Early and mid-holocene environmental conditions in the eastern Adriatic recorded in speleothems from Mala Špilja cave and Velika Špilja cave (Mljet island, Croatia)

Lončar, Nina; Bar‐Matthews, Miryam; Avalon, Avner; Surić, Maša; Faivre, Sanja

doi:10.3986/ac.v46i2-3.4939

Cited by 12 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Spatial coverage of records in the 41-44° N latitudinal belt ( Figure 1) could be improved with recently published studies from Macedonia [51], Croatia [52] and Bosnia [53] (Table 1). Recently published records from Demänovska Valley [54], Cloşani [10], Tăuşoare-, and Ascunsă caves [55] are also expected to expand the data coverage for the Carpathian region.…”

Section: Spatial Distribution Of Speleothem Recordsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Speleothem Records from the Eastern Part of Europe and Turkey—Discussion on Stable Oxygen and Carbon Isotopes

et al. 2019

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The region comprising of East Central Europe, South East Europe and Turkey contributed to the SISAL (Speleothem Isotopes Synthesis and AnaLysis) global database with stable carbon and oxygen isotope time-series from 18 speleothems from 14 caves. The currently available oldest record from the studied region is the ABA-2 flowstone record (Abaliget Cave; Hungary) reaching back to MIS 6. The temporal distribution of the compiled 18 records from the region points out a ~20 kyr-long period, centering around 100 ka BP, lacking speleothem stable isotope data. The regional subset of SISAL_v1 records displays a continuous coverage for the past ~90 kyr for both δ13C and δ18O, with a mean temporal resolution of ~12 yr for the Holocene, and >50 yr for the pre-Holocene period. The highest temporal resolution both for the Holocene and the pre-Holocene was achieved in the So-1 record (Sofular Cave; Turkey). The relationship between modern day precipitation δ18O (amount weighted annual and winter season mean values; 1961–2017) and climatological parameters was evaluated. The strong positive correlation found in East Central Europe reinforces the link between modern day precipitation δ18O, temperature and large-scale circulation (North Atlantic Oscillation) expected to be preserved in the speleothem δ18O record; while a negative relationship was documented between precipitation amount and oxygen isotope compositions in South East Europe. Variations of δ13C values are primarily interpreted as reflecting dry/wet periods across the region. Elevation gradients from three non-overlapping periods of the last ~5 kyr indicated elevation gradients around −0.26‰ per 100 m−1 for calcite δ18O.

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Section: Spatial Distribution Of Speleothem Recordsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Speleothem Records from the Eastern Part of Europe and Turkey—Discussion on Stable Oxygen and Carbon Isotopes

et al. 2019

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“…2; Regattieri et al, 2014), and Lake Accesa (Magny et al, 2009; revised chronology in Zanchetta et al, 2018) clearly point to a drought event. In Croatia, a drier climate is attested at Lake Vrana (Island of Cres; Schmidt et al, 2000), Bokanjačko blato karst polje (Dalmatia;Ilijanić et al, 2018), and at Mala Špilja Cave (island of Mljet; Lončar et al, 2017). In the Balkan Peninsula, Lake Shkodra ( Fig.…”

Section: A West-east Gradient -Northern Mediterraneanmentioning

confidence: 99%

The 4.2 ka BP event in the Levant

et al. 2018

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Abstract. The 4.2 ka BP event is defined as a phase of environmental stress characterized by severe and prolonged drought of global extent. The event is recorded from the North Atlantic through Europe to Asia and has led scientists to evoke a 300-year global mega-drought. For the Mediterranean and the Near East, this abrupt climate episode radically altered precipitation, with an estimated 30 %–50 % drop in rainfall in the eastern basin. While many studies have highlighted similar trends in the northern Mediterranean (from Spain to Turkey and the northern Levant), data from northern Africa and the central-southern Levant are more nuanced, suggesting a weaker imprint of this climate shift on the environment and/or different climate patterns. Here, we critically review environmental reconstructions for the Levant and show that, while the 4.2 ka BP event also corresponds to a drier period, a different climate pattern emerges in the central-southern Levant, with two arid phases framing a wetter period, suggesting a W-shaped event. This is particularly well expressed by records from the Dead Sea area.

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“…Note that one additional virtual age with a very large error bar was added for the algorithm to work (i.e., the age does not provide additional information). Lončar et al (2017), because when applying the difference in rainfall δ 18 O during a temperature change in central and southwestern Slovenia (0.19 -0.29 ‰/°C) (Vreča et al 2008(Vreča et al , 2011(Vreča et al , 2014(Vreča et al , 2015Vreča & Malenšek 2016), and the calcite/water fractionation at the mean annual temperature of the cave (~ -0.25/°C (O'Neil et al 1969)) the net difference is too small for stalagmite δ 18 O to indicate only temperature changes, and there could be a small net positive or negative shift of oxygen isotopes of calcite. In this case, the δ 13 C variation which can reflect the changes in the relative abundance of two groups of plants C 3 and C 4 , consequent soil CO 2 composition and changes in vegetation productivity (Desmarchelier 2000) (and references therein), can be correlated well with changes of the δ 18 O (wetter conditions would indicate greater vegetation productivity).…”

Section: Fig 11: Strong Negative Linear Correlation Between Sf and Amentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA, spectroscopic and geochemical analyses of bone fragments and associated speleothems in Postojna cave, Slovenia

Lipar¹,

Pajnič²,

Cotman³

et al. 2020

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a loose/broken stalagmite containing small fragments of cemented bones were collected from the Postojna Cave to investigate whether deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) can be determined. The study is complemented by the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy - attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) analysis in order to determine the alteration of the bones and to test whether this analysis can be used as an indicator of possible DNA preservation. In addition, geochemical analyses were conducted in order to determine whether the associated flowstone/stalagmite is suitable for elucidating the timing of bone thanatocoenosis and further palaeoenvironmental analyses. The organic matter (collagen) is poorly preserved. However, we succeeded in amplifying a 94 bp long fragment of the cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for one sample, and in sequencing the amto that of the Cyt b of the cave bear (Ursus deningeri or Ursus spelaeus sensu lato). The uranium-thorium dating of the speleothem covering the bones revealed its thanatocoenosis occurred prior to 55 ka, most likely in the late marine isotope stage 4 or early marine isotope stage 3. High porosity and recrystallisation of the flowstone/stalagmite at this part of the cave prevent high-resolution palaeoclimatic interpretation; however, low-resolution stable isotope geochemistry suggests a steppe-like environment during the subsequent growth of the speleothem.

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Early and mid-holocene environmental conditions in the eastern Adriatic recorded in speleothems from Mala Špilja cave and Velika Špilja cave (Mljet island, Croatia)

Abstract: UDC 551.435

Cited by 12 publications

References 63 publications

Speleothem Records from the Eastern Part of Europe and Turkey—Discussion on Stable Oxygen and Carbon Isotopes

Speleothem Records from the Eastern Part of Europe and Turkey—Discussion on Stable Oxygen and Carbon Isotopes

The 4.2 ka BP event in the Levant

DNA, spectroscopic and geochemical analyses of bone fragments and associated speleothems in Postojna cave, Slovenia

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