The 8200 cal BP abrupt environmental change and the Neolithic transition: A Mediterranean perspective

A major environmental and societal event struck the Mediterranean basin during the 9th millennium cal BP. A sudden and major climatic crisis occurred in the Northern Hemisphere around 8200 cal BP leading to hyper arid conditions along a tropical zone between 15° and 40° North (Near and Middle East), cooler and wetter conditions in western and central Europe, and marked climatic irregularity in the northern Mediterranean basin. At the same time, frequent cultural gaps are observed in cave infillings from Greece to the Spanish peninsula between 8500 and 8000 cal BP, making the vision of the European Mesolithic–Neolithic transition more complex. Furthermore, a stratigraphic and socio-economic rupture associated with a spatial redistribution of sites characterizes the PPNB-NC/Yarmoukian transition in the Near East. The impact of these climatic and environmental changes in the first centuries of the neolithisation of Mediterranean Europe is discussed, using the socio-cultural, economic, stratigraphic and chronological evidence for the first farmers and last hunter-gatherers. This evidence is compared to recent paleoclimatic and geo-archaeological data obtained from prehistoric contexts, in order to measure the hydro-morphological impact on activities in valleys and karstic rockshelters.     

Advection of Atlantic Water to the western and northern Svalbard shelf since 17,500 cal yr BP

The changes in flow and character of the warm Atlantic Water through the last 17,500 cal yr are reconstructed from the distribution of benthic foraminifera species, planktonic and benthic foraminifera abundances, stable oxygen isotopes and lithology in two cores from the western and northern shelf of Svalbard. The results show almost continuous presence of Atlantic Water at the shelf areas since >14,500 cal yr BP. The Bølling and Allerød intervals stand out as periods of highest bottom waters temperatures. The strong inflow of saline, but chilled Atlantic Water during the early Holocene was followed by cooling and freshening of the bottom waters during the mid- and late Holocene. The two records reveal synchronous oceanographic changes that are closely tied to changes in the flow of Atlantic Water recorded further south in the Nordic seas. The early Holocene warming was not just an effect of higher solar insolation, but was also due to increased heat flux from the stronger Atlantic Water inflow driven by wind force and/or thermohaline circulation.     

Connection between South Mediterranean climate and North African atmospheric circulation during the last 50,000 yr BP North Atlantic cold events

High-resolution clay mineralogical analyses were performed on sediment deposited during the last 50,000 yr in the Alboran sea (ODP Site 976). The clay mineral record is compared with pollen assemblages and with annual precipitation (Pann) and mean temperatures of the coldest month (MTCO) reconstructed with the modern analog technique (MAT). Enhanced contribution of palygorskite, a typical wind-blown clay mineral, characterizes the North Atlantic cold climatic events. Coeval development of the semi-arid vegetation (Artemisia rich) associated with a drastic fall of reconstructed precipitations and temperatures, suggest cold and arid continental conditions in the West Mediterranean area during North Atlantic cold events. The clay mineral association, especially the palygorskite content and the illite-to-kaolinite ratio, indicate western Morocco as one of the major source of the clay-size fraction during the North Atlantic cold events. The maximum abundance of Artemisia associated with the presence of Argania pollen both indicate Morocco as the main origin for pollen during these cold periods. The comparison of these pollen and clay mineral-specific features allows us to pinpoint western Morocco as the dominant source of wind-blown particles during North Atlantic cold events. These specific mineralogical composition and palynological assemblages reveal enhanced aridity over North Africa and intensification of winds favouring dust erosion and transport from North Africa toward the Alboran Sea during the North Atlantic cold events. According to atmospheric models, such a meridian transport (1) likely results from the development of strong and stable anticyclonic conditions over the tropical Atlantic and North Africa, similar to today's summer meteorological configuration and (2) implies a northward position of the westerly winds during North Atlantic cold events. Finally the synoptic situation over the West Mediterranean during the North Atlantic cold events is compared with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), suggesting that during the cold Atlantic events, weather regimes over Europe and North Africa may have been systematically shifted towards a positive NAO situation.     

