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Here we developed a composite pollen-based record of altitudinal vegetation changes from Lake Fúquene (5° N) in Colombia at 2540 m elevation. We quantitatively calibrated Arboreal Pollen percentages (AP%) into mean annual temperature (MAT) changes with an unprecedented ~60-year resolution over the past 284 000 years. An age model for the AP% record was constructed using frequency analysis in the depth domain and tuning of the distinct obliquity-related variations to the latest marine oxygen isotope stacked record. The reconstructed MAT record largely concurs with the ~100 and 41-kyr (obliquity) paced glacial cycles and is superimposed by extreme changes of up to 7 to 10° Celsius within a few hundred years at the major glacial terminations and during marine isotope stage 3, suggesting an unprecedented North Atlantic – equatorial link. Using intermediate complexity transient climate modelling experiments, we demonstrate that ice volume and greenhouse gasses are the major forcing agents causing the orbital-related MAT changes, while direct precession-induced insolation changes had no significant impact on the high mountain vegetation during the last two glacial cycles

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Genetically meaningful decomposition (unmixing) of sediment grain‐size distributions is accomplished with the end‐member modelling algorithm. Unmixing of the loess grain‐size distributions of a Late Quaternary loess–palaeosol succession from the north‐eastern Tibetan Plateau indicates that the loess is a mixture of three end‐members representing very fine sandy, coarse silty and medium silty loess. The unmixing approach potentially enables the unravelling of sediment fluxes from multiple dust sources, opening the way to significant advances in palaeoclimatic reconstructions from loess grain‐size distribution data. However, as laser‐diffraction size analysis is a volume‐based technique, the proportional contributions of the modelled end‐members might deviate (significantly) from weight proportions. Hence, calibration of the end‐member volume proportions to weight proportions must be established before one can calculate the source‐specific dust fluxes. This paper reports the findings of a sediment‐mixing experiment which enables calibration of the modelled mixing patterns established for the Tibetan loess–palaeosol succession.

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[1] Previous studies have indicated that a genetically meaningful decomposition (unmixing) of loess grainsize distributions can be accomplished with the end-member modeling algorithm EMMA. The independent decomposition of two series of loess grain-size records from the NE Tibetan Plateau and Loess Plateau spanning the last glacial-interglacial cycle indicates that the two data sets are described by very similar mixing models. The average mixing model presented here is regarded as representative for the vast loess region in northern China and allows quantification of the contribution of three loess components to the loess grain-size distributions. A genetic interpretation and the paleoclimatic significance of the average mixing model have been provided by comparison of the modeled loess components with modern dust samples in terms of their grain-size distribution and flux rates, and by the distribution patterns of the loess components across the Loess Plateau reconstructed for the last two glacial-interglacial cycles. The sandy and silty loess components represent the coarse dust fraction supplied by saltation and short-term suspension processes over the proximal part of the Loess Plateau during major dust outbreaks in spring and early summer. The low-level winter monsoon (northwesterly wind system) is the likely transporting agent for these dust events. A clayey loess component represents the fine dust component supplied over the entire Loess Plateau by long-term suspension processes during major dust outbreaks and as part of a background supply system. The clayey loess component in the glacial loess deposits is dominantly supplied during major dust outbreaks by the northwesterly winter monsoon, whereas the clayey loess component in the interglacial paleosols is mainly supplied by non-dust-storm processes, possibly with a significant contribution by the high-level subtropical jet stream (westerly winds).

The reliability of equivalent doses (De) from Chinese loess, measured using isothermal thermoluminescence (ITL) is tested. Dose calculations use the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) procedure. Despite good reproducibility of laboratory-induced signals and negligible response at zero dose, a significant overestimation of De is observed, compared with OSL measurements. Measurement of a known laboratory dose administered after optical bleaching, but before any heating, demonstrates that the first heating during measurement of the natural signal causes a significant sensitivity change, undetected by SAR. Using the single-aliquot regeneration and added (SARA) dose procedure, which allows for initial sensitivity change, good agreement with OSL is obtained after allowance is made for initial incomplete bleaching. It is concluded that SAR-ITL, in its present form, is not a suitable method for dating Chinese loess; it is very important to undertake a dose recovery test before any TL procedure is used to date sediments.

In a ~60 m long record reflecting the period from 284 ka to 27 ka we analysed grain size distributions (GSD), organic carbon content, and aquatic pollen assemblages at 1-cm increments. The 4768-points time series show with ~60 yr resolution the dynamic history of Lake Fúquene (2540 m alt., 4° N lat.) of the northern Andes during two full interglacial-glacial cycles. GSD show proportions of clay, fine silt, coarse silt, and sand evidencing the location of the sediment source (proximal vs distal) in relation to the drilling site, and available energy to transport sediments in the catchment area. Loss-on-ignition (LOI) values reflect estimates of the abundance of organic matter (OM) in the sediments. Aquatic pollen were grouped into assemblages characteristic of deep water, shallow water, swamp, and wet lake shore environments, reflecting a hydrological gradient sensitive for lake level changes.The End-Member Modelling Algorithm (EMMA) showed that 4 end-members (EMs) explain an optimal proportion (70%) of the observed variation. EMMA is able to unmix GSD of lacustrine sediments in a genetically meaningful way allowing EMs to be interpreted in past depositional and environmental settings. Most unexplained variability is located in the fraction of coarse sediment. OM content was estimated on the basis of LOI data and formed a fifth EM that mainly indicates presence of peat. Changes concur with submillennial-scale variability established in other proxies from this record (Groot et al., 2011). Periods with distinct sediment compositions are 284-243 ka (mainly MIS 8), 243-201 ka (mainly MIS 7), 201-179 ka (mainly MIS 7/6 transition), 179-133 ka (mainly MIS 6), 133-111 ka, (mainly MIS 5e) 111-87 ka (mainly MIS 5d-5b), 87-79 ka (mainly MIS 5a), 79-62 ka (mainly MIS 4), and 62-27 ka (MIS 3) showing sedimentological regimes are climate driven.