有重要的科学意义。文章对头社盆地泥炭—湖泊沉积的AMS14C测年、体积磁化率测试的基础上,基于孢粉记录,重建晚全新世来植被变化,恢复古气候。结果表明全新世中晚期以来分六个阶段：6.2~6.0 cal ka BP,气候凉干,植被类型是亚热带常绿阔叶林;6.0~4.0 cal ka BP,气候转暖湿,植被类型为含较多热带成分的亚热带常绿阔叶林;4.0~2.2 cal ka BP,气候相对凉干,植被类型转为亚热带常绿阔叶林;2.2~1.9 cal ka BP,气候又变暖湿;1.9~1.7 cal ka BP,气候快速冷干事件,森林退化;1.7~1.3 cal ka BP,气候重转温暖湿润,植被类型为接近现代的沼泽草原。整体上6.2~2.2 cal ka BP的气候变化是由温暖湿润向温凉干燥转变的趋势,这是全新世中晚期以来的太阳辐射量减少所导致的,太阳辐射量的减少导致热带辐合南移,进而导致东亚夏季风减弱,而2.2 cal ka BP之后气候波动较大,可能是在东亚夏季风减弱的背景下,ENSO活动加强与人类活动的干扰下耦合的结果。     

内蒙古中东部达里湖湖岸堤记录的12.5 cal ka BP以来湖面波动过程*

内蒙古中东部位于东亚夏季风过渡区,对气候变化响应敏感。广泛发育的湖泊沉积物提供了全新世以来的环境变化的理想材料。湖岸沉积物直接记录的古水位,与高分辨率的湖心钻孔记录相结合,有助于全面认识古气候的变化历史和湖面波动的定量重建。运用AMS¹⁴C测年和GPS、DEM及1︰5万地形图等相结合的方法确定了达里湖北侧湖岸堤的年代和高程,并结合湖岸堤剖面的沉积序列指示的湖面变化过程,重建了12.5 cal ka BP以来达里湖的波动历史。12.5 cal ka BP,达里湖湖面海拔高度约为1253,m,至12.3 cal ka BP湖面经历短暂上升,至海拔1266,m左右;之后湖面下降,至全新世早期(11.2 cal ka BP),水位降至1254,m左右;随后湖面开始逐步上升,10.7 cal ka BP湖面水位稳定在1274,m左右;全新世中期湖面继续上升至某一高度(至少在1291,m)后,于全新世晚期4.8 calka BP 湖面高度降至1279,m,并于4.6 cal ka BP湖面继续下降至1275,m的高度。通过对比湖心钻孔记录的湖泊波动历史以及区域湖泊沉积记录,认为达里湖的水位波动受东亚季风活动的影响,具有区域的一致性。达里湖的水位变化较区域内的其他湖泊更为强烈,认为除了受区域气候变化的影响外,达里湖全新世晚期的湖面下降可能还与区域内强烈的构造活动和西拉木伦河溯源侵蚀导致区域水系的改变有关。     