A geological constraint on relative sea level in Marine Isotope Stage 3 in the Larsemann Hills, Lambert Glacier region, East Antarctica (31 366–33 228 cal yr BP)

In this paper we present geological evidence from the Larsemann Hills (Lambert Glacier – Amery Ice Shelf region, East Antarctica) of marine sediments at an altitude of c. 8 m a.s.l., as revealed by diatom, pigment and geochemical proxies in a lake sediment core. The sediments yielded radiocarbon dates between c. 26 650 and 28 750 ¹⁴C yr BP (31 366–33 228 cal yr BP). This information can be used to constrain relative sea level adjacent to the Lambert Glacier at the end of Marine Isotope Stage 3. These data are compared with the age and altitude of Marine Isotope Stage 3 marine deposits elsewhere in East Antarctica and discussed with reference to late Quaternary ice sheet history and eustatic sea-level change.     

Glacial and environmental changes over the last 60 000 years in the Polar Ural Mountains,Arctic Russia,inferred from a high‐resolution lake record and other observations from adjacent areas

Our knowledge about the glaciation history in the Russian Arctic has to a large extent been based on geomorphological mapping supplemented by studies of short stratigraphical sequences found in exposed sections. Here we present new geochronological data from the Polar Ural Mountains along with a high‐resolution sediment record from Bolshoye Shchuchye, the largest and deepest lake in the mountain range. Seismic profiles show that the lake contains a 160‐m‐thick sequence of unconsolidated lacustrine sediments. A well‐dated 24‐m‐long core from the southern end of the lake spans the last 24 cal. ka. From downward extrapolation of sedimentation rates we estimate that sedimentation started about 50–60 ka ago, most likely just after a large glacier had eroded older sediments from the basin. Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) exposure dating (¹⁰Be) of boulders and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments indicate that this part of the Ural Mountains was last covered by a coherent ice‐field complex during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4. A regrowth of the glaciers took place during a late stage of MIS 3, but the central valleys remained ice free until the present. The presence of small‐ and medium‐sized glaciers during MIS 2 is reflected by a sequence of glacial varves and a high sedimentation rate in the lake basin and likewise from ¹⁰Be dating of glacial boulders. The maximum extent of the mountain glaciers during MIS 2 was attained prior to 24 cal. ka BP. Some small present‐day glaciers, which are now disappearing completely due to climate warming, were only slightly larger during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) as compared to AD 1953. A marked decrease in sedimentation rate around 18–17 cal. ka BP indicates that the glaciers then became smaller and probably disappeared altogether around 15–14 cal. ka BP.     

泸沽湖地区晚全新世气候和环境演变

泸沽湖地区受人类活动影响较小、对气候变化较为敏感,是开展古气候研究的理想区域。本文以孢粉为重要研究手段,对采自泸沽湖草海地区103cm的浅钻沉积物开展研究,采样间距2cm,共取得52块样品用于孢粉分析。沉积物年龄采用AMS-~(14)C测定,经校正之后钻孔底部年龄为3455cal.a BP。经实验分析之后,所有样品均含有丰富的孢粉类群,反映的植被组成主要以松(Pinus)林为主,铁杉(Tsuga)也较为常见,被子植物中则以栎属(Quercus)占绝对优势,栗属(Castanea)和木犀科(Oleaceae)植物也频繁出现,而草本植物则以禾本科(Gramineae)为主,蓼科(Polygonaceae)、菊科(Asteraceae)和莎草科(Cyperaceae)植物也是重要的组成成分,林下生长有大量的蕨类的植物,主要以紫萁属(Osmunda)、石松属(Lycopodium)和膜蕨科(Hymenophyllaceae)等为主,另外,采样点草海为季节性湿地,水生植物主要以香蒲属(Typha)和藻类植物中的双星藻(Zygnema)和水绵(Spirogyra)最为常见。为了获得该地区晚全新世以来的气候变化曲线,本研究采用共存分析法分别对划分的四个孢粉带进行了古气候的定量重建,年均温和年均降水量分别为:3455cal.a BP至2585cal.a BP,MAT(mean annual temperature)=11.5~18.6℃,MAP(mean annual precipitation)=797.5~1484.3mm;2585cal.a BP至1699cal.a BP,MAT=11.7~18.6℃,MAP=617.9~1523.1mm;1699cal.a BP至595cal.a BP,MAT=8.5~18.6℃,MAP=797.5~1484.3mm;595cal.a BP至今,MAT=5.7~18.6℃,MAP=617.9~1484.3mm。结果显示该地区3455cal.a BP以来气候经历了略微变暖-变凉-持续变凉-回暖四个阶段。本研究还将变化曲线与其他地区同时代的研究结果进行了对比分析,显示年均温的变化趋势与格陵兰冰芯δ~(18)O以及祁连山敦德冰芯所反映的温度变化趋势基本一致,并可观察到中世纪暖期、晚全新世小冰期及现代温暖期。     

