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.     

Lake‐level fluctuations at Lake Bourget (eastern France) around 4500–3500 cal. a BP and their palaeoclimatic and archaeological implications

On the basis of sedimentological analysis of two cores taken at Chatillon, Lake Le Bourget (northern French Pre‐Alps), and well dated by radiocarbon dates in addition to tree ring dates obtained from an archaeological layer, this paper presents a high‐resolution lake‐level record for the period 4500–3500 cal. a BP. The collected data provide evidence of a complex palaeohydrological (climatic) oscillation spanning the ca. 4300–3850 cal. BP time interval, with major lake‐level maxima at ca. 4200 and 4050–3850 cal. a BP separated by a lowering episode around 4100 cal. a BP. The lake‐level highstands observed at Chatillon between 4300 and 3850 cal. BP appear to be synchronous with (i) a major flooding period recorded in deep cores from the large lakes Le Bourget and Bodensee, and (ii) glacier advance and tree line decline in the Alps. Such wetter and cooler climatic conditions in west‐central Europe around 4000 cal. a BP may have been a nonlinear response to decrease and seasonal changes in insolation. They may also provide a possible explanation for the general abandonment of prehistoric lake dwellings north of the Alps between 4360 and 3750 cal. a BP. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Major ice sheet response in eastern New England to a cold North Atlantic region, ca. 16-15 cal ka BP

A large ice sheet still covered almost all of Maine and eastern New England until ca. 15 cal ka BP, reaching south of 45 °S, despite rising summer insolation intensity and major ice recession elsewhere outside the North Atlantic region. Furthermore, the well-studied moraine belt along eastern coastal Maine, including the prominent Pineo Ridge delta/moraine complex and Pond Ridge moraine, indicates repeated readvances and stillstands between ca. 16 and 15 cal ka BP. This moraine belt reflects a considerable ice sheet response over eastern North America during this time period, coeval with the latter half of the European Oldest Dryas period. Moraine deposition was concurrent with reduction or elimination of North Atlantic meridional overturning, starting with the earlier onset of peak IRD and Heinrich Event 1 (HE-1). The existing ¹⁴C chronology suggests that the coastal moraine belt and the persistence of the ice sheet until ∼ 15 cal ka BP was a response to the severe cooling of the North Atlantic region after ∼ 17 cal ka BP.     

Synchronous pattern of moisture availability on the southern Tibetan Plateau since 17.5 cal. ka BP – the Tangra Yumco lake sediment record

A possible asynchronicity of the spatial and temporal moisture availability on the Tibetan Plateau has been a controversial subject of discussion in recent years. Here we present the first attempt to systematically investigate possible spatial and temporal variations in moisture availability by examining two lakes, Tangra Yumco and Nam Co, on an east–west transect on the southern Tibetan Plateau using identical proxies for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. In this study, an independent record from Tangra Yumco was analysed applying a multi‐proxy approach to reconstruct variations in moisture availability since the Lateglacial. Results were subsequently compared with previously published records from Nam Co and additional records from Tso Moriri (northwestern Himalaya) and Naleng Co (southeastern Tibetan Plateau). Our results show that Tangra Yumco was at least partially ice covered prior to 17.1 cal. ka BP. A temperature rise after 17.1 cal. ka BP probably resulted in thawing of the permafrost. At 16.0 cal. ka BP moisture availability increased, representing an initial monsoonal intensification. Warmer conditions between 13.0 and 12.4 cal. ka BP and cooler conditions between 12.4 cal. ka BP and the onset of the Holocene reflect the Bølling‐Allerød and Younger Dryas. At the onset of the Holocene moisture availability rapidly increased, with moisture highest prior to 8.5 cal. ka BP when temperatures were also highest. After 8.5 cal. ka BP the moisture availability gradually decreased and showed only minor amplitude variations. These findings are consistent with the records from large lakes like Nam Co, Tso Moriri, and Naleng Co, revealing a synchronous pattern of moisture availability on the southern Tibetan Plateau.     

Annual trace element cycles in calcite–aragonite speleothems: evidence of drought in the western Mediterranean 1200–1100 yr BP

Each of two calcitic stalagmites from Grotte de Clamouse, Herault, southern France, displays a discrete aragonite layer dated at around 1100 yr BP. The layer of fanning aragonite ray crystals is immediately preceded by calcite with Mg and Sr compositions that are uniquely high for the past 3 kyr. Trace element compositions close to the boundary between original aragonite and calcite are consistent with quasi‐equilibrium partitioning of trace elements between the phases. Study of modern dripwaters demonstrates that pronounced covariation of Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios in dripwater occurs owing to large amounts of calcite precipitation upflow of the drips that fed the stalagmites. Trace element to Ca ratios are enhanced during seasonally dry periods. Ion microprobe data demonstrate a pronounced covariation of trace elements, including Mg and Sr in calcite, and Sr, U and Ba in aragonite. The mean peak spacing is close to the long‐term mean of annual growth rates determined by differences in U‐series ages and so the trace element peaks are interpreted as annual. The trace element chemistry of the stalagmites on annual to inter‐annual scales thus directly reflects the amounts of prior calcite precipitation, interpreted as an index of aridity. The longer‐term context is a multi‐decadal period of aridity (1200–1100 yr BP) possibly correlated with an analogous episode in Central America. The arid period culminated in the nucleation of aragonite, but within a decade was followed by a return to precursor conditions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geoarchaeological Investigations of Midden‐Formation Processes in the Early to Late Ceramic Neolithic Levels at Çatalhöyük,Turkey ca. 8550–8370 cal BP

Anthropogenic midden deposits are remarkably well preserved at the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük and provide significant archaeological information on the types and nature of activities occurring at the site. To decipher their complex stratigraphy and to investigate formation processes, a combination of geoarchaeological techniques was used. Deposits were investigated from the early ceramic to late Neolithic levels, targeting continuous sequences to examine high resolution and broader scale changes in deposition. Thin‐section micromorphology combined with targeted phytolith and geochemical analyses indicates they are composed of a diverse range of ashes and other charred and siliceous plant materials, with inputs of decayed plants and organic matter, fecal waste, and sedimentary aggregates, each with diverse depositional pathways. Activities identified include in situ burning, with a range of different fuel types that may be associated with different activities. The complexity and heterogeneity of the midden deposits, and thus the necessity of employing an integrated microstratigraphic approach is demonstrated, as a prerequisite for cultural and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.     

The Last Permafrost Maximum (LPM) map of the Northern Hemisphere: permafrost extent and mean annual air temperatures, 25–17 ka BP

This paper accompanies a map that shows the extent of permafrost in the Northern Hemisphere between 25 and 17 thousand years ago. The map is based upon existing archival data, common throughout the Northern Hemisphere, that include ice‐wedge pseudomorphs, sand wedges and large cryoturbations. Where possible, a distinction is made between areas with continuous permafrost and areas where permafrost is either spatially discontinuous or sporadic. The associated mean annual palaeo‐temperatures that are inferred on the basis of present‐day analogues increase understanding of the possible changes in permafrost extent that might accompany current global warming trends. Areas with relict permafrost and areas that were formerly exposed due to lower sea level (submarine permafrost) are also mapped. Mapping is mostly limited to lowland regions (areas approximately <1000 m a.s.l.). Striking features that appear from the map are (i) the narrow permafrost zone in North America, which contrasts with the broader LPM permafrost zone in Eurasia (that may be related to different snow thickness or vegetation cover), (ii) the zonal extent of former LPM permafrost (that may reflect sea‐ice distribution), which contrasts with the present‐day pattern of permafrost extent (especially in Eurasia) and (iii) the relatively narrow zones of LPM discontinuous permafrost (that may indicate strong temperature gradients).     

The Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005, 15–42 ka. Part 1: constructing the time scale

The Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005, GICC05, is extended back to 42 ka b2k (before 2000 AD), i.e. to the end of Greenland Stadial 11. The chronology is based on independent multi-parameter counting of annual layers using comprehensive high-resolution measurements available from the North Greenland Ice Core Project, NGRIP. These are measurements of visual stratigraphy, conductivity of the solid ice, electrolytical melt water conductivity and the concentration of Na⁺, Ca²⁺, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺. An uncertainty estimate of the time scale is obtained from identification of ‘uncertain’ annual layers, which are counted as 0.5±0.5 years. The sum of the uncertain annual layers, the so-called maximum counting error of the presented chronology ranges from 4% in the warm interstadial periods to 7% in the cold stadials. The annual accumulation rates of the stadials and interstadials are on average one-third and half of the present day values, respectively, and the onset of the Greenland Interstadials 2, 3, and 8, based on 20 year averaged δ¹⁸O values, are determined as 23,340, 27,780, and 38,220 yr b2k in GICC05.     

The Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005, 15–42 ka. Part 2: comparison to other records

A new Greenland Ice Core Chronology (GICC05) based on multi-parameter counting of annual layers has been obtained for the last 42 ka. Here we compare the glacial part of the new time scale, which is based entirely on records from the NorthGRIP ice core, to existing time scales and reference horizons covering the same period. These include the GRIP and NorthGRIP modelled time scales, the Meese-Sowers GISP2 counted time scale, the Shackleton–Fairbanks GRIP time scale (SFCP04) based on ¹⁴C calibration of a marine core, the Hulu Cave record, three volcanic reference horizons, and the Laschamp geomagnetic excursion event occurring around Greenland Interstadial 10. GICC05 is generally in good long-term agreement with the existing Greenland ice core chronologies and with the Hulu Cave record, but on shorter time scales there are significant discrepancies. Around the Last Glacial Maximum there is a more than 1 ka age difference between GICC05 and SFCP04 and a more than 0.5 ka discrepancy in the same direction between GICC05 and the age of a recently identified tephra layer in the NorthGRIP ice core. Both SFCP04 and the tephra age are based on ¹⁴C-dated marine cores and fixed marine reservoir ages. For the Laschamp event, GICC05 agrees with a recent independent dating within the uncertainties.     

Sea‐level changes,river activity,soil development and glaciation around the western margins of the southern North Sea Basin during the Early and early Middle Pleistocene: evidence from Pakefield,Suffolk, UK

This paper outlines evidence from Pakefield (northern Suffolk), eastern England, for sea‐level changes, river activity, soil development and glaciation during the late Early and early Middle Pleistocene (MIS 20–12) within the western margins of the southern North Sea Basin. During this time period, the area consisted of a low‐lying coastal plain and a shallow offshore shelf. The area was drained by major river systems including the Thames and Bytham. Changes in sea‐level caused several major transgressive–regressive cycles across this low‐relief region, and these changes are identified by the stratigraphic relationship between shallow marine (Wroxham Crag Formation), fluvial (Cromer Forest‐bed and Bytham formations) and glacial (Happisburgh and Lowestoft formations) sediments. Two separate glaciations are recognised—the Happisburgh (MIS 16) and Anglian (MIS 12) glaciations, and these are separated by a high sea level represented by a new member of the Wroxham Crag Formation, and several phases of river aggradation and incision. The principal driving mechanism behind sea‐level changes and river terrace development within the region during this time period is solar insolation operating over 100‐kyr eccentricity cycles. This effect is achieved by the impact of cold climate processes upon coastal, river and glacial systems and these climatically forced processes obscure the neotectonic drivers that operated over this period of time. © British Geological Survey/Natural Environment Research Council copyright 2005. Reproduced with the permission of BGS/NERC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discussion of ‘Coarse‐sand beach ridges at Cowley Beach,north‐eastern Australia: Their formative processes and potential as records of tropical cyclone history’ by Tamura et al. (2018), Sedimentology, 65, 721–744

The processes resulting in the formation of a coarse‐grained sand beach ridge plain at Cowley Beach, north‐east Australia have been questioned by Tamura et al. (2018). These authors now acknowledge the conclusions by Nott et al. (2009) and Nott (2014) that the dominant depositional mechanisms here are waves and inundations generated during tropical cyclones. The Tamura et al. (2018) new ground penetrating radar data highlights that scarping of incipient ridges is a common feature and occurs regularly under non‐storm conditions. The upper sedimentary units deposited during storms are not scarped and demonstrate the high preservation potential and usefulness of these deposits for reconstructing long‐term records of tropical cyclones. Tamura et al. (2018) question the robustness of the methodology used by Nott & Hayne (2001), Nott (2003) and Nott et al. (2009) in estimating the magnitude of the storms responsible for these sedimentary deposits. These supposed issues though have been dealt with in detail in a series of publications over the past nearly two decades. The shortcomings of the Tamura et al. (2018) criticisms are explained in detail here.     

Reply to the Discussion by John Nott on ‘Coarse‐sand beach ridges at Cowley Beach,north‐eastern Australia: Their formative processes and potential as records of tropical cyclone history’ by Tamura et al. (2018), Sedimentology,65, 721–744

Tamura et al. (2018) refined our understanding of formative processes that have resulted in a series of coarse‐sand beach ridges at Cowley Beach in north‐eastern Australia. Nott (2018) claimed that there are several shortcomings in the findings Tamura et al. (2018) presented. However, his criticism mostly derived from his misunderstanding of the data and discussion presented in Tamura et al. (2018), which thus should be clarified here. This reply also reiterates how his method for estimating the magnitude of past tropical cyclones from beach ridges is inconsistent with our observations of beach morphology and beach‐ridge formative processes.     

Reconstruction of climatic and environmental changes in NW Romania during the early part of the last deglaciation (15,000–13,600 cal yr BP)

High resolution pollen, plant macrofossil, charcoal, mineral magnetic and sedimentary analyses, combined with AMS ¹⁴C measurements, were performed on multiple sediment sequences along a transect through the former crater lake Preluca iganului in northwestern Romania in order to reconstruct the climatic and environmental changes during the early part of the Last Termination. Lake sediments started to accumulate at 14,700 cal yr BP. Initially the upland vegetation consisted of an open forest with mainly Betula and Salix and few Pinus sp., but from 14,500 cal yr BP onwards, Pinus mugo, P. sylvestris and Populus and later on also Larix became established around the lake. Between 14,150 and 13,950 cal yr BP, Pinus cembra seems to have replaced P. mugo and P. sylvestris. At 13,950 cal yr BP the tree cover increased and Picea appeared for the first time, together with Pinus cembra, P. mugo and Larix. From 13,750 cal yr BP onwards, a Picea forest developed around the site. Based on the combined proxy data the following climatic development may be inferred: 14,700–14,500 cal yr BP, cooler and wet/humid; 14,500–14,400 cal yr BP: gradually warmer temperatures, wet/humid with dry summers; 14,400–14,320 cal yr BP: warm and dry; 14,320–14,150 cal yr BP: cooler and wet/humid; 14,150–14,100 cal yr BP: warm and dry; 14,100–13,850 cal yr BP: warmer and wet/humid; <13,850 cal yr BP: warm and dry. The tentative correlation of this development with the North Atlantic region assumes that the period >14,700 cal yr could correspond to GS-2a, the time span between 14,700 and 14,320 to GI-1e, the phase between 14,320 and 14,150 cal yr BP to GI-1d and the time frame between 14,150 and 13,600 cal yr BP to the lower part of GI-1c.