Eifel Laminated Sediment Archive (ELSA) Vegetation Stack Sirocko, F.; Knapp, H.; Dreher, F.; Förster, M.W.; Albert, J.; Brunck, H.; Veres, D.; Dietrich, S.; Zech, M.; Hambach, U.; Röhner, M.; Rudert, S.; Schwibus, K.; Adams, C.; Sigl, P. Sirocko, F. Knapp, H. Dreher, F. Förster, M.W. Albert, J. Brunck, H. Veres, D. Dietrich, S. Zech, M. Hambach, U. Röhner, M. Rudert, S. Schwibus, K. Adams, C. Sigl, P. earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (age,null,null,calendar year before present,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,age before 2k) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (sample identification,null,null,null,null,paleolimnology,null,null,C,core name) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|paleolimnology (age,null,null,calendar year before present,null,climate reconstructions|paleolimnology,null,null,N,age before 2k) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (total ostracods,null,null,count per kilogram,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|paleolimnology|plant macrofossils (biome,null,null,percent,null,climate reconstructions|paleolimnology|plant macrofossils,null,null,N,woodland) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (depth,null,null,centimeter,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (total ephippia,null,null,count per kilogram,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (organic carbon,sediment,null,percent,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (dust,null,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,dust radius index) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (varve thickness,null,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,composited|normalized,null,N,normalized HM1 + DE3 varve stack index) earth science/paleoclimate/fire history|paleolimnology (charcoal,sediment,null,count per kilogram,null,fire history|paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (Aueler Maar>LATITUDE 50.28383>LONGITUDE 6.59574) (Holzmaar>LATITUDE 50.1203>LONGITUDE 6.87963) (Dehner Maar>LATITUDE 50.2944>LONGITUDE 6.50699) Laminated sediment records from several maar lakes and dry maar lakes of the Eifel (Germany) reveal the history of climate, weather, environment, vegetation, and land use in central Europe during the last 60,000 years. The time series of the last 30,000 years is based on a continuous varve counted chronology, the MIS3 section is tuned to the Greenland ice - both with independent age control from 14C dates. Total carbon, pollen and plant macrofossils are used to synthesize a vegetation-stack, which is used together with the stacks from seasonal varve formation, flood layers, eolian dust content and volcanic tephra layers to define Landscape Evolution Zones (LEZ). LEZ 1 encompasses the landscape dynamics of the last 6000 years with widespread human influence. The natural oak and hazel forests of the early Holocene back to 10,500 b2k define LEZ 2. LEZ 3, the late glacial between 10,500 and 14,700 b2k, shows the development of a boreal forest with abundant grass and shallow water biomass in the lakes. The maximum of the last glaciation (LEZ 4: 14,700-23,000 b2k) was characterized by sparse vegetation of moss and characeae. These sediments are generally devoid of clay and sand and reveal no indication of snow-meltwater events. Accordingly, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) must have been extremely arid in central Europe. The sediments of the subsequent LEZ 5 from 23,000-28,500 b2k preserve distinct layers of clay and coarse sand, which indicates running water with clay in suspension and ephemeral coarse-grained fluvial sediment discharge. Abundant Ranunculaceae macroremains (used for 14C dating), insects, moss and fungi sclerotia reflect a tundra environment during a time of frequent strong snowmelt events. Total carbon content, Betula-Pinus pollen and diatoms reach increased concentrations during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 interstadials that occurred between 28,500 and 36,500 b2k (LEZ 6). The entire MIS3 interstadials are well documented in the organic carbon record from the Auel dry maar. The main paleobotanical indicators of MIS3 are, however, grass pollen and heliophytes, which indicate a steppe environment with scattered/patchy trees during the interstadials. The stadial phases inferred during LEZ 6 reveal initiation of eolian dust deflation. The change of the early MIS 3 forested landscape to a steppe occurred with the LEZ 7-LEZ 6 transition. This is when modern man spread in central Europe. The principle vegetation change to a steppe at 36,500 b2k must have favoured the spread of horses, an important hunting prey of modern humans. We propose accordingly that the migration of the modern humans into central Europe might have been at least partly driven by climate and associated vegetation change. The LEZ 7 encompassed the time interval 36,500 to 49,000 b2k and was characterized by a boreal forest with high abundance of pine, birch, as well as spruce during the interstadial events. Abundant charcoal fragments indicate that this taiga was under frequent drought stress with regular burning. The most unexpected finding, but corroborated by all our maar records is the dominance of thermophilous tree taxa from 49,000 to 55,000 b2k (LEZ 8). Greenland interstadials 13 and 14 were apparently the warmest of MIS 3 according to the Eifel pollen records. The preceeding LEZ 9 from 55,000 to 60,000 b2k is also dominated by spruce, but thermophilous trees were sparse. A warm early MIS3 appears plausible, because summer insolation (at 60N) was higher in the early MIS 3 than today, ice cover was low in Scandinavia and sea-surface temperatures of the North Atlantic were almost comparable to modern values during GI-14. STUDY NOTES: Pleistocene laminated lake sediments from maar structures of the Eifel present a new and unique record to construct for the first time a continuous time series with annual resolution for volcanic activity, climate, paleoweather and environment of the last 70000 years in central Europe. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Sirocko, F. Investigator : Knapp, H. Investigator : Dreher, F. Investigator : Förster, M.W. Investigator : Albert, J. Investigator : Brunck, H. Investigator : Veres, D. Investigator : Dietrich, S. Investigator : Zech, M. Investigator : Hambach, U. Investigator : Röhner, M. Investigator : Rudert, S. Investigator : Schwibus, K. Investigator : Adams, C. Investigator : Sigl, P. 2016-12-09 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/21430 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016de3dust.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016au2toc.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016pollen.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016macro.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016varve.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016de3dust.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016au2toc.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016pollen.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016macro.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016varve.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/21430 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016de3dust.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016au2toc.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016pollen.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016macro.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/europe/germany/elsa2016varve.txt F. Sirocko, H. Knapp, F. Dreher, M.W. Förster, J. Albert, H. Brunck, D. Veres, S. Dietrich, M. Zech, U. Hambach, M. Röhner, S. Rudert, K. Schwibus, C. Adams, P. Sigl2016The ELSA-Vegetation-Stack: Reconstruction of Landscape Evolution Zones (LEZ) from laminated Eifel maar sediments of the last 60,000 yearsGlobal and Planetary Change142108-13510.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.03.005http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921818116300790 START YEAR: 76000 cal yr BP * END YEAR: 0 cal yr BP 6.50699 50.1203 6.87963 50.2944