An annual-resolution stable isotope record from Swiss subfossil pine trees growing in the Late Glacial

Pauly, M, Helle, G, Büntgen, U, Wacker, L, Treydte, K, Reinig, F, Turney, C, Nievergelt, D, Kromer, B, Friedrich, M, Sookdeo, A, Heinrich, I, Riedel, F, Balting, D and Brauer, A (2020) 'An annual-resolution stable isotope record from Swiss subfossil pine trees growing in the Late Glacial.' Quaternary Science Reviews, 247. e106550. ISSN 0277-3791

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106550

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that the Late Glacial period (LG; ~ 14,600 – 11,700 cal BP) was characterised by abrupt and extreme climate variability over the European sector of the North Atlantic. The limited number of precisely dated, high-resolution proxy records, however, restricts our understanding of climate dynamics through the LG. Here, we present the first annually-resolved tree-cellulose stable oxygen and carbon isotope chronology (δ18Otree, δ13Ctree) covering the LG between ~14,050 – 12,795 cal BP, generated from a Swiss pine trees (P. sylvestris; 27 trees, 1255 years). Comparisons of δ18Otree with regional lake and ice core δ18O records reveal that LG climatic changes over the North Atlantic (as recorded by Greenland Stadials and Inter- Stadials) were not all experienced to the same degree in the Swiss trees. Possible explanations include: (1) LG climate oscillations may be less extreme during the summer in Switzerland, (2) tree-ring δ18O may capture local precipitation and humidity changes and/or (3) decayed cellulose and various micro-site conditions may overprint large-scale temperature trends found in other δ18O records. Despite these challenges, our study emphasises the potential to investigate hydroclimate conditions using subfossil pine stable isotopes.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: tree-ring cellulose, δ13C, δ18O, Late Glacial, Switzerland, climate, KEF
Divisions: School of Sciences
UoA: Geography & Environment
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106550
Date Deposited: 07 Feb 2020 16:25
Last Modified: 27 Feb 2024 14:37
URI / Page ID: https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/13088
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