Andrea Schröder-Ritzrau

Deep-sea corals evidence periodic reduced ventilation in the North Atlantic during the LGM/Holocene transition

Abstract Nine new intermediate water ages estimated with coupled uranium-series and radiocarbon measurements on deep-sea corals from the northeastern Atlantic are presented. Together with six intermediate and deep-water ages from the western North Atlantic [Adkins et al., Science 280 (1998) 725–728] and one from the equatorial Atlantic [Mangini et al., Nature 392 (1998) 347–348] they span the time period from 15 400 to 560 yr ago and show abrupt variations of intermediate and deep-water ages from 270 up to 2320 yr. Both major pulses of meltwater discharge MWP 1A, following Heinrich Event 1 and MWP 1B after the Younger Dryas cold event are followed by enhanced supply of southern source water at intermediate depths in the North Atlantic, together with reduced formation of well-ventilated glacial North Atlantic intermediate water (1000–2000 m). This result gives strong support to numerical models, predicting fast and sharp increase of bottom water age in the Atlantic triggered by pulses of freshwater discharge into the North Atlantic [Rahmstorf, Nature 372 (1994) 82–85; Stocker and Wright, Radiocarbon 40 (1998) 359–366].

U/Th-dating of deep-water corals from the eastern North Atlantic and the western Mediterranean Sea

Deep-water corals are widespread in the North Atlantic. Colonial azooxanthellate scleractinians sustain ecosystems mostly in the bathyal zone down the slopes and oceanic banks off the Iberian Peninsula to as far north as the Scandinavian shelf off northern Norway. Estimates of the geological age of 37 deepwater corals exposed at the seabed from major reef areas in the North Atlantic were based on U/Th datings. In contrast to the purely Holocene ages of deep-water corals in Scandinavian waters, the Faroe area and the Rockall Trough, deep-water corals from lower latitudes like the seamounts off NW-Africa, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the western Mediterranean Sea seemed to have grown continuously over the last 50 ka. Overall, deep-water corals showed U/Th ages between 0.09 and 53.5 ka.

Bunker Cave stalagmites: an archive for central European Holocene climate variability

Holocene climate was characterised by variability on multi-centennial to multi-decadal time scales. In central Europe, these fluctuations were most pronounced during winter. Here we present a record of past winter climate variability for the last 10.8 ka based on four speleothems from Bunker Cave, western Germany. Due to its central European location, the cave site is particularly well suited to record changes in precipitation and temperature in response to changes in the North Atlantic realm. We present highresolution records of δ18O, δ13C values and Mg/Ca ratios. Changes in the Mg/Ca ratio are attributed to past meteoric precipitation variability. The stable C isotope composition of the speleothems most likely reflects changes in vegetation and precipitation, and variations in the δ18O signal are interpreted as variations in meteoric precipitation and temperature. We found cold and dry periods between 8 and 7 ka, 6.5 and 5.5 ka, 4 and 3 ka as well as between 0.7 and 0.2 ka. The proxy signals in the Bunker Cave stalagmites compare well with other isotope records and, thus, seem representative for central European Holocene climate variability. The prominent 8.2 ka event and the Little Ice Age cold events are both recorded in the Bunker Cave record. However, these events show a contrasting relationship between climate and δ18O, which is explained by different causes underlying the two climate anomalies. Whereas the Little Ice Age is attributed to a pronounced negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation, the 8.2 ka event was triggered by cooler conditions in the North Atlantic due to a slowdown of the thermohaline circulation.

The Influences of Hydrology on the Radiogenic and Stable Carbon Isotope Composition of Cave Drip Water, Grotta di Ernesto (Italy)

14C and δ13C values of C-containing species in cave drip waters are mainly controlled by the C isotope composition of karst rock and soil air, as well as by soil carbon dynamics, in particular the amount of soil CO2 in the unsaturated soil zone and the process of calcite dissolution. Here, we investigate soil carbon dynamics by analyzing the 14C activity and δ13C values of C dissolved in cave drip water. Monthly over a 2-yr period, we collected drip water from 2 drip sites, one fast and one relatively slow, within the shallow Grotta di Ernesto Cave (NE Italy). The 14C data reveal a pronounced annual cycle. In contrast, the δ13C values do not show an annual pattern and only small interannual variability compared to the δ13C values of soil waters. The annual 14C drip-water cycle is a function of drip-rate variability, soil moisture, and ultimately hydrology.

