High-resolution record of climate stability in France during the last interglacial period

Abstract

The last interglacial period (127-110 kyr ago) has been considered to be an analogue to the present interglacial period, the Holocene, which may help us to understand present climate evolution. But whereas Holocene climate has been essentially stable in Europe, variability in climate during the last interglacial period has remained unresolved, because climate reconstructions from ice cores, continental records and marine sediment cores give conflicting results for this period. Here we present a high-resolution multi-proxy lacustrine record of climate change during the last interglacial period, based on oxygen isotopes in diatom silica, diatom assemblages and pollen-climate transfer functions from the Ribains maar in France. Contrary to a previous study, our data do not show a cold event interrupting the warm interglacial climate. Instead, we find an early temperature maximum with a transition to a colder climate about halfway through the sequence. The end of the interglacial period is clearly marked by an abrupt change in all proxy records. Our study confirms that in southwestern Europe the last interglacial period was a time of climatic stability and is therefore still likely to represent a useful analogue for the present climate.

A safe operating space for humanity

“…The resilience of the planet has kept it within the range of variation associated with the Holocene state, with key biogeochemical and atmospheric parameters fluctuating within a relatively narrow range ( Fig. 1; Dansgaard et al 1993;Petit et al 1999;Rioual et al 2001). At the same time, marked changes in regional system dynamics have occurred over that period.…”

Last Interglacial Climates

“…Rapid replacement of mixed temperate forest by conifers in the upper part of the interglacial interval resembles the event at Grande Pile described by Woillard. A sharp decrease of water temperature shortly before the disappearance of deciduous trees and expansion of pine was detected from oxygen isotopes in diatoms (de Beaulieu and Reille, 1992b;Rioual et al, 2001).…”

Strengths and Weaknesses of Quantitative Climate Reconstructions Based on Late-Quaternary Biological Proxies

“…Coope et al 1998;Ammann 2000, Brooks andBirks 2001;Heiri et al 2007), the previous interglacial (e.g. Rioual et al 2001;Kühl & Litt 2003;Klotz et al 2003), and earlier parts of the Quaternary (e.g. Pross et al 2000;Pross & Klotz 2002).…”