8000 yr of black carbon accumulation in a colluvial soil from NW Spain

Analytical pyrolysis-GC/MS and solid-state ¹³C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) were applied to the NaOH-extractable organic matter fraction of a colluvial soil from Galicia (NW Spain) that represents more than 8500 yr of accumulation. While molecular indicators of vegetation change were looked for, it seemed likely that any such signal was disturbed by the intense fire regime of the area. This conclusion was drawn from (1) the presence of three charcoal layers, (2) the high proportion of aryl C in NMR spectra (non-quantitative) and (3) the prevalence of benzenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the chromatograms (38 ± 6% of total identified peak area), also in charcoal-poor samples. If this conclusion is accurate, the area has been subjected to burning episodes for at least 8000 yr. Additionally, the results indicate that biomass burning residues (black carbon; BC) may become NaOH extractable after long periods of degradation in mineral soil. These results add to our knowledge of the long-term fate of BC in soil, which is a potential agent in the global C cycle.     

漓江流域末次冰期以来气候环境变化研究进展

为更好地认识漓江流域过去气候环境变化,更好服务于漓江流域未来气候环境预测、生态环境建设及资源环境可持续发展,本文对漓江流域末次冰期以来的气候环境研究现状进行了总结和综述。总结了年代学、现代过程研究、古气候环境重建和古人类演化方面的进展及存在的问题,并对下一步的研究方向进行了分析和探讨。希望能促进华南地区过去气候环境变化研究,并对经济社会可持续发展提供借鉴和参考,助力桂林可持续发展创新示范区建设。     

Climatic and environmental changes in the Yana Highlands of north-eastern Siberia over the last c. 57 000 years,derived from a sediment core from Lake Emanda

The sediment succession of Lake Emanda in the Yana Highlands was investigated to reconstruct the regional late Quaternary climate and environmental history. Hydro-acoustic data obtained during a field campaign in 2017 show laminated sediments in the north-western and deepest (up to ̃15 m) part of the lake, where a ̃6-m-long sediment core (Co1412) was retrieved. The sediment core was studied with a multi-proxy approach including sedimentological and geochemical analyses. The chronology of Co1412 is based on ¹⁴C AMS dating on plant fragments from the upper 4.65 m and by extrapolation suggests a basal age of c. 57 cal. ka BP. Pronounced changes in the proxy data indicate that early Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 was characterized by unstable environmental conditions associated with short-term temperature and/or precipitation variations. This interval was followed by progressively colder and likely drier conditions during mid-MIS 3. A lake-level decline between 32.0 and 19.1 cal. ka BP was presumably related to increased continentality and dry conditions peaking during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). A subsequent rise in lake level could accordingly have been the result of increased rainfall, probably in combination with seasonally high meltwater input. A milder or wetter Lateglacial climate increased lake productivity and vegetation growth, the latter stabilizing the catchment and reducing clastic input into the lake. The Bølling-Allerød warming, Younger Dryas cooling and Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM) are indicated by distinct changes in the environment around Lake Emanda. Unstable, but similar-to-present-day climatic and environmental conditions have persisted since c. 5 cal. ka BP. The results emphasize the highly continental setting of the study site and therefore suggest that the climate at Lake Emanda was predominantly controlled by changes in summer insolation, global sea level, and the extent of ice sheets over Eurasia, which influenced atmospheric circulation patterns.     

