Climate Changes Record of Bandung Paleolake

Abstract

The research was carried out on the sediment of Middle Bandung Basin. Samples were taken from a depth of 20 meters to 10 meters, each meter a taken sample for analysis. The characteristics of the sample are greenish grey clay deposits with remnant plant material. Research aims to identify climate change based on palynological data from the Pleistocene-Holocene Boundary. The resulting of radiocarbon dating (14C), shows that age of the sample from the 18 m depth around 11820 years BP. Separation of pollen from sediment used an acetolysis method. Palynomorphs are grouped according to their habitat that related to vegetation zone, i.e., lowland forest zone, submontane forest zone, lower montane forest zone, riparian/open herbaceous swamp vegetation, freshwater algae, and Aquatic plant. The composition of pollen shows a succession of vegetation that reflection of climate changes. From Pleistocene-Holocene boundary at least has been recorded seven times of the shift vegetation zone that is evidence of climate change. The oldest sample at 20 m depth is the coldest temperature occurred in zone one at a depth of 20-19 meters that was dominated by lower montane forest vegetation; the event was around Late Pleistocene. The opposite condition occurred in zone seven at 10 meters depth; temperature becomes warmer that indicated by disappears of pollen submontane forest and dominated by lowland forest pollen similar to the current condition. Climate change is also reflected by fluctuations the quantity pollen of open herbaceous swamp vegetation.