Synchronous vegetation response to the last glacial-interglacial transition in northwest Europe

Abstract

The North Atlantic region experienced abrupt high-amplitude cooling at the onset of the Younger Dryas stadial. However, due to chronological uncertainties in the available terrestrial records it is unclear whether terrestrial ecosystem response to this event was instantaneous and spatially synchronous, or whether regional or time-transgressive lags existed. Here we use new palynological results from a robustly dated lake sediment sequence retrieved from lake Hämelsee (north Germany) to show that vegetation change started at 12,820 cal. yr BP, concurrent with the onset of changes in local climate. A comparison of the Hämelsee results to a compilation of precisely dated palynological records shows instant and, within decadal-scale dating uncertainty, synchronous response of the terrestrial plant community to Late-Glacial climate change across northwest Europe. The results indicate that the environmental impact of climate cooling was more severe than previously thought and illustrates the sensitivity of natural terrestrial ecosystems to external forcing.

Re‐investigation of the Bispingen palaeolake sediment succession (northern Germany) reveals that the Last Interglacial (Eemian) in northern‐central Europe lasted at least ~15 000 years

“…2013; Engels et al . 2022). Consequently, the apparent ~2500–3000‐year difference between our new minimum duration estimate of ~15 000 years for the Eemian at Bispingen and the latest duration estimates of ~18 000 years from southern Europe (Brauer et al .…”

The Encke comet impact/airburst and the Younger Dryas Boundary: Testing the impossible hypothesis (YDIH)

“…Whereas for the 2PEncke Event of 12.8 ka considerable evidence remains to reconstruct postglacial environmental change with unparalleled accuracy. Moreover, despite BM deniers, it is now possible with unprecedented AMS C14 accuracy to date LG/YD pollen sections in Europe to 12,820 cal yr BP with two sigma uncertainty of ~100 yr (Engels et al, 2022), the wider spread of European pollen sites slightly advancing the earlier mean age of 12,737 ± 31 cal yr BP from Krakenes, Norway (Lohne et al, 2013(Lohne et al, , 2014 and black mat sites worldwide at 12.8 ka (Kennett et al, 2015). This explains the connectiveness of the 2PEncke Airburst of 12.8 ka with the fallout result of a pollen shift trailing by decades to 12.7 ka.…”

“…As summarized by Wolbach et al (2018aWolbach et al ( , 2018b in the 120-kyr worldwide fire record, sedimentary evidence shows such an event occurred approximately 12.8 ka, supporting such a cooling event. Heaton's (2022) (Engels et al, 2022).…”

The Encke Comet Impact/Airburst and the Younger Dryas Boundary: Testing the Impossible Hypothesis (YDIH)

“…Considering the variation in impact timing of the K/T on Earth for Chicxulub, coupled with the Noachian (~ 4 Ga) for Gale on Mars, considerable loss of material has occurred in post-event time; whereas for the Encke Event of 12.8 ka considerable evidence remains to reconstruct postglacial environmental change with unparalleled accuracy. Moreover, despite BM deniers, it is now possible with unprecedented AMS C14 accuracy to date LG/YD pollen sections in Europe to 12,820 cal yr BP with two sigma uncertainty of ~ 100 year (Engels et al, 2022), and black mat sites worldwide at 12.8 ka (Kennett et al, 2015). This explains the connectiveness of the Encke Impact/Airburst of 12.8 ka with the fallout result of a pollen shift trailing by decades to 12.7 ka.…”