Climatic and environmental variability during the termination of the Last Glacial Stage in coastal eastern Australia: a review

By comparison with the Northern Hemisphere, there is a paucity of high-resolution, continuous records extending into the Last Glacial Maximum from the Southern Hemisphere. With specific reference to coastal eastern Australia, there are long records of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental variability available from the tropical north and temperate south. However, there are significant spatial gaps between such records: in particular, until relatively recently, little attention had been paid to the subtropics. This review paper summarises understanding of regional paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic variability in coastal eastern Australia during the termination of the Last Glacial Stage, with the aim of highlighting gaps in the current state of knowledge. Recommendations for future research are prioritised to answer knowledge gaps in understanding climate variability in eastern Australia between ca 33–18 kyr BP.     

Annually-laminated lake sediments and the study of Quaternary environmental changes — a review

Annually-laminated lake sediments (non-glacial varves) have in recent years been discovered in increasing abundance, especially since the development of in situ freezer samplers. So far, the majority of examples have been found in three main areas (Eastern North America, Northern and Central Europe, and East and Central Africa). A much more widespread distribution seems highly probable however.The formation of annual laminations in freshwater lakes is governed by a number of factors, the most important of which appears to be morphometry. Seasonality of sediment supply, which may be controlled by physical, biological or even cultural processes in the lake, or in its catchment, is also clearly significant.Four main types of laminations (here termed ferrogenic, calcareous, biogenic and clastic) have so far been recorded, although it is quite clear that others exist. Special field and laboratory techniques are needed in order that the particular properties of varved sediments may be fully exploited.Annually-laminated sediments have so far been applied to the investigation of a number of aspects of the Quaternary. These include the study of (a) geochronology (b) climatic change, (c) vegetation history, especially the role of fire in forest ecosystems, (d) the calculation of rates of sediment influx to lakes, and of rates of erosion from their catchments, and (e) the monitoring of processes in the modern environment such as heavy metal pollution, eutrophication, and ‘acid rain’.Annually-laminated lake sediments combine an internal, independent chronology with the preservation of discrete, visible increments of seasonal and annual sedimentation. Given this unique property, and the likelihood that many more examples will be discovered, the prospects for further applications of studies of these sediments to the investigation of the Quaternary seem very good indeed.     

Intriguing climatic shifts in a 90 kyr old lake record from northern Russia

A 22 m long sediment core from Lake Yamozero on the Timan Ridge in northern Russia has provided evidence of intriguing climatic shifts during the last glacial cycle. An overall shallowing of the lake is reflected in the lower part of the cores, where pollen indicates a transition from glacial steppe vegetation to interstadial shrub-tundra. These beds are capped by a well-defined layer of compact clay deposited in relatively deep water, where pollen shows surrounding spruce forests and warmer-than-present summer temperatures. The most conservative interpretation is that this unit represents the last interglacial period. However, a series of Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dates suggests that it corresponds with the Early Weichselian Odderade interstadial (MIS 5a). This would imply that the Odderade interstadial was just as warm as a normal interglacial in this continental part of northern Europe. If correct, then pollen analysis, as a correlation tool, is less straightforward and the definition of an interglacial is more complex than previously thought. We discuss the validity and possible systematic errors of the OSL dates on which this age model is based, but conclude they really indicate a MIS 5a age for the warm period. Above the clay is an unconformity, most likely reflecting a period of subaerial exposure implying dry conditions. Deposition of silt under fluctuating cold climates in the Middle Weichselian continued until a second gap in the record at c . 40 kyr BP. The lake basin started to fill up again around 18 kyr BP.     

