Speleothem evidence of late glacial and Early Holocene Preboreal and Boreal hydro-climate changes in western Mediterranean (Corchia Cave, Italy)

Abstract

This paper explores the rainfall variability across the western Mediterranean area from ca. 12 to 9 ka, and its climate teleconnection within the northern Hemisphere realm. A high-resolution stable isotope (δ18O, δ13C) and growth rate record from a Corchia Cave stalagmite (Apuan Alps, Central Italy) shows evidence of: 1) increased rainfall during the transition from the late Younger Dryas (YD) to the Holocene; and 2) two Early Holocene episodes of reduced rainfall during the so-called Preboreal and Boreal Oscillations (PBO and BO respectively). The YD to Holocene transition occurs at Corchia from 11.91+0.10/-0.11 to 11.33+0.07/-0.07 ka, in agreement with other Mediterranean records. The expr..