How dry was the Younger Dryas? Evidence from a coupled <i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H–<i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O biomarker paleohygrometer applied to the Gemündener Maar sediments, Western Eifel, Germany
<p>Causes of the Late Glacial to Early Holocene transition phase and particularly the Younger Dryas period, i.e. the major last cold spell in central Europe during the Late Glacial, are considered to be keys for understanding rapid natural climate change in the past. The sediments from maar la...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2019-04-01
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| Series: | Climate of the Past |
| Online Access: | https://www.clim-past.net/15/713/2019/cp-15-713-2019.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818575604548632576 |
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| author | J. Hepp J. Hepp J. Hepp L. Wüthrich T. Bromm M. Bliedtner M. Bliedtner I. K. Schäfer B. Glaser K. Rozanski F. Sirocko R. Zech R. Zech M. Zech M. Zech M. Zech |
| author_facet | J. Hepp J. Hepp J. Hepp L. Wüthrich T. Bromm M. Bliedtner M. Bliedtner I. K. Schäfer B. Glaser K. Rozanski F. Sirocko R. Zech R. Zech M. Zech M. Zech M. Zech |
| author_sort | J. Hepp |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Causes of the Late Glacial to Early Holocene transition phase and
particularly the Younger Dryas period, i.e. the major last cold spell in
central Europe during the Late Glacial, are considered to be keys for
understanding rapid natural climate change in the past. The sediments from
maar lakes in the Eifel, Germany, have turned out to be valuable archives
for recording such paleoenvironmental changes.</p>
<p>For this study, we investigated a Late Glacial to Early Holocene sediment
core that was retrieved from the Gemündener Maar in the Western Eifel,
Germany. We analysed the hydrogen (<span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H</span>) and oxygen
(<span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O</span>) stable isotope composition of leaf-wax-derived lipid
biomarkers (<span class="inline-formula"><i>n</i></span>-alkanes <span class="inline-formula">C<sub>27</sub></span> and <span class="inline-formula">C<sub>29</sub></span>) and a
hemicellulose-derived sugar biomarker (arabinose), respectively. Both
<span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H<sub><i>n</i>-alkane</sub></span> and <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O<sub>sugar</sub></span>
are suggested to reflect mainly leaf water of vegetation growing in the
catchment of the Gemündener Maar. Leaf water reflects <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H</span>
and <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O</span> of precipitation (primarily temperature-dependent)
modified by evapotranspirative enrichment of leaf water due to transpiration.
Based on the notion that the evapotranspirative enrichment depends primarily
on relative humidity (RH), we apply a previously introduced “coupled
<span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H<sub><i>n</i>-alkane</sub></span>–<span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O<sub>sugar</sub></span>
paleohygrometer approach” to reconstruct the deuterium excess of leaf water
and in turn Late Glacial–Early Holocene RH changes from our Gemündener
Maar record.</p>
<p>Our results do not provide evidence for overall markedly dry climatic
conditions having prevailed during the Younger Dryas. Rather, a two-phasing
of the Younger Dryas is supported, with moderate wet conditions at the Allerød
level during the first half and drier conditions during the second half of
the Younger Dryas. Moreover, our results suggest that the amplitude of RH
changes during the Early Holocene was<span id="page714"/> more pronounced than during the Younger
Dryas. This included the occurrence of a “Preboreal Humid Phase”. One
possible explanation for this unexpected finding could be that solar activity
is a hitherto underestimated driver of central European RH changes in the
past.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:43:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-29d2c0987af841c080c21d9ecd8db649 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1814-9324 1814-9332 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:43:13Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Climate of the Past |
| spelling | doaj.art-29d2c0987af841c080c21d9ecd8db6492022-12-21T22:41:37ZengCopernicus PublicationsClimate of the Past1814-93241814-93322019-04-011571373310.5194/cp-15-713-2019How dry was the Younger Dryas? Evidence from a coupled <i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H–<i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O biomarker paleohygrometer applied to the Gemündener Maar sediments, Western Eifel, GermanyJ. Hepp0J. Hepp1J. Hepp2L. Wüthrich3T. Bromm4M. Bliedtner5M. Bliedtner6I. K. Schäfer7B. Glaser8K. Rozanski9F. Sirocko10R. Zech11R. Zech12M. Zech13M. Zech14M. Zech15Department of Geomorphology and BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, GermanyInstitute of Agronomy and Nutritional Sciences, Soil Biogeochemistry, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, 06120 Halle, Germanypresent address: Department of Geomorphology and BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, GermanyInstitute of Geography and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandInstitute of Agronomy and Nutritional Sciences, Soil Biogeochemistry, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, 06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Geography and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Bern, Switzerlandpresent address: Institute of Geography, Department of Physical Geography, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena, GermanyInstitute of Geography and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandInstitute of Agronomy and