Heterogenous late Holocene climate in the Eastern Mediterranean—The Kocain Cave record from SW Turkey

Jacobson, M. J. , Flohr, P., Gascoigne, A., Leng, M. J., Sadekov, A., Cheng, H., Lawrence Edwards, R., Tüysüz, O. and Fleitmann, D. (2021) Heterogenous late Holocene climate in the Eastern Mediterranean—The Kocain Cave record from SW Turkey. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(20), e2021GL094. (doi: 10.1029/2021GL094733)

Abstract

Palaeoclimate variability must be constrained to predict the nature and impacts of future climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean. Here, we present a late Holocene high-resolution multiproxy data set from Kocain Cave, the first of its kind from SW Turkey. Regional fluctuations in effective-moisture are recorded by variations in magnesium, strontium, phosphorous and carbon isotopes, with oxygen isotopes reacting to changes in precipitation and effective-moisture. The new record shows a double-peak of arid conditions at 1150 and 800 BCE, a wet period 330–460 CE followed by a rapid shift to dry conditions 460–830 CE, and a dry/wet Medieval Climate Anomaly/Little Ice Age pattern. Large discrepancies exist between Turkish records and the Kocain record, which shares more similarities with other Eastern Mediterranean coastal records. Heterogeneity of regional climate and palaeoclimate proxy records are emphasized.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the AHRC South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership (Grant AH/L503939/1 to M. J. Jacobson), the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant PP002-110554/1 to D. Fleitmann), the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant 1702816 to R. L. Edwards), the ERC Advanced Grant (2010 NEWLOGADG-267931 to A. Sadekov, awarded to Prof. H. Elderfield) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant NSFC 41888101 to H. Cheng).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Jacobson, Mr Matthew
• Authors: Jacobson, M. J., Flohr, P., Gascoigne, A., Leng, M. J., Sadekov, A., Cheng, H., Lawrence Edwards, R., Tüysüz, O., and Fleitmann, D.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Archaeology
• Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 0094-8276
• ISSN (Online): 1944-8007
• Published Online: 30 September 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021. The Authors
• First Published: First published in Geophysical Research Letters 48(20):e2021GL094
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons Licence