U-Th and 14 C dating, and X-ray diffraction of parts of 16 submerged speleothems taken from depths of 1.5−41.5 m from 7 submarine caves and pits along the Eastern Adriatic coast, provided insight into the sea-level fl uctuations during the last 220 ka, and to the palaeogeographic changes caused by sea-level changes. Due to climate changes, palaeoenvironmental settings also varied, but not so abruptly and intensely as in the rest of Europe. As the Alps and Dinarides acted as orographic barriers, the Eastern Adriatic coast was the border region between periglacial Europe and the temperate Mediterranean region. It was also a refuge area for plant species from the north. This study showed that appropriate temperature, humidity and vegetation cover ensured favourable conditions for karstifi cation and speleothem formation even during the Last Glacial Maximum.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.