a b s t r a c tThe so-called 8.2 ka event represents one of the most prominent cold climate anomalies during the Holocene warm period. Accordingly, several studies have addressed its trigger mechanisms, absolute dating and regional characteristics so far. However, knowledge about subsequent climate recovery is still limited although this might be essential for the understanding of rapid climatic changes. Here we present a new sub-decadally resolved and precisely dated oxygen isotope (d 18 O) record for the interval between 7.7 and 8.7 ka BP (10 3 calendar years before AD 1950), derived from the calcareous valves of benthic ostracods preserved in the varved lake sediments of pre-Alpine Mondsee (Austria). Besides a clear reflection of the 8.2 ka event, showing a good agreement in timing, duration and magnitude with other regional stable isotope records, the high-resolution Mondsee lake sediment record provides evidence for a 75-year-long interval of higher-than-average d 18O values directly after the 8.2 ka event, possibly reflecting increased air temperatures in Central Europe. This observation is consistent with evidence from other proxy records in the North Atlantic realm, thus most probably reflecting a hemispheric-scale climate signal rather than a local phenomenon. As a possible trigger we suggest an enhanced resumption of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), supporting assumptions from climate model simulations.

Si fluxes from the continents to the ocean are a key element of the global Si cycle. Due to the ability of coastal ecosystems to process and retain Si, the 'coastal filter' has the potential to alter Si fluxes at a global scale. Coastal zones are diverse systems, sensitive to local environmental changes, where Si cycling is currently poorly understood. Here, we present the first palaeoenvironmental study of estuarine biogenic silica (BSi) fluxes and silicon isotope ratios in diatoms (d 30 Si diatom) using hand-picked diatom frustules in two sediment cores (CB dist and CB prox) from the Chesapeake Bay covering the last 12000 and 8000 years, respectively. Constrained by the well-understood Holocene evolution of the Chesapeake Bay, we interpret variations in Si cycling in the context of local climate, vegetation and land use changes. d 30 Si diatom varies between ? 0.8 and ? 1.7% in both sediment cores. A Si mass balance for the Chesapeake Bay suggests much higher rates of Si retention (* 90%) within the system than seen in other coastal systems. BSi fluxes for both sediment cores co-vary with periods of sea level rise (between 9500 and 7500 a BP) and enhanced erosion due to deforestation (between 250 and 50 a BP). However, differences in d 30 Si diatom and BSi flux between the sites emphasize the importance of the seawater/ freshwater mixing ratios and locally variable Si inputs from the catchment. Further, we interpret variations in d 30 Si diatom and the increase in BSi fluxes observed since European settlement (* 250 a BP) to reflect a growing human influence on the Si cycle in the Chesapeake Bay. Thereby, land use change, especially deforestation, in the catchment is likely the major mechanism.

Lake sediments are increasingly explored as reliable paleoflood archives. In addition to established flood proxies including detrital layer thickness, chemical composition, and grain size, we explore stable oxygen and carbon isotope data as paleoflood proxies for lakes in catchments with carbonate bedrock geology. In a case study from Lake Mondsee (Austria), we integrate high-resolution sediment trapping at a proximal and a distal location and stable isotope analyses of varved lake sediments to investigate flood-triggered detrital sediment flux. First, we demonstrate a relation between runoff, detrital sediment flux, and isotope values in the sediment trap record covering the period 2011–2013 CE including 22 events with daily (hourly) peak runoff ranging from 10 (24) m3 s−1 to 79 (110) m3 s−1. The three- to ten-fold lower flood-triggered detrital sediment deposition in the distal trap is well reflected by attenuated peaks in the stable isotope values of trapped sediments. Next, we show that all nine flood-triggered detrital layers deposited in a sediment record from 1988 to 2013 have elevated isotope values compared with endogenic calcite. In addition, even two runoff events that did not cause the deposition of visible detrital layers are distinguished by higher isotope values. Empirical thresholds in the isotope data allow estimation of magnitudes of the majority of floods, although in some cases flood magnitudes are overestimated because local effects can result in too-high isotope values. Hence we present a proof of concept for stable isotopes as reliable tool for reconstructing flood frequency and, although with some limitations, even for flood magnitudes.

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