Using machine learning on tree-ring data to determine the geographical provenance of historical construction timbers

Funder: Bavarian Climate Research Network (BayKliF)

A review of climate reconstructions from terrestrial climate archives covering the first millennium AD in northwestern Europe

AbstractLarge changes in landscape, vegetation, and culture in northwestern (NW) Europe during the first millennium AD seem concurrent with climatic shifts. Understanding of this relation requires high-resolution palaeoclimate reconstructions. Therefore, we compiled available climate reconstructions from sites across NW Europe (extent research area: 10°W–20°E, 45°–60°N) through review of literature and the underlying data, to identify supraregional climatic changes in this region. All reconstructions cover the period from AD 1 to 1000 and have a temporal resolution of ≤50 yr. This resulted in 22 climate reconstructions/proxy records based on different palaeoclimate archives: chironomids (1)…

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 high-resolution records of δ<sup>18</sup>O, δ<sup>13</sup>C values and Mg/Ca ratios. Changes in the Mg/Ca ratio are attributed to past meteoric p…

Sensitivity of Bunker Cave to climatic forcings highlighted through multi-annual monitoring of rain-, soil-, and dripwaters

The last two decades have seen a considerable increase in studies using speleothems as archives of past climate variability. Caves under study are now monitored for a wide range of environmental parameters and results placed in contextwith speleothemdata. The present study investigates trends froma seven year longmonitoring of Bunker Cave, northwestern Germany, in order to assess the hydraulic response and transfer time of meteoric water fromthe surface to the cave. Rain-, soil-, and dripwaterwere collected fromAugust 2006 to August 2013 at a monthly to bimonthly resolution and their oxygen and hydrogen isotope composition wasmeasured. Furthermore, drip rates were quantified. Due to differe…

Sensitivity of whole wood stable carbon and oxygen isotope values to milling procedures

RATIONALE Milling of wood samples is a widely applied preparation method for pooling tree-rings from different trees or periods of several years for determination of δ13C and δ18O values. In this study, whole wood samples were milled using different procedures in order to evaluate potential effects of this preparation method on δ13C and δ18O values. METHODS Subsamples of a 5 cm3 wood piece of a single tree-ring from a lowland white fir were used. The samples were milled with different setups: (i) two and three stainless-steel balls, (ii) 3, 5 and 8 min milling time, and (iii) discontinuous and continuous milling. The δ13C values were measured using an elemental analyser connected to an IsoP…

Opposite Trends in Holocene Speleothem Proxy Records From Two Neighboring Caves in Germany: A Multi-Proxy Evaluation

Holocene climate in Central Europe was characterized by variations on millennial to decadal time scales. Speleothems provide the opportunity to study such palaeoclimate variability using high temporal resolution proxy records, and offer precise age models by U-series dating. However, the significance of proxy records from an individual speleothem is still a matter of debate, and limited sample availability often hampers the possibility to reproduce proxy records or to resolve spatial climate patterns. Here we present a palaeoclimate record based on four stalagmites from the Hüttenbläserschachthöhle (HBSH), western Germany. Two specimens cover almost the entire Holocene, with a short hiatus …

The magnesium isotope record of cave carbonate archives

Here we explore the potential of magnesium (δ<sup>26</sup>Mg) isotope time-series data as continental climate proxies in speleothem calcite archives. For this purpose, a total of six Pleistocene and Holocene stalagmites from caves in Germany, Morocco and Peru and two flowstones from a cave in Austria were investigated. These caves represent the semi-arid to arid (Morocco), the warm-temperate (Germany), the equatorial-humid (Peru) and the cold-humid (Austria) climate zones. Changes in the calcite magnesium isotope signature with time are compared against carbon and oxygen isotope records from these speleothems. Similar to other proxies, the non-trivial interaction of a …

Warm season precipitation signal in δ 2 H values of wood lignin methoxyl groups from high elevation larch trees in Switzerland

RATIONALE In this study, we tested stable hydrogen isotope ratios of wood lignin methoxyl groups (δ 2Hmethoxyl values) as a palaeoclimate proxy in dendrochronology. This is a quite new method in the field of dendrochronology and the sample preparation is much simpler than the methods used before to measure δ2H values from wood. METHODS We measured δ 2Hmethoxyl values in high elevation larch trees (Larix decidua Mill.) from Simplon Valley (southern Switzerland). Thirty-seven larch trees were sampled and five individuals analysed for their δ 2Hmethoxyl values at annual (1971-2009) and pentadal resolution (1746-2009). The δ 2Hmethoxyl values were measured as CH3I released upon treatment of the…