渤海湾西岸CZ01钻孔沉积物粒度端元分析及其气候—海平面变化响应*

沧州地区位于海陆交互的渤海湾西岸,易受到海平面变化和极端气候事件的影响,对于全球气候变化的响应十分敏感。应用非参数化端元分析模型将沧州地区CZ01钻孔中更新世晚期以来的沉积物粒度划分出6个端元并分析其物源,结合已有地质记录,揭示不同时间尺度下各端元对气候—海平面变化的响应。结果表明: (1)EM1(5.01 μm)主要为远源的风尘输入,EM2(13.18 μm)和EM3(39.81 μm)为古黄河所携带的沉积物,EM4(69.18 μm)和EM5(138.04 μm)为海相沉积物,EM6(275.42 μm)可能指示古洪水等极端气候事件。(2)深海氧同位素(MIS)Ⅰ 阶段,气候温暖湿润,EM4+5含量指示渤海海平面整体呈波动上升的趋势并逐渐接近现代海平面。该阶段内由于11.5 ka BP左右的新仙女木事件以及5.1 ka BP左右冷干事件的发生,渤海海平面在稳定上升状态后出现停滞或小幅下降的现象; 而在9.5 ka BP、7.5 ka BP、5.8 ka BP和1.7 ka BP左右,东亚夏季风增强导致降水增加,渤海海平面升高。(3)MIS Ⅵ 阶段北半球气候冷干,150~132 ka BP左右因喜马拉雅运动减弱造成的区域沉降中心转移致使渤海海面升高。MIS Ⅴ 阶段气候波动剧烈: 在间冰期暖期(5a、5c和5e)气候暖湿,渤海海平面上升; 而MIS5b和5d时期渤海海面高度较低。MIS Ⅳ 阶段较MIS5a末期海平面突然下降后趋于稳定,期间出现若干次小规模海侵事件,可能与东亚夏季风频繁变化有关。MIS Ⅲ 阶段至末次冰盛期海平面大幅度下降且存在周期性升降变化,并在46 ka BP左右出现大规模海侵事件。MIS Ⅱ 阶段较MIS Ⅲ 阶段海平面出现小幅度下降,为低海平面时期; 伴随15 ka BP左右冰盛期的结束,东亚夏季风增强,海平面开始上升。渤海海平面180 ka BP以来的变化记录与北半球乃至全球范围内的地质记录存在一致性,与太阳辐射波动引起的冰川消融及东亚夏季风变化密切相关。     

Post-glacial regional climate variability along the East Antarctic coastal margin—Evidence from shallow marine and coastal terrestrial records

We review the post-glacial climate variability along the East Antarctic coastline using terrestrial and shallow marine geological records and compare these reconstructions with data from elsewhere. Nearly all East Antarctic records show a near-synchronous Early Holocene climate optimum (11.5–9 ka BP), coinciding with the deglaciation of currently ice-free regions and the optimum recorded in Antarctic ice and marine sediment cores. Shallow marine and coastal terrestrial climate anomalies appear to be out of phase after the Early Holocene warm period, and show complex regional patterns, but an overall trend of cooling in the terrestrial records. A Mid to Late Holocene warm period is present in many East Antarctic lake and shallow coastal marine records. Although there are some differences in the regional timing of this warm period, it typically occurs somewhere between 4.7 and 1 ka BP, which overlaps with a similar optimum found in Antarctic Peninsula terrestrial records. The differences in the timing of these sometimes abrupt warm events in different records and regions points to a number of mechanisms that we have yet to identify. Nearly all records show a neoglacial cooling from 2 ka BP onwards. There is no evidence along the East Antarctic coastline for an equivalent to the Northern Hemisphere Medieval Warm Period and there is only weak circumstantial evidence in a few places for a cool event crudely equivalent in time to the Northern Hemisphere's Little Ice Age. There is a need for well-dated, high resolution climate records in coastal East Antarctica and particularly in Terre Adélie, Dronning Maud Land and Enderby Land to fully understand the regional climate anomalies, the disparity between marine and terrestrial records, and to determine the significance of the heterogeneous temperature trends being measured in the Antarctic today.     

Vegetation and climate changes over the last 30 000 years on the Leizhou Peninsula,southern China,inferred from the pollen record of Huguangyan Maar Lake

A pollen record from Huguangyan Maar Lake documents regional palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate changes in southern China over the last 30 000 years. Huguangyan Maar Lake is located close to the South China Sea (SCS) coastline and is influenced by the East Asian Monsoon (EAM). The pollen assemblages show a succession of vegetation and climate changes. During the Last Glaciation, 30–15.8 cal. ka BP, the Huguangyan area was dominated by subtropical evergreen‐deciduous forest with grassland surrounding the lake, indicating a colder and drier climate than today. During 15.8–11 cal. ka BP, the study area experienced several climatic fluctuations. From 11 to 2 cal. ka BP, the climate shifted to warmer and wetter conditions. After the Holocene Optimum in the early Holocene, the temperature and precipitation decreased. The sediment record of the last 2000 years cannot be used to interpret natural palaeoclimate changes due to the intense anthropogenic influences. Overall, however, the Huguangyan pollen archive highlights the rapid responses of subtropical vegetation to insolation changes in southern China.     

