Reconstruction of MIS 5 climate in the central Levant using a stalagmite from Kanaan Cave, Lebanon

Nehme, C.; Verheyden, S.; Noble, S.R.; Farrant, A.R.; Sahy, D.; Hellstrom, J.; Delannoy, J.J.; Claeys, P.. 2015 Reconstruction of MIS 5 climate in the central Levant using a stalagmite from Kanaan Cave, Lebanon. Climate of the Past, 11 (12). 1785-1799. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1785-2015

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1785-2015

Abstract/Summary

Lying at the transition between the temperate Mediterranean domain and subtropical deserts, the Levant is a key area to study the palaeoclimatic response over glacial–interglacial cycles. This paper presents a precisely dated last interglacial (MIS 5) stalagmite (129–84 ka) from the Kanaan Cave, Lebanon. Variations in growth rate and isotopic records indicate a warm humid phase at the onset of the last interglacial at ~ 129 ka that lasted until ~ 125 ka. A gradual shift in speleothem isotopic composition (125–122 ka) is driven mainly by the δ18O source effect of the eastern Mediterranean surface waters during sapropel 5 (S5). The onset of glacial inception began after ~ 122 ka, interrupted by a short wet pulse during the sapropel 4 (S4) event. Low growth rates and enriched oxygen and carbon values until ~ 84 ka indicate a transition to drier conditions during Northern Hemisphere glaciation.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1785-2015
ISSN:	1814-9332
Date made live:	25 Apr 2016 14:36 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/513498

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1785-2015

ISSN:

1814-9332

Date made live:

25 Apr 2016 14:36 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/513498