Jeita Cave, Lebanon 20,000 Year Speleothem Stable Isotope Data Cheng, H.; Sinha, A.; Verheyden, S.; Nader, F.H.; Li, X.L.; Zhang, P.Z.; Yin, J.J.; Yi, L.; Peng, Y.B.; Rao, Z.G.; Ning, Y.F.; Edwards, R.L. Cheng, H. Sinha, A. Verheyden, S. Nader, F.H. Li, X.L. Zhang, P.Z. Yin, J.J. Yi, L. Peng, Y.B. Rao, Z.G. Ning, Y.F. Edwards, R.L. hydrology earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (depth,null,null,millimeter,null,speleothems,null,null,N,distance from top) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (age,null,null,calendar year before present,null,speleothems,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (delta 18O,calcium carbonate,null,per mil VPDB,null,speleothems,raw,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (sample identification,null,null,null,null,speleothems,null,null,N,stalagmite ID) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (delta 13C,calcium carbonate,null,per mil VPDB,null,speleothems,raw,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems earth science/paleoclimate/speleothems (Jeita Cave>LATITUDE 33.95>LONGITUDE 35.65) The Levant constitutes an important region for assessing linkages between climate and societal changes throughout the course of human history. However, large uncertainties remain in our understanding of the region's hydroclimate variability under varying boundary conditions. Here we present a new high-resolution, precisely dated speleothem oxygen-carbon isotope and Sr/Ca records, spanning the last 20 ka from Jeita Cave, northern Levant. Our record reveals a higher (lower) precipitation-evaporation (P-E) balance during the Last Glacial Maximum and Bolling interstadial (Heinrich stadial 1). The early-middle Holocene is characterized by a trend toward higher P-E state, culminating between ~7 and 6 ka. The middle-late Holocene is characterized by two millennial-length drier periods during 5.3-4.2 and 2.8-1.4 ka. On submillennial time scale, the northern Levant climate variability is dominated by 500 year periodicity. Comparisons with the regional proxy records suggest persistent out-of-phase climate variability between the northern and southern Levant on a wide range of timescales. STUDY NOTES: Speleothem stable isotope (d18O and d13C) data from 3 stalagmites collected in Jeita Cave, Lebanon for the past 20,000 years NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Cheng, H. Investigator : Sinha, A. Investigator : Verheyden, S. Investigator : Nader, F.H. Investigator : Li, X.L. Investigator : Zhang, P.Z. Investigator : Yin, J.J. Investigator : Yi, L. Investigator : Peng, Y.B. Investigator : Rao, Z.G. Investigator : Ning, Y.F. Investigator : Edwards, R.L. 2016-08-26 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/20446 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/asia/lebanon/jeita2015iso.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/asia/lebanon/jeita2015iso.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/20446 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/asia/lebanon/jeita2015iso.txt H. Cheng, A. Sinha, S. Verheyden, F.H. Nader, X.L. Li, P.Z. Zhang, J.J. Yin, L. Yi, Y.B. Peng, Z.G. Rao, Y.F. Ning, R.L. Edwards2015The climate variability in northern Levant over the past 20,000 yearsGeophysical Research Letters42208641-865010.1002/2015GL065397http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2015GL065397/full START YEAR: 20367 cal yr BP * END YEAR: 372 cal yr BP 35.65 33.95 35.65 33.95