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Millennial-scale climate variability during the last 12.5ka recorded in a Caribbean speleothem

We present a speleothem stable oxygen isotope record for the last 12.5ka based on two stalagmites from western Cuba. The δ18O signal is interpreted to represent past precipitation variability. Both stalagmites show a pronounced transition from higher δ18O values (indicating drier conditions) to more...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fensterer, Claudia (Author) , Scholz, Denis (Author) , Hoffmann, Dirk L. (Author) , Spötl, Christoph (Author) , Schröder-Ritzrau, Andrea (Author) , Horn, Christian (Author) , Pajón, Jesus M. (Author) , Mangini, Augusto (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: January 1, 2013
In: Earth and planetary science letters
Year: 2013, Volume: 361, Pages: 143-151
ISSN:1385-013X
DOI:10.1016/j.epsl.2012.11.019
Online Access:lizenzpflichtig
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Author Notes:Claudia Fensterer, Denis Scholz, Dirk L. Hoffmann, Christoph Spötl, Andrea Schröder-Ritzrau, Christian Horn, Jesus M. Pajón, Augusto Mangini
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Summary:We present a speleothem stable oxygen isotope record for the last 12.5ka based on two stalagmites from western Cuba. The δ18O signal is interpreted to represent past precipitation variability. Both stalagmites show a pronounced transition from higher δ18O values (indicating drier conditions) to more negative δ18O values (suggesting wetter conditions) between 10 and 6ka. This transition is also visible in a planktonic δ18O record off Haiti. On orbital timescales, the δ18O value of Caribbean precipitation, thus, strongly resembles the oxygen isotope composition of Caribbean surface water. On millenial timescales, the speleothem δ18O record shows a high correlation to a North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) record off West Africa as well as a similarity with the Bond events. Periods of lower North Atlantic SST correspond to less precipitation in the Caribbean and vice versa. The potential teleconnection to the Caribbean may reflect the position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone because a further southward position of the ITCZ leads to reduced precipitation in the northern Caribbean.
Item Description:Gesehen am 12.03.2021
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1385-013X
DOI:10.1016/j.epsl.2012.11.019

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