Climatic and environmental changes during the Weichselian Lateglacial Interstadial in the Weerterbos region,the Netherlands

Lake sediment records from the Weerterbos region, in the southern Netherlands, were studied to reconstruct summer temperature and environmental changes during the Weichselian Lateglacial Interstadial. A sediment core obtained from a small lacustrine basin was analysed for multiple proxies, including lithological changes, oxygen isotopes of bulk carbonates, pollen and chironomids. It was found that the oxygen isotope record differed strongly from the other proxies. Based on a comparison with three additional lake sediment records from the same region, it emerged that the oxygen isotope records were strongly affected by local environmental conditions, impeding the distinction of a regional palaeoclimate signal. The chironomid‐inferred July air temperature reconstruction produced inferred interstadial temperatures ranging between ～15° and 18°C, largely consistent with previously published results from the northern part of the Netherlands. A temporary regressive phase in the pollen record, which can be tentatively correlated with the Older Dryas, preceded the expansion of birch woodland. Despite differences between the four pollen records from the Weerterbos region, a comparable regressive vegetation phase that was possibly the result of a shift to drier conditions could be discerned in all of the profiles. In addition, a temporary temperature decline of ～1.5°C was inferred from the chironomid record during this regressive phase. The multi‐proxy approach used here enabled a direct comparison of inferred changes in temperature, vegetation and environmental conditions at an individual site, while the multi‐site approach provided insight into the factors influencing the pollen and isotope records from these small‐scale depressions.     

Lacustrine sedimentological and geochemical records for the last 170 years of climate and environmental changes in southeastern China

Reconstruction of modern climate and environmental changes in east Asia using inland natural climate archives can provide valuable insights on decadal–multidecadal climate and environmental patterns that are probably related to both natural and anthropogenic forcing. Here we investigated an 89‐cm‐long sediment core (TH1) from Tian Lake, southeastern China, for sedimentological, physical and geochemical parameters in order to understand climate and environmental changes for the latest two centuries. ¹³⁷Cs‐ and ²¹⁰Pb‐based age models show that the fine sand–coarse silt‐dominated core contains ~170 years (c. AD 1842–2011) of continuous sedimentation. Sediments with fine sands, low MS values, high water content, high TOC content and a high C:N ratio from c. AD 1842 to 1897 suggest intense hydrological conditions and strong runoff in the catchment, probably because of a humid climate. From AD 1897 to 1990, sediments with very fine sand and coarse silt, high MS values, low water content and unchanged TOC and C:N ratios indicate normal hydrological conditions and in‐lake algae‐derived organic matter. During this interval, the chemical weathering indicators show stronger weathering conditions compared with sediments deposited during AD 1842–1897, supporting the dominance of weathered surface soil input in the earlier interval and physical erosion dominance in the later period, respectively. Since AD 1990, the continuous decrease of geochemical proxies suggests human‐interacted Earth surface processes in the catchment of Tian Lake. A PCA revealed four dominant geochemical controlling factors – detrital input, trophic status, grain size and early diagenesis –, accounting for 26, 20, 18 and 16% of total variance, respectively. This study for the first time provides lacustrine geochemical evidence for the most recent two centuries of climate and environmental changes in coastal southeastern China, a region that is currently undergoing an inversion of critical zone, i.e. an overturning of its soil profile, owing to swift modernization.     

Environmental change and cultural response between 8000 and 4000 cal. yr BP in the western Loess Plateau,northwest China

Two ancient swamps in the western Loess Plateau, northwest China record the climate history between 8000 and 4000 cal. yr BP. Grain size, CaCO₃, organic matter, mollusc fauna and pollen assemblages show that climate was wet between 8300 and 7400 cal. yr BP, distinctly humid and warm between 7400 and 6700 cal. yr BP, semi‐humid from 6700 to 6300 cal. yr BP, and semi‐arid between 6300 and 4000 cal. yr BP. The temporal and spatial distribution of archaeological sites shows that the prosperity of the neolithic cultures in the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau did not appear until the climate changed to semi‐arid, implying that the semi‐arid climate was more favourable than wet and humid climate to neolithic peoples, whose subsistence was based on cereals adapted to arid environments. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The interaction between reaction and deformation: an experimental study using a biotite + plagioclase + quartz gneiss

