Gulf of Lions 7000 Year Mediterranean Paleostorm Data Sabatier, P.; Dezileau, L.; Colin, C.; Briqueu, L.; Bouchette, F.; Martinez, P.; Siani, G.; Raynal, O.; von Grafenstein, U. Sabatier, P. Dezileau, L. Colin, C. Briqueu, L. Bouchette, F. Martinez, P. Siani, G. Raynal, O. von Grafenstein, U. PAGES 2k Network PAGES Euro-Med 2k earth science/paleoclimate/paleoceanography (age,null,null,calendar year before present,null,paleoceanography,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleoceanography (mineral index,sediment,null,dimensionless,null,paleoceanography,null,null,N,smectite/(illite plus chlorite)) earth science/paleoclimate/paleoceanography (depth,null,null,centimeter,null,paleoceanography,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleocean (PB06>LATITUDE 43.5078>LONGITUDE 3.8708) A high-resolution record of paleostorm events along the French Mediterranean coast over the past 7000 years was established from a lagoonal sediment core in the Gulf of Lions. Integrating grain size, faunal analysis, clay mineralogy and geochemistry data with a chronology derived from radiocarbon dating, we recorded seven periods of increased storm activity at 6300-6100, 5650-5400, 4400-4050, 3650-3200, 2800-2600, 1950-1400 and 400-50 cal yr BP (in the Little Ice Age). In contrast, our results show that the Medieval Climate Anomaly (1150-650 cal yr BP) was characterised by low storm activity. The evidence for high storm activity in the NW Mediterranean Sea is in agreement with the changes in coastal hydrodynamics observed over the Eastern North Atlantic and seems to correspond to Holocene cooling in the North Atlantic. Periods of low SSTs there may have led to a stronger meridional temperature gradient and a southward migration of the westerlies. We hypothesise that the increase in storm activity during Holocene cold events over the North Atlantic and Mediterranean regions was probably due to an increase in the thermal gradient that led to an enhanced lower tropospheric baroclinicity over a large Central Atlantic-European domain. STUDY NOTES: A 7000-yr high-resolution record of past storm events using a multi-proxy analysis of sedimentary deposits from a lagoonal environment in the Gulf of Lions in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea. Core PB06 is a 7.9-m-long well-dated piston core from the Pierre Blanche lagoon in the Palavasian wetland complex on the Gulf of Lions shore line, water depths ~60 cm. Clay minerals were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The ratios of smectite/ (illite+chlorite) were used as indicators to reconstruct changes in the sedimentation sources from the Mosson drainage basin versus the marine environment, and have been shown to be strongly linked to paleostorm events. Low values of SM/(Il+Cl) ratio correspond to periods of high storm activity in the NW Mediterranean Sea. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Sabatier, P. Investigator : Dezileau, L. Investigator : Colin, C. Investigator : Briqueu, L. Investigator : Bouchette, F. Investigator : Martinez, P. Investigator : Siani, G. Investigator : Raynal, O. Investigator : von Grafenstein, U. 2012-02-13 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/12504 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/contributions_by_author/sabatier2012/sabatier2012.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/contributions_by_author/sabatier2012/sabatier2012.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/contributions_by_author/sabatier2012/sabatier2012.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/contributions_by_author/sabatier2012/sabatier2012.xls English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/12504 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/contributions_by_author/sabatier2012/sabatier2012.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/contributions_by_author/sabatier2012/sabatier2012.xls Sabatier, P., L. Dezileau, C. Colin, L. Briqueu, F. Bouchette, P. Martinez, G. Siani, O. Raynal, and U. Von Grafenstein. 2012. 7000 years of paleostorm activity in the NW Mediterranean Sea in response to Holocene climate events. Quaternary Research, Vol. 77, Issue 1, January 2012, pp. 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.yqres.2011.09.002 START YEAR: 7845 cal yr BP * END YEAR: -57 cal yr BP 3.8708 43.5078 3.8708 43.5078