HR: 1340h
AN: PP43A-0659 [Abstracts]
TI: Palynological Land-sea Correlation for the Late Quaternary of the Aegean Region: Comparing the Effects
of Short-Term Climatic Change on Terrestrial and Marine Environments
AU: * Kotthoff, U
EM: u.kotthoff@em.uni-frankfurt.de
AF: Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Senckenberganlage 32-24, Frankfurt, 60325
Germany
AU: Mueller, U C
EM: ulrich.mueller@em.uni-frankfurt.de
AF: Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Senckenberganlage 32-24, Frankfurt, 60325
Germany
AU: Pross, J
EM: joerg.pross@em.uni-frankfurt.de
AF: Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Senckenberganlage 32-24, Frankfurt, 60325
Germany
AU: Schmiedl, G
EM: schmiedl@rz.uni-leipzig.de
AF: Institute of Geophysics and Geology, Talstrasse 35, Leipzig, 04103
Germany
AB:
The Aegean region is particularly sensitive in recording the effects of atmospheric forcing due to its intermediate position
with respect to higher-latitude (i.e., westerlies) and lower-latitude (i.e., monsoonal) climate signals. This makes it an
ideal case study for analysing the effects of short-term climatic change on both marine and terrestrial environments. Whereas
a wealth of information is available on the variability of marine environments, high-resolution data from terrestrial
environments are yet relatively scarce. Moreover, there exists yet little information on the temporal correlation of
environmental change in terrestrial and marine settings.
To analyse the effects of short-term climatic change on terrestrial environments and to correlate terrestrial and marine
signals of environmental change, we have analyzed terrestrial palynomorphs (i.e., pollen and spores) within a marine age
frame from the Mount Athos Basin, northern Aegean Sea. The examined core SL 152 comprises the entire Late Glacial and
Holocene, thus covering the full range of climatic boundary conditions since the Last Glacial Maximum. Throughout the core,
terrestrial palynomorphs were analyzed in a temporal resolution of ca. 150 yr. The interval covering Sapropel S1 was studied
in a resolution of ca. 25 yr.
The Late Glacial pollen spectra are dominated by steppe elements. Based on a preliminary age model, the percentage of
arboreal pollen strongly increases from (low) glacial values to the very high values only few centuries prior to the onset of
Sapropel S1. Hence, reforestation in the northern hinterland of the Aegaen Sea occurred at ca. 9.5 kyr and therefore ca. 2
kyr later than the onset of the Holocene as commonly defined. This is probably a result of late increase of humidity
associated with a pluvial phase in the North African and Mediterranean realms.
DE: 1605 Abrupt/rapid climate change (4901, 8408)
DE: 1631 Land/atmosphere interactions (1218, 1843, 3322)
DE: 3030 Micropaleontology (0459, 4944)
DE: 4901 Abrupt/rapid climate change (1605)
DE: 4952 Palynology
SC: Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology [PP]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005