Comparison of Kinect and Terrestrial LiDAR Capturing Natural Karst Cave 3-D Objects

Modeling natural phenomena from 3-D information enhances our understanding of the environment. Dense 3-D point clouds are increasingly used as highly detailed input datasets. In addition to the capturing techniques of point clouds with LiDAR, low-cost sensors have been released in the last few years providing access to new research fields and facilitating 3-D data acquisition for a broader range of applications. This letter presents an analysis of different speleothem features using 3-D point clouds acquired with the gaming device Microsoft Kinect. We compare the Kinect sensor with terrestrial LiDAR reference measurements using the KinFu pipeline for capturing complete 3-D objects (<; 4 m3). The results demonstrate the suitability of the Kinect to capture flowstone walls and to derive morphometric parameters of cave features. Although the chosen capturing strategy (KinFu) reveals a high correlation (R2 = 0.92) of stalagmite morphometry along the vertical object axis, a systematic overestimation (22% for radii and 44% for volume) is found. The comparison of flowstone wall datasets predominantly shows low differences (mean of 1 mm with 7 mm standard deviation) of the order of the Kinect depth precision. For both objects the major differences occur at strongly varying and curved surface structures (e.g., with fine concave parts).

Seasonal temperature variations controlling cave ventilation processes in Cueva Larga, Puerto Rico

*rolf-martin.vieten@upr.edu Citation:

Holocene climate variability in Central Germany and a potential link to the polar North Atlantic: A replicated record from three coeval speleothems

Here, we present high-resolution trace element and stable isotope records from three coeval Holocene stalagmites from the Herbstlabyrinth cave system, Central Germany. All stalagmites were precisely dated using MC-ICPMS 230Th/U-dating. One stalagmite started to grow at 13.62 ± 0.13 ka BP, covering the late Glacial; the other two speleothems started to grow at 11.13 ± 0.08 and 10.26 ± 0.08 ka BP, respectively. The combined record covers the entire Holocene. The interpretation of the different climate proxies is supported by data from a detailed cave monitoring programme. Cold conditions during the Younger Dryas are reflected by intermittent stalagmite growth at the Herbstlabyrinth. The δ18O records are in general agreement with the NGRIP δ18O record on millennial time scales indicating that speleothem δ18O values at the Herbstlabyrinth reflect large-scale climate variability in the North Atlantic area. The 8.2 ka event is clearly visible as a pronounced negative excursion in the δ18O records. In all other proxies, it is not reflected as a major excursion. Correlation and principal component analysis enable us to disentangle the various processes affecting the stable isotope and trace element signals. Phases with higher P, Ba and U concentrations and more negative δ13C values are interpreted as reflecting more productive vegetation above the cave. The negative correlation of Mg with P, Ba and U and the positive correlation with δ13C indicate more recharge during phases of more productive vegetation, probably because of increased rainfall. The majority of the observed phases of reduced vegetation productivity and drier climate coincide with cooler periods in the polar North Atlantic as reflected by a higher abundance of hematite-stained grains (i.e. the Bond events), suggesting a close relationship between terrestrial climate in Central Europe and the polar North Atlantic.

Monitoring of Cueva Larga, Puerto Rico—A First Step to Decode Speleothem Climate Records

This study presents results of an ongoing cave monitoring program at Cueva Larga, Puerto Rico. The monitoring includes monthly analyses of stable isotope ratios of rain and drip water, and trace element ratios of drip water and cave air parameters. Drip sites are above growing speleothems offering the unique chance to calibrate geochemical variations in speleothems in order to reconstruct past climate conditions. Seasonal rainfall patterns above Cueva Larga show characteristic stable isotope values. The wet season is characterized by more negative δ18O and δD values and a maritime deuterium excess (+10‰). The dry season has more positive δ18O and δD values and elevated deuterium excess (>15%). The seasonal variations in the δ18O and δD values are smoothed by the soil and karst system which acts as a low-pass filter, indicating that climate proxies derived from speleothems growing in Cueva Larga may only show multiannual changes. The seepage water reservoir appears to be well-mixed. The transmission time of atmospheric signals into the drip water is site-specific ranging most likely from several months to years.