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Detecting and quantifying palaeoseasonality in stalagmites using geochemical and modelling approaches

Baldini, James U.L.; Lechleitner, Franziska A.; Breitenbach, Sebastian F.M.; van Hunen, Jeroen; Baldini, Lisa M.; Wynn, Peter M.; Jamieson, Robert A.; Ridley, Harriet E.; Baker, Alexander J.; Walczak, Izabela W.; Fohlmeister, Jens

Detecting and quantifying palaeoseasonality in stalagmites using geochemical and modelling approaches Thumbnail


Authors

Franziska A. Lechleitner

Sebastian F.M. Breitenbach

Peter M. Wynn

Robert A. Jamieson

Harriet E. Ridley

Alexander J. Baker

Izabela W. Walczak

Jens Fohlmeister



Abstract

Stalagmites are an extraordinarily powerful resource for the reconstruction of climatological palaeoseasonality. Here, we provide a review of different types of seasonality preserved by stalagmites and methods for extracting this information. A new drip classification scheme is introduced, which facilitates the identification of stalagmites fed by seasonally responsive drips and which highlights the wide variability in drip types feeding stalagmites. This hydrological variability, combined with seasonality in Earth atmospheric processes, meteoric precipitation, biological processes within the soil, and cave atmosphere composition means that every stalagmite retains a different and distinct (but correct) record of environmental conditions. Replication of a record is extremely useful but should not be expected unless comparing stalagmites affected by the same processes in the same proportion. A short overview of common microanalytical techniques is presented, and suggested best practice discussed. In addition to geochemical methods, a new modelling technique for extracting meteoric precipitation and temperature palaeoseasonality from stalagmite δ18O data is discussed and tested with both synthetic and real-world datasets. Finally, world maps of temperature, meteoric precipitation amount, and meteoric precipitation oxygen isotope ratio seasonality are presented and discussed, with an aim of helping to identify regions most sensitive to shifts in seasonality.

Citation

Baldini, J. U., Lechleitner, F. A., Breitenbach, S. F., van Hunen, J., Baldini, L. M., Wynn, P. M., …Fohlmeister, J. (2021). Detecting and quantifying palaeoseasonality in stalagmites using geochemical and modelling approaches. Quaternary Science Reviews, 254, Article 106784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106784

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 21, 2020
Online Publication Date Jan 7, 2021
Publication Date Feb 15, 2021
Deposit Date May 26, 2021
Publicly Available Date Jan 7, 2023
Journal Quaternary Science Reviews
Print ISSN 0277-3791
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 254
Article Number 106784
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106784

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