Paleoenvironmental changes at the lower Pleistocene Montalbano Jonico section (southern Italy): Global versus regional signals

Abstract

Integrated high resolution data from calcareous plankton assemblages (foraminifera and nannofossils) together with geochemical and mineralogical investigations have been collected at the on-land Montalbano Jonico section (southern Italy) in order to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental changes through Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 23–37. Time-series analysis on Globigerina bulloides and Cassidulina carinata δ18O records and on selected calcareous plankton proxies mainly revealed the occurrence of precession and obliquity forcing. The deposition of sapropel layers, which are interbedded in the Montalbano Jonico section, was driven by water column stratification (insolation cycle i-104) and enhanced sea surface water productivity (insolation cycle i-112, i-102 and i-86). Different paleoenvironmental conditions mark the sedimentary evolution of the section. From 1240 to 1082ka (MIS 37–MIS 32), high percentage abundances of warm and oligotrophic planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossil taxa indicate the establishment of oligotrophic and stratified surface water conditions. A key paleoenvironmental change occurred during MIS 31 (from about 1080 to 1065ka), which was a very warm interglacial characterized by an increase of tropical–subtropical (Globigerinoides ruber group and Globigerinoides trilobus) and low salinity (Braarudosphaera bigelowii) sea surface water taxa. During this interval, more humid climate conditions coupled with changes in local paleomorphology may have triggered a higher and unusual freshwater input and the creation of a new entry point for sediment supply into the basin from a different drainage area. From about 1065 to 1010ka (MIS 30–MIS 29), a cool and dry climate prevailed in the circum-Mediterranean area during a time of precession maxima. This favored lowered sea surface temperatures and an increase of polar-water Neogloboquadrina pachyderma left coiling. There are also indications of a reduction of the terrigenous input from the new source area. From 1010ka upward (MIS 28–MIS 23), the higher abundances of Globigerina bulloides, Turborotalita quinqueloba and Calciosolenia spp. indicate enhanced productivity conditions probably related to high turbidity of sea surface waters triggered by a more conspicuous sediment input from land. Analysis of the long-term trends in the multiproxy patterns suggests that the major paleoenvironmental changes occurred as a consequence of the combined effect of orbitally-controlled global climate and regional processes.