Metamorphic reactions commonly accompany ductile deformation of crustal rocks. We performed an experimental study to determine: (i) the effect of syn-deformation reaction on strain weakening and localization, and (ii) the effect of crystal plastic deformation on reaction extent and distribution. Experiments were conducted on a fine-grained gneiss (58 vol.% quartz, forming the interconnected matrix, 13 vol.% biotite, 28 vol.% plagioclase and 1 vol.% garnet/Fe-Ti oxides). General shear experiments were performed at 745 and 800 °C, 1.5 GPa, two strain rates, and shear strain ( γ ) from 0.6 to 5, yielding three suites with initial phase strength contrast between the matrix quartz and weak biotite of 45×, 25× and 10×; hydrostatic experiments were performed on cores and powders at 750 and 800 °C and 1.5–2 GPa for the same times. At these conditions, biotite reacts with plagioclase and quartz to form garnet, K-feldspar and water (no melt was observed). Greater reaction extent was observed in deformed samples than in equivalent hydrostatic samples, because of the increased surface area and internal strain energy. In all of the deformed samples, reaction contributes to strain weakening, due principally to a switch to grain boundary sliding in the fine-grained reaction products. The degree to which syn-deformational reaction causes strain weakening and localization in this polyphase aggregate depends on the phase strength contrast and how it evolves. In samples with low-phase strength contrast, strain and reaction are homogeneously distributed; however, in samples with high-phase strength contrast, ductile strain and reaction interact positively to produce a narrow ductile shear zone. Similar concentration of reaction is observed in some natural ductile shear zones.     

Geochemical evidence of the 8.2 ka event and other Holocene environmental changes recorded in paleolagoon sediments,southeastern Brazil

The paleoclimatic record of Juréia Paleolagoon, coastal southeastern Brazil, includes cyclic and gradual changes with different intensities and frequencies through geological time, and it is controlled by astronomical, geophysical, and geological phenomena. These variations are not due to one single cause, but they result from the interaction of several factors, which act at different temporal and spatial scales. Here, we describe paleoenvironmental evidence regarding climatic and sea level changes from the last 9400 cal yr BP at the Juréia Paleolagoon — one of the main groups of protected South Atlantic ecosystems. Geochemical evidences were used to identify anomalies from multi-proxy analyses of a paleolagoon sediment core. The anomalies of centennial scale were correlated to climate and transgression–regression cycles from the Holocene period. Decadal scale anomalous oscillations in the Quaternary paleolagoon sediments occur between 9400 and 7500 cal yr BP, correlated with long- and short-term natural events, which generated high sedimentation rates, mainly between 8385 and 8375 cal yr BP (10 cm/yr). Our results suggest that a modern-day short-duration North Atlantic climatic event, such as the 8.2 ka event, could affect the environmental equilibrium in South America and intensify the South American Summer Monsoon.     

Climate and environment in southwest Sweden 15.5–11.3 cal. ka BP

Lake sedimentary records that allow documentation of the distinct climatic and environmental shifts during the early part of the Last Termination are scarce for northern Europe. This multi‐proxy study of the sediments of Atteköpsmosse, southwest Sweden, therefore fills an important gap and provides detailed information regarding past hydroclimatic conditions and local environmental responses to climatic shifts. Lake infilling started c. 15.5 cal. ka BP, but low aquatic productivity, cold summer lake water temperatures, unstable catchments, and scarce herb and shrub vegetation prevailed until c. 14.7–14.5 cal. ka BP. Inflow of warmer air masses and higher July air temperatures favoured a rise in aquatic productivity and lake water summer temperatures, and the establishment of a diverse herb, shrub and dwarf shrub vegetation, which also included tree birch c. 14.5 cal. ka BP. Freshening of the moisture source region c. 13.7–13.6 cal. ka BP does not seem to have had a large impact on the ancient lake and its catchment, as lake aquatic productivity increased further and lake water summer temperatures and minimum mean July air temperatures remained around 12–14 °C. In contrast, further freshening of the moisture source region c. 13 cal. ka BP triggered a decrease in lake productivity, drier conditions and lower lake water summer temperatures. Macroscopic finds of tree Betula and Pinus sylvestris at 13–12.8 cal. ka BP demonstrate the presence of these trees in the lake's catchment. The transition into the Holocene (11.6–11.5 cal. ka BP) is marked by a change in chironomid assemblages and by a rise in lake water summer temperatures and aquatic productivity. These changes were followed by the re‐establishment of a diverse aquatic and terrestrial vegetation, including tree birch and Pinus sylvestris at 11.4 cal. ka BP.