Contribution of an accurate growth rate reconstruction of a stalagmite from the Kanaan Cave-Lebanon to the understanding of humidity variations in the Levant during the MIS 5

Lying at the transition between 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 dated last interglacial (MIS 5) stalagmite (129–84 ka) from the Kanaan Cave, Lebanon. Variations in growth rate, morphology and petrology have been measured to derive a palaeoclimatic record. The speleothem growth curve shows rapid growth rates during the peak of MIS 5e (126-124 ka), moderate growth rates between 103.5 and 99 ka and very low growth rates from 99 to 84 ka. On the basis of the good correlation between the speleothem morphology and growth rates with the isotopic response of continental records from northern and southern Levant, we relate high growth rate to wet conditions during the maximum MIS 5e and MIS 5c. The peak in growth rates corresponds to sapropel events in the eastern Mediterranean. Low growth rates during MIS 5d and 5b indicate a transition to drier conditions.