Late Quaternary climatic histories from the Hermes Cave, Corinth Rift, Greece

Abstract

The Greek peninsula is located at the crossroads of several major atmospheric circulation patterns and is consequently characterized by high variability in climatic conditions, making it an important location to examine past climate variability. Over the last decades, the focus of many studies in the region has been to unravel Holocene paleoclimatic oscillations and their impact on the development of ancient civilizations using terrestrial archives and especially speleothem records. In this study we contribute to the regional climate record over the Quaternary using a speleothem from the Hermes Cave located at the southern flanks of the Corinth Rift in central Greece. Our stalagmite grew over two distinct periods, from ~127 to 105 ka and from 18 to 8 ka B.P. separated by a distinct hiatus. We have examined its growth history, stable isotope geochemistry and elemental composition. Higher growth rates are observed during the Eemian and the early Holocene and are attributed to high water recharge implying humid conditions. A gradual isotopic enrichment before the growth hiatus of the stalagmite suggests a gradual drying that can be related to glacier advance. Our record correlates with other paleoclimate records from the broader area confirming and extending a pattern of coherent changes in paleoclimate across the Eastern Mediterranean basin.