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Eemian pollen records from central Europe describe a transition from thermophilous tree taxa in the early Eemian to boreal tree taxa in the late Eemian with forest opening in the subsequent stadial. Available summer‐temperature reconstructions for the mid‐ to late Eemian transition show decreasing values during that time. We present a new chironomid record from southern Germany that covers the mid‐Eemian to the end of the first Würmian stadial (c. 125–105 ka) and also parts of the late Rissian glaciation and early Brörup interstadial of the early Würmian glaciation. Based on this record we describe lake development in the former Füramoos palaeolake and quantitatively reconstruct July air temperature during the examined interval. Late Rissian sediments are dominated by two chironomid taxa, Sergentia coracina‐type and Micropsectra radialis‐type, indicating very cold conditions. Following an uncertain interval, probably including a hiatus at the late Rissian/Eemian transition, mid‐Eemian sediments contain Tanytarsus glabrescens‐type and Tanytarsus mendax‐type suggesting relatively high July air temperatures. During the late Eemian, typically thermophilic taxa such as Tanytarsus glabrescens‐type disappear, suggesting decreasing temperatures. Stadial A is associated with increases in Microtendipes pedellus‐type suggesting more oligotrophic conditions. Early Brörup sediments contain Tanytarsus glabrescens‐type, suggesting a slight increase in July air temperature. Reconstructed July air temperatures show temperatures of 7–8 °C during the late Rissian and a decline from ~15.5–12 °C during the mid‐ to late Eemian associated with decreasing Northern Hemisphere July insolation. July air temperature values vary between 12 and 14 °C in the late Eemian, while reconstructed temperatures remain within 12–13.5 °C during Stadial A. Our new chironomid‐based temperature reconstruction provides valuable corroboration and new quantification of temperature development from the mid‐Eemian to the early Brörup interstadial as well as for sections of the late Rissian from the alpine foreland of southern Germany.

<p>The Western Mediterranean region including the North African desert margin is considered one of the most sensitive areas to future climate changes. In order to refine long-term scenarios for hydrological and environmental responses to future climate changes in this region, it is important to improve our knowledge about past environmental responses to climatic variability at centennial to millennial timescales. During the last two decades, the recovery and compilation of Holocene records from the subtropical North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea have improved our knowledge about millennial-scale variability of the Western Mediterranean palaeoclimate. The variabilities appear to affect regional precipitation patterns and environmental systems in the Western Mediterranean, but the timescales, magnitudes and forcing mechanisms remain poorly known. To compare the changes in Holocene climate variability and geomorphological processes across temporal scales, we analysed a 19.63-m long sediment record from Lake Sidi Ali (33°03’ N, 5°00’ W, 2080 m a.s.l.) in the sub-humid Middle Atlas that spans the last 12,000 years (23 pollen-based radiocarbon dates accompanied with <sup>210</sup>Pb results). We use calibrated XRF core scanning records with an annual to sub-decadal resolution to disentangle the complex interplay between climate changes and environmental dynamics during the Holocene. Data exploration techniques and time series analysis (Redfit, Wavelet) revealed long-term changes in lake behaviour. Three main proxy groups were identified (temperature proxies: 2ky, 1ky and 0.7ky cycles; sediment dynamic proxies: 3.5ky, 1.5ky cycles; hydrological proxies: 1.5ky, 1.2ky, 0.17ky cycles). For example, redox sensitive elements Fe and Mn show 1ky cycles and higher values in the Early Holocene and 1.5ky cycles and lower values in the Mid- to Late Holocene. All groups show specific periodicities throughout the Holocene, demonstrating their particular climatic and geomorphological dependencies. Furthermore, we discuss these periodicities relating to global and hemispheric drivers, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Innertropical Convergence Zone variability (ITCZ) and North Atlantic cold relapses (Bond events).</p>

<p>The Western Mediterranean region including the North African desert margin faces major environmental challenges in the backdrop of global climate change in terms of rising temperatures, a higher recurrence of drought events and a decrease in annual precipitation. As a condition to state further prospects, it is crucial to comprehend past and present hydro-climatic patterns. The Moroccan Middle Atlas is considered a transition zone between Atlantic, Mediterranean and Saharan air masses and is therefore of unprecedented interest in order to comprehend regional climate variability and to assess emerging hydrological, geomorphological and ecological impacts. Despite the growing number of limnological studies from the Middle Atlas, there still is a strong need for coupling palaeolimnological results at the sub-recent time scale with historical cartographic information, meteorological variables and underlying climatic forcing. Lake Sidi Ali (33°03’ N, 5°00’ W, 2080 m a.s.l.) provides a unique archive for understanding environmental changes throughout the 20<sup>th</sup> century. At least for the past 100 years the lake has experienced a minimum of three significant lake level changes in the order of several meters. We were able to reconstruct and quantify these alternations with the help of historical sources, topographic maps and satellite imagery. In addition, we implemented a multi-proxy analytical approach on a 145-cm long sediment record, including δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>13</sup>C isotope analysis of ostracod shells and CNS elemental analysis. A reliable age model based on 25 <sup>210</sup>Pb measurements and one radiocarbon dated cedar needle enables the linkage of sediment geochemical variations to lake level changes based on an instrumental record and historic topographic maps. We use meteorological precipitation and temperature data to evaluate the main drivers controlling these fluctuations. Furthermore, we have indications for a temporal coupling of Atlantic climate patterns (North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO; Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, AMO) with Sidi Ali lake level development.</p>