Diagenesis of speleothems and its effect on the accuracy of 230 Th/U-ages

Abstract Speleothems can be precisely dated by U-series disequilibrium methods. One basic assumption of the 230Th/U-dating method is that the system remains closed and U and Th isotopes are neither lost nor added after deposition. For stalagmites, this requirement is usually fulfilled due to their protected environment in caves. However, undersaturated drip water may lead to diagenesis of speleothem CaCO3 and altered 230Th/U-ages. Here we present a detailed petrographic investigation using thin sections and 230Th/U-ages of a stalagmite from the Riesenberghohle, northern Germany, which grew during Marine Isotope Stages 5e, c and a. The occurrence of a mosaic fabric in large parts of the stal…

Reconstruction of drip-water δ<sup>18</sup>O based on calcite oxygen and clumped isotopes of speleothems from Bunker Cave (Germany)

Abstract. The geochemical signature of many speleothems used for reconstruction of past continental climates is affected by kinetic isotope fractionation. This limits quantitative paleoclimate reconstruction and, in cases where the kinetic fractionation varies with time, also affects relative paleoclimate interpretations. In carbonate archive research, clumped isotope thermometry is typically used as proxy for absolute temperatures. In the case of speleothems, however, clumped isotopes provide a sensitive indicator for disequilibrium effects. The extent of kinetic fractionation co-varies in Δ47 and δ18O so that it can be used to account for disequilibrium in δ18O and to extract the past dri…

Comparison of δ(13)C and δ(18)O from cellulose, whole wood, and resin-free whole wood from an old high elevation Pinus uncinata in the Spanish central Pyrenees.

δ(13)C and δ(18)O values from sapwood of a single Pinus uncinata tree, from a high elevation site in the Spanish Pyrenees, were determined to evaluate the differences between whole wood and resin-free whole wood. This issue is addressed for the first time with P. uncinata over a 38-year long period. Results are also compared with published isotope values of α-cellulose samples from the same tree. The differences in δ(13)C and δ(18)O between whole wood and resin-free whole wood vary within the analytical uncertainty of 0.3 and 0.5 ‰, respectively, indicating that resin extraction is not necessary for sapwood of P. uncinata. Mean differences between cellulose and whole wood are 0.9 ‰ (δ(13)C)…

Speleothem δ13C record suggests enhanced spring/summer drought in south-eastern Spain between 9.7 and 7.8 ka – A circum-Western Mediterranean anomaly?

South-eastern Spain is one of the driest regions in Europe and thus, prone to drought. Terrestrial climate records covering the late Glacial and Holocene from this area are sparse. Here, we present a flowstone record from Cueva Victoria, south-eastern Spain, which covers the late Glacial (15 ka) to the mid-Holocene (7 ka) including the Younger Dryas (YD). Between the onset of the Bølling/Allerød (B/A) and the early Holocene, flowstone δ18O values progressively decrease in accordance with sea-surface temperatures in the Alboran Sea, indicating an increase in precipitation in south-eastern Spain and a supra-regional signal of North Atlantic temperature change. At the same time, decreasing δ13…

High‐Resolution Proxy Records From Two Simultaneously Grown Stalagmites From Zoolithencave (Southeastern Germany) and their Potential for Palaeoclimate Reconstruction

Two small annually laminated stalagmites from Zoolithencave (southeastern Germany) grew between CE 1821 and 1970 (Zoo‐rez‐1) and CE 1835 and 1970 (Zoo‐rez‐2), respectively. Trace element concentrations were determined by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS). Samples for δ13C and δ18O analyses were micromilled on annual and subannual resolution. Soil and host rock samples were analyzed by X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD) and their elemental concentrations determined via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP‐OES). Trace element concentrations in the stalagmites show two groups in the principal component analyses: one with Mg, Ba, and Sr and an…

Climate signals in δ13C of wood lignin methoxyl groups from high-elevation larch trees

Abstract In this study, a barely used method to measure δ13C values from lignin methoxyl groups (δ13Cmethoxyl) of tree‐rings is applied to high alpine larch trees to test their potential as a climate proxy. Thirty-seven larch trees (Larix decidua Mill.) were sampled at a tree line site near Simplon Village in the Valais/Switzerland. Samples were used to measure tree-ring width, and from five individuals, δ13Cmethoxyl was determined at annual resolution from 1971 to 2009, and at pentadal resolution from 1747 to 2009. The physiological tree responses to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration since 1850 and the corresponding decrease in δ13C (Suess effect) were corrected using a range of pub…

