Abstract
Abstract. Holocene climate was characterised by variability on multi-centennial to multi-decadal time scales. In central Europe, these fluctuations were most pronounced during winter. Here we present a record of past winter climate variability for the last 10.8 ka based on four speleothems from Bunker Cave, western Germany. Due to its central European location, the cave site is particularly well suited to record changes in precipitation and temperature in response to changes in the North Atlantic realm. We present high-resolution records of δ18O, δ13C values and Mg/Ca ratios. Changes in the Mg/Ca ratio are attributed to past meteoric precipitation variability. The stable C isotope composition of the speleothems most likely reflects changes in vegetation and precipitation, and variations in the δ18O signal are interpreted as variations in meteoric precipitation and temperature. We found cold and dry periods between 8 and 7 ka, 6.5 and 5.5 ka, 4 and 3 ka as well as between 0.7 and 0.2 ka. The proxy signals in the Bunker Cave stalagmites compare well with other isotope records and, thus, seem representative for central European Holocene climate variability. The prominent 8.2 ka event and the Little Ice Age cold events are both recorded in the Bunker Cave record. However, these events show a contrasting relationship between climate and δ18O, which is explained by different causes underlying the two climate anomalies. Whereas the Little Ice Age is attributed to a pronounced negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation, the 8.2 ka event was triggered by cooler conditions in the North Atlantic due to a slowdown of the thermohaline circulation.
Highlights
The Holocene represents an epoch of relatively stable, warm climate conditions, in comparison to the large, rapid changes that occurred during the Last Glacial
The largest climate anomaly during the Holocene was the short 8.2 ka cold event (Alley et al, 1997), which has been identified in several climate records
Various archives for terrestrial past climate variability have been evaluated in order to disentangle the complex patterns of Holocene climate change
Summary
The Holocene represents an epoch of relatively stable, warm climate conditions, in comparison to the large, rapid changes that occurred during the Last Glacial. Holzhauser et al, 2005; Joerin et al, 2006; Ivy-Ochs et al, 2009) contributed important information on past Holocene climate variability in Europe. Most of these archives are known to mainly record spring to summer conditions. In order to gain comprehensive insight into past climate variability, it is important to differentiate between different seasons. Davis et al (2003) showed in a compilation of European pollen data that temperature variations during the Holocene largely differ between the warm and cold seasons, with larger fluctuations occurring during winter
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