Nutritional Sciences, Soil Biogeochemistry, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, 06120 Halle, GermanyFaculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, PolandInstitute of Geosciences, Group of Climate and Sediments, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, GermanyInstitute of Geography and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Bern, Switzerlandpresent address: Institute of Geography, Department of Physical Geography, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena, GermanyInstitute of Agronomy and Nutritional Sciences, Soil Biogeochemistry, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, 06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Geography, Dresden University of Technology, Helmholtzstrasse 10, 01062 Dresden, Germanypresent address: Institute of Geography, Dresden University of Technology, Helmholtzstrasse 10, 01062 Dresden, Germany<p>Causes of the Late Glacial to Early Holocene transition phase and particularly the Younger Dryas period, i.e. the major last cold spell in central Europe during the Late Glacial, are considered to be keys for understanding rapid natural climate change in the past. The sediments from maar lakes in the Eifel, Germany, have turned out to be valuable archives for recording such paleoenvironmental changes.</p> <p>For this study, we investigated a Late Glacial to Early Holocene sediment core that was retrieved from the Gemündener Maar in the Western Eifel, Germany. We analysed the hydrogen (<span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H</span>) and oxygen (<span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O</span>) stable isotope composition of leaf-wax-derived lipid biomarkers (<span class="inline-formula"><i>n</i></span>-alkanes <span class="inline-formula">C<sub>27</sub></span> and <span class="inline-formula">C<sub>29</sub></span>) and a hemicellulose-derived sugar biomarker (arabinose), respectively. Both <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H<sub><i>n</i>-alkane</sub></span> and <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O<sub>sugar</sub></span> are suggested to reflect mainly leaf water of vegetation growing in the catchment of the Gemündener Maar. Leaf water reflects <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H</span> and <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O</span> of precipitation (primarily temperature-dependent) modified by evapotranspirative enrichment of leaf water due to transpiration. Based on the notion that the evapotranspirative enrichment depends primarily on relative humidity (RH), we apply a previously introduced “coupled <span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H<sub><i>n</i>-alkane</sub></span>–<span class="inline-formula"><i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O<sub>sugar</sub></span> paleohygrometer approach” to reconstruct the deuterium excess of leaf water and in turn Late Glacial–Early Holocene RH changes from our Gemündener Maar record.</p> <p>Our results do not provide evidence for overall markedly dry climatic conditions having prevailed during the Younger Dryas. Rather, a two-phasing of the Younger Dryas is supported, with moderate wet conditions at the Allerød level during the first half and drier conditions during the second half of the Younger Dryas. Moreover, our results suggest that the amplitude of RH changes during the Early Holocene was<span id="page714"/> more pronounced than during the Younger Dryas. This included the occurrence of a “Preboreal Humid Phase”. One possible explanation for this unexpected finding could be that solar activity is a hitherto underestimated driver of central European RH changes in the past.</p>https://www.clim-past.net/15/713/2019/cp-15-713-2019.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. Hepp J. Hepp J. Hepp L. Wüthrich T. Bromm M. Bliedtner M. Bliedtner I. K. Schäfer B. Glaser K. Rozanski F. Sirocko R. Zech R. Zech M. Zech M. Zech M. Zech How dry was the Younger Dryas? Evidence from a coupled <i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H–<i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O biomarker paleohygrometer applied to the Gemündener Maar sediments, Western Eifel, Germany Climate of the Past |
| title | How dry was the Younger Dryas? Evidence from a coupled <i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H–<i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O biomarker paleohygrometer applied to the Gemündener Maar sediments, Western Eifel, Germany |
| title_full | How dry was the Younger Dryas? Evidence from a coupled <i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H–<i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O biomarker paleohygrometer applied to the Gemündener Maar sediments, Western Eifel, Germany |
| title_fullStr | How dry was the Younger Dryas? Evidence from a coupled <i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H–<i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O biomarker paleohygrometer applied to the Gemündener Maar sediments, Western Eifel, Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | How dry was the Younger Dryas? Evidence from a coupled <i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H–<i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O biomarker paleohygrometer applied to the Gemündener Maar sediments, Western Eifel, Germany |
| title_short | How dry was the Younger Dryas? Evidence from a coupled <i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H–<i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O biomarker paleohygrometer applied to the Gemündener Maar sediments, Western Eifel, Germany |
| title_sort | how dry was the younger dryas evidence from a coupled i δ i sup 2 sup h i δ i sup 18 sup o biomarker paleohygrometer applied to the gemundener maar sediments western eifel germany |
| url | https://www.clim-past.net/15/713/2019/cp-15-713-2019.pdf |
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