Sub‐arctic Holocene climatic and oceanographic variability in Stjernsund,northern Norway: evidence from benthic foraminifera and stable isotopes

A high‐resolution record, covering 9.3–0.2 ka BP, from the sub‐arctic Stjernsund (70°N) was studied for benthic foraminiferal faunas and stable isotopes, revealing three informally named main phases during the Holocene. The Early‐ to Mid‐Holocene (9.3–5.0 ka BP) was characterized by the strong influence of the North Atlantic Current (NAC), which prevented the reflection of the Holocene Climatic Optimum (HCO) in the bottom‐water temperature. During the Mid‐Holocene Transition (5.0–2.5 ka BP), a turnover of benthic foraminiferal faunas occurred, Atlantic Water species decreased while Arctic‐Polar species increased, and the oxygen isotope record showed larger fluctuations. Those variations correspond to a period of global climate change, to spatially more heterogeneous benthic foraminiferal faunas in the Nordic Seas region, and to regionally diverging terrestrial temperatures. The Cool Late Holocene (2.5–0.2 ka BP) was characterized by increased abundances of Arctic‐Polar species and a steady cooling trend reflected in the oxygen isotopes. In this period, our record differs considerably from those on the SW Barents Sea shelf and locations farther south. Therefore, we argue that regional atmospheric cooling triggered the late Holocene cooling trend. Several cold episodes centred at ～8.3, ～7.8, ～6.5, ～4.9, ～3.9 and ～3.3 ka BP were identified from the benthic foraminiferal faunas and the δ¹⁸O record, which correlated with marine and atmospherically driven proxy records. This suggests that short‐term cold events may result from reduced heat advection via the NAC or from colder air temperatures.     

南海北部晚第四纪高分辨率浮游氧同位素地层学及其古气候信息

对南海北部MD05-2904孔45 m的连续沉积物中提取的浮游有孔虫Globigerinoides ruber(白色)进行稳定同位素分析, 得到晚MIS 8以来(时间跨度257 ka, 平均时间分辨率228 a)的高分辨率沉积记录, δ18O和δ13C的频谱分析显示了强烈的岁差(23.4 ka、19.8 ka)、半岁差(11.7 ka、9.9 ka)周期.MD05-2904孔MIS 24时间段的氧同位素记录了格陵兰冰心中发现的Dansgaard/Oeschger和Heinrich事件.与葫芦洞石笋记录及南海邻区浮游有孔虫氧同位素记录的对比显示了受季风控制的区域因素, 如降雨、河流输入导致的盐度变化等对表层海水组成的影响.氧同位素在MIS 3、MIS 6的早期以及MIS 7.4偏轻; 而在MIS 5.5偏重, 这种现象解释为降雨量和蒸发量共同作用的结果.而末次冰盛期高达6570 cm/ka的沉积速率反映了低海平面时孔位离岸距离缩短带来丰富的沉积物源.      

Paleoecological evidence for abrupt cold reversals during peak Holocene warmth on Baffin Island, Arctic Canada

A continuous record of insect (Chironomidae) remains preserved in lake sediments is used to infer temperature changes at a small lake in Arctic Canada through the Holocene. Early Holocene summers at the study site were characterized by more thermophilous assemblages and warmer inferred temperatures than today, presumably in response to the positive anomaly in Northern Hemisphere summer insolation. Peak early Holocene warmth was interrupted by two cold reversals between 9.5 and 8 cal ka BP, during which multiple cold-stenothermous chironomid taxa appeared in the lake. The earlier reversal appears to correlate with widespread climate anomalies around 9.2 cal ka BP; the age of the younger reversal is equivocal but it may correlate with the 8.2 cal ka BP cold event documented elsewhere. Widespread, abrupt climate shifts in the early Holocene illustrate the susceptibility of the climate system to perturbations, even during periods of enhanced warmth in the Northern Hemisphere.     

