ORCID
- Roberts, Neil: 0000-0002-9379-1598
Abstract
The early Holocene cooling, which occurred around 8200 calendar years before present, was a prominent abrupt event around the north Atlantic region. Here, we investigate the timing, duration, magnitude and regional coherence of the event as expressed in carbonate oxygen-isotope records from three lakes on northwest Europe's Atlantic margin in western Ireland, namely Loch Avolla, Loch Gealáin and Lough Corrib. An abrupt negative oxygen-isotope excursion lasted about 200 years. Comparison of records from three sites suggests that the excursion was primarily the result of a reduction of the oxygen-isotope values of precipitation, which was likely caused by lowered air temperatures, possibly coupled with a change in atmospheric circulation. Comparison of records from two of the lakes (Loch Avolla and Loch Gealáin), which have differing bathymetries, further suggests a reduction in evaporative loss of lake water during the cooling episode. Comparison of climate model experiments with lake-sediment isotope data indicates that effective moisture may have increased along this part of the northeast Atlantic seaboard during the 8200-year climatic event, as lower evaporation compensated for reduced precipitation.
DOI
10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.06.027
Publication Date
2016-01-01
Publication Title
Quaternary Science Reviews
Volume
131
First Page
341
Last Page
349
ISSN
0277-3791
Embargo Period
2017-01-01
Organisational Unit
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Keywords
8200-year event, Early Holocene, Ireland, Isotope-enabled GCM, Oxygen-isotopes
Recommended Citation
Holmes, J. A., Tindall, J., Roberts, N., Marshall, W., Marshall, J., Bingham, A., Feeser, I., O'Connell, M., Atkinson, T., Jourdan, A., March, A., & Fisher, E. (2016) 'Lake isotope records of the 8200-year cooling event in western Ireland: Comparison with model simulations', Quaternary Science Reviews, 131, pp. 341-349. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.06.027
