Multi-proxy reconstruction of Holocene and Late Glacial climate variability using precisely dated speleothems from the Herbstlabyrinth, central Germany

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Denis Scholz
• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2011 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 204074792

I propose to investigate the potential of the Herbstlabyrinth cave system, Rhenish Slate Mountains, Breitscheid, Germany, for palaeoclimate studies and to reconstruct Holocene and Late Glacial climate variability in central Germany based on precisely dated speleothems. The Herbstlabyrinth represents an interesting for high-resolution palaeoclimate studies for several reasons: (i) an extensive cave monitoring program has been established using initial funding of the University of Mainz. This supports investigation of the processes affecting speleothem climate proxies and a robust interpretation in terms of climate variability. (ii) Our preliminary study has documented speleothem growth during the Late Glacial period. Speleothem growth during this relatively cold and dry period is extraordinary for this region and provides the opportunity to study Late Glacial climate variability in Germany based on speleothems. (iii) Winter rainfall oxygen isotope values in the cave region have been shown to be strongly positively correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Thus, the δ18O signals recorded in the speleothems may reflect past NAO variability. The already established cave monitoring program will be continued throughout the proposed project in order to support a robust interpretation of the climate proxies. We will date several speleothems from the Herbstlabyrinth by high-precision MC-ICPMS U-series dating. Past climate variability will be reconstructed using high-resolution stable oxygen and carbon isotopes as well as trace elements in several coeval speleothems.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Christoph Spötl