Sea level,climate change and coastal evolution in Morar,northwest Scotland

Analyses of geomorphologically contrasting sites in Morar, NW Scotland, describe the forcing mechanisms of coastal change. Isolation basins (i.e. basins behind rock sills and now isolated from the sea following isostatic uplift) accumulated continuous marine and freshwater sediments from c.12 to 2 ka BP. Raised dune, marsh and wetland sites register breaching, migration and stability of dunes from c. 9 to 2 ka BP. High-resolution methods designed to address issues of macroscale and microscale sea-level changes and patterns of storminess include 1-mm sampling for pollen, dinocyst and diatom analyses, infra-red photography, X-ray photography and thin-section analysis. The data enhance the record of relative sea-level change for the area. Major phases of landward migration of the coast occurred during the period of low sea-level rise in the mid-Holocene as the rate of rise decreased from c. 3 to < 1 mm/year. Relative sea-level change controls the broad pattern of coastal evolution at each site; local site-specific factors contribute to short-term process change. There is no record of extreme events such as tsunami. Within a system of dynamic metastable equilibrium, the Holocene records show that site-specific factors determine the exact timing of system breakdown, e.g. dune breaching, superimposed on regional sea-level rise. The global average sea-level rise of 3 to 6 mm/yr by AD 2050 predicted by IPCC would only partly be offset in the Morar area by isostatic uplift of about 1 mm/yr. A change from relative sea-level fall to sea-level rise, in areas where the regional rate of uplift no longer offsets global processes, is a critical factor in the management of coastal resources.     

Holocene climate and cultural evolution in late prehistoric-early historic West Asia

The precipitation climatology and the underlying climate mechanisms of the eastern Mediterranean, West Asia, and the Indian subcontinent are reviewed, with emphasis on upper and middle tropospheric flow in the subtropics and its steering of precipitation. Holocene climate change of the region is summarized from proxy records. The Indian monsoon weakened during the Holocene over its northernmost region, the Ganges and Indus catchments and the western Arabian Sea. Southern regions, the Indian Peninsula, do not show a reduction, but an increase of summer monsoon rain across the Holocene. The long-term trend towards drier conditions in the eastern Mediterranean can be linked to a regionally complex monsoon evolution. Abrupt climate change events, such as the widespread droughts around 8200, 5200 and 4200 cal yr BP, are suggested to be the result of altered subtropical upper-level flow over the eastern Mediterranean and Asia.The abrupt climate change events of the Holocene radically altered precipitation, fundamental for cereal agriculture, across the expanse of late prehistoric-early historic cultures known from the archaeological record in these regions. Social adaptations to reduced agro-production, in both dry-farming and irrigation agriculture regions, are visible in the archaeological record during each abrupt climate change event in West Asia. Chronological refinement, in both the paleoclimate and archaeological records, and transfer functions for both precipitation and agro-production are needed to understand precisely the evident causal linkages.     

Lateglacial and Holocene terrestrial and marine proxies reflecting climate changes in the Malangen fjord area, Norway, northeast North Atlantic

A high-resolution Younger Dryas–late Holocene record of climate and environment from the Malangen fjord has been established on the basis of two marine sediment cores. Five pollen-spore assemblage zones have been defined covering the period c . 11 500 cal. yr BP (10 200 ¹⁴C yr BP) to c . 1600 cal. yr BP (1600 ¹⁴C yr BP) with a hiatus of c . 2000 cal. years between c . 10 200 and 8100 cal. yr BP (9000 and 7300 ¹⁴C yr BP). The Holocene vegetation development from pioneer vegetation to forest development, identified in the marine pollen record, correlates well with pollen records from terrestrial sections of northern Norway. The marine pollen record was also correlated directly with marine proxy records of the bottom water temperature investigated in the same sediment cores. Correlation between the marine and terrestrial proxies suggests that changes in the influx of warm Atlantic Water to the fjord led to an instant change in the vegetation of the surrounding land area. The results thus support a strong link between marine and atmospheric mean climatic states in the North Atlantic region throughout the Holocene.