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North Atlantic storm track changes during the Last Glacial Maximum recorded by Alpine speleothems

Author

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  • Marc Luetscher

    (Institute of Geology, University of Innsbruck
    Swiss Institute of Speleology and Karst Studies—SISKA)

  • R. Boch

    (Institute of Geology, University of Innsbruck
    Institute of Applied Geosciences, Graz University of Technology)

  • H. Sodemann

    (Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH
    Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen)

  • C. Spötl

    (Institute of Geology, University of Innsbruck)

  • H. Cheng

    (Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi'an Jiaotong University
    University of Minnesota)

  • R. L. Edwards

    (University of Minnesota)

  • S. Frisia

    (School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle)

  • F. Hof

    (Swiss Society of Speleology)

  • W. Müller

    (Royal Holloway University of London)

Abstract

The European Alps are an effective barrier for meridional moisture transport and are thus uniquely placed to record shifts in the North Atlantic storm track pattern associated with the waxing and waning of Late-Pleistocene Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. The lack of well-dated terrestrial proxy records spanning this time period, however, renders the reconstruction of past atmospheric patterns difficult. Here we present a precisely dated, continuous terrestrial record of meteoric precipitation in Europe between 30 and 14.7 ka. In contrast to present-day conditions, our speleothem data provide strong evidence for preferential advection of moisture from the South across the Alps supporting a southward shift of the storm track during the local Last Glacial Maximum (that is, 26.5–23.5 ka). Moreover, our age control indicates that this circulation pattern preceded the Northern Hemisphere precession maximum by ~3 ka, suggesting that obliquity may have played a considerable role in the Alpine ice aggradation.

Suggested Citation

  • Marc Luetscher & R. Boch & H. Sodemann & C. Spötl & H. Cheng & R. L. Edwards & S. Frisia & F. Hof & W. Müller, 2015. "North Atlantic storm track changes during the Last Glacial Maximum recorded by Alpine speleothems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-6, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms7344
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7344
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    Cited by:

    1. Christoph C. Raible & Joaquim G. Pinto & