Evidence for higher-than-average air temperatures after the 8.2 ka event provided by a Central European δ18O record

The so-called 8.2 ka event represents one of the most prominent cold climate anomalies during the Holocene warm period. Accordingly, several studies have addressed its trigger mechanisms, absolute dating and regional characteristics so far. However, knowledge about subsequent climate recovery is still limited although this might be essential for the understanding of rapid climatic changes. Here we present a new sub-decadally resolved and precisely dated oxygen isotope (5180) record for the interval between 7.7 and 8.7 ka BP 10(3) calendar years before AD 1950), derived from the calcareous valves of benthic ostracods preserved in the varved lake sediments of pre-Alpine Mondsee (Austria). Besides a clear reflection of the 8.2 ka event, showing a good agreement in timing, duration and magnitude with other regional stable isotope records, the high-resolution Mondsee lake sediment record provides evidence for a 75-year-long interval of higher-than-average delta O-18 values directly after the 8.2 ka event, possibly reflecting increased air temperatures in Central Europe. This observation is consistent with evidence from other proxy records in the North Atlantic realm, thus most probably reflecting a hemispheric-scale climate signal rather than a local phenomenon. As a possible trigger we suggest an enhanced resumption of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), supporting assumptions from climate model simulations.

Keyword(s)

Holocene, Palaeoclimatology, Europe, Stable isotopes, 8.2 ka event, Lake sediments

Full Text

FilePagesSizeAccess
Publisher's official version
132 Mo
Supplementary Material
1268 Ko
How to cite
Andersen Nils, Lauterbach Stefan, Erlenkeuser Helmut, Danielopol Dan L., Namiotko Tadeusz, Huels Matthias, Belmecheri Soumaya, Dulski Peter, Nantke Carla, Meyer Hanno, Chapligin Bernhard, von grafenstein Ulrich, Brauer Achim (2017). Evidence for higher-than-average air temperatures after the 8.2 ka event provided by a Central European δ18O record. Quaternary Science Reviews. 172. 96-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2017.08.001, https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00504/61597/

Copy this text