Calcite Mg and Sr partition coefficients in cave environments: Implications for interpreting prior calcite precipitation in speleothems

Abstract Trace element to Ca ratios in speleothems have emerged as important proxies that reflect local environmental conditions. However, interpretations of speleothem trace element records can be challenging due to various processes. Positive correlations between speleothem Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca have often been interpreted to reflect prior calcite precipitation (PCP), a process potentially modulated by rainfall variability. For quantitative interpretation of PCP, the distribution coefficients for Mg and Sr (DMg and DSr) are required. Here, we use ten cave monitoring calcite and drip water datasets to investigate the influence of temperature and drip water and calcite Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios on s…

Hydroclimate variability of western Thailand during the last 1400 years

Mainland Southeast Asia is located on the moisture transport route of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) where hydroclimate records from speleothems have rarely been investigated. Here, we present a new multi-proxy (δ18O and δ13C values, trace element concentrations, and grayscale values) data set of stalagmite KPC1 from Khao Prae cave in western Thailand spanning the last 1400 years (500–1900 CE; the Common Era). These multi-proxy data reveal a high variability between the wet and dry periods during 500–850 CE and 1150–1300 CE, stable climate conditions during 850–1150 CE, and overall dry conditions since 1300 CE. The δ13C values, trace elements concentrations, and grayscale values show cente…

Disequilibrium carbon and oxygen isotope fractionation in recent cave calcite: Comparison of cave precipitates and model data

Abstract Speleothem proxy data provide important information in continental palaeo-climate research due to their precise chronology and wide geographic distribution. Despite a continuously growing number of field and numerical studies designed to study stable isotope fractionation effects, many aspects remain a matter of debate. Here, carbon and oxygen isotope ratios from cave drip water and calcite precipitates sampled on watch glasses in the Bunker Cave (Western Germany) are compared with the values expected for isotopic equilibrium. Furthermore, the field data are compared with the results of a numerical model simulating stalagmite growth and stable isotope ratios. Two drip sites with di…

Climate and structure of the 8.2 ka event reconstructed from three speleothems from Germany

Abstract The most pronounced climate anomaly of the Holocene was the 8.2 ka cooling event. We present new 230Th/U-ages as well as high-resolution stable isotope and trace element data from three stalagmites from two different cave systems in Germany, which provide important information about the structure and climate variability of the 8.2 ka event in central Europe. In all three speleothems, the 8.2 ka event is clearly recorded as a pronounced negative excursion of the δ18O values and can be divided into a ‘whole event’ and a ‘central event’. All stalagmites show a similar structure of the event with a short negative excursion prior to the ‘central event’, which marks the beginning of the …

Detection and origin of different types of annual laminae in recent stalagmites from Zoolithencave, southern Germany: Evaluation of the potential for quantitative reconstruction of past precipitation variability

Abstract. An arrangement of three stalagmites from Zoolithencave (southern Germany) was analysed for different types of annual laminae using both microscopic and geochemical methods. The speleothems show visible laminae (consisting of a clear and a brownish, pigmented layer pair) as well as fluorescent and elemental laminae. The age of the speleothems was constrained to 1800 to 1970 AD by 14C-dating of a charcoal piece below the speleothems, detection of the 14C bomb peak, as well as counting of annual laminae. Dating by the 230Th/U-method was impossible due to detrital contamination. On the annual time-scale, the variability of Mg, Ba, and Sr is controlled by Prior Calcite Precipitation (P…

Opposite trends in Holocene speleothem proxy records from two neighboring caves in Germany : a multi-proxy evaluation

Monitoring Bunker Cave (NW Germany): A prerequisite to interpret geochemical proxy data of speleothems from this site

Summary Monitoring cave environments is important to understand processes in karst systems. If stalagmites from a specific cave are used as archives of past climate variability, a quantitative understanding of the soil–karst–speleothem system is crucial. The monitoring program performed in Bunker Cave (NW Germany), which includes monthly collection of climatological data as well as air and water samples from the cave and the overlying soil since 2006, is a prerequisite for the interpretation of speleothem data from the cave in terms of climate variability. The results show that Bunker Cave is a homogeneously ventilated cave with rather low pCO2 values of 580–1200 ppmv, which lacks strong se…

Hydrogeochemistry and fractionation pathways of Mg isotopes in a continental weathering system: Lessons from field experiments

Abstract The potential of magnesium isotope records from cave carbonate archives (speleothems) has been documented but remains underexplored. This is due to the limited knowledge regarding the complex suite of physico-chemical and biological disequilibrium fractionation processes affecting meteoric fluids in the soil zone, the carbonate hostrock and calcite precipitation in the cave. This study presents δ 26  Mg data from a monitored cave in Germany (Bunker Cave) including rain water (δ 26  Mg: − 0.70 ± 0.14‰), soil water (δ 26  Mg: − 0.51 ± 0.10‰) and drip waters (δ 26  Mg: − 1.65 ± 0.08‰) sampled between November 2009 and May 2011. Field precipitation experiments, i.e., calcite precipitat…

Reconstruction of late Holocene autumn/winter precipitation variability in SW Romania from a high-resolution speleothem trace element record

We present the first high-resolution trace element (Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca) record from a stalagmite in southwestern Romania covering the last 3.6 ka, which provides the potential for quantitative climate reconstruction. Precise age control is based on three independent dating methods, in particular for the last 250 yr, where chemical lamina counting is combined with the identification of the 20th century radiocarbon bomb peak and Th-230/U dating. Long-term cave monitoring and model simulations of drip water and speleothem elemental variability indicate that precipitation-related processes are the main drivers of speleothem Mg/Ca ratios. Calibration against instrumental climate data shows a si…

Evidence of warm and humid interstadials in central Europe during early MIS 3 revealed by a multi-proxy speleothem record

Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3, 57-27 ka) was characterised by numerous rapid climate oscillations (i.e., Dansgaard-Oeschger (D/O-) events), which are reflected in various climate archives. So far, MIS 3 speleothem records from central Europe have mainly been restricted to caves located beneath temperate Alpine glaciers or close to the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, MIS 3 seemed to be too cold and dry to enable speleothem growth north of the Alps in central Europe. Here we present a new speleothem record from Bunker Cave, Germany, which shows two distinct growth phases from 52.0 (+0.8, -0.5) to 50.9 (+0.6, -1.3) ka and 473 (+1.0, -0.6) to 42.8 (+/- 0.9) ka, rejecting this hypothesis. These two growth…

Physicochemical characteristics of drip waters: Influence on mineralogy and crystal morphology of recent cave carbonate precipitates

Speleothems are one of the most intensively explored continental archives for palaeoclimate variability. The parameters, however, that control speleothem petrography and its changes with time and space, specifically calcite crystal morphology and carbonate mineralogy, are still poorly understood. In order to shed light on processes and their products, precipitation experiments of recent carbonate crystals on watch glasses and glass plates were performed in seven selected caves. Drip water sites were analysed for their fluid Mg/Ca molar ratio, pH, degree of saturation for calcite and aragonite and drip rates. Corresponding precipitates were analysed with respect to their mineralogy, calcite …

Evaluating the potential of tree-ring methodology for cross-dating of three annually laminated stalagmites from Zoolithencave (SE Germany)

Abstract Three small stalagmites from Zoolithencave (southern Germany) show visible laminae, which consist of a clear and a brownish, pigmented layer pair. This potentially provides the opportunity to construct precise chronologies by counting annual laminae. The growth period of the three stalagmites was constrained by the 14C bomb peak in the youngest part of all three stalagmites and 14C-dating of a piece of charcoal in the consolidated base part of stalagmite Zoo-rez-2. These data suggest an age of AD 1970 for the top laminae and a lower age limit of AD 1973–1682 or AD 1735–1778. Laminae were counted and their thickness determined on scanned thin sections of all stalagmites. On stalagmi…

Moroccan speleothem and tree ring records suggest a variable positive state of the North Atlantic Oscillation during the Medieval Warm Period

We present a magnesium (Mg) and strontium (Sr) record from an aragonitic speleothem (Grotte de Piste, Morocco, 34‬°N; 04°W) providing a reconstruction of effective rainfall from 619 to 1962 AD. The corresponding drip site was monitored over 2 yr for drip water Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios. Results show evidence for prior aragonite precipitation, which can explain negative correlations between speleothem Mg and Sr concentrations. The data shown here have important climate implications concerning the evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). A comparison of the stalagmite data from Grotte de Piste with an updated tree ring based drought reconstruction from Morocco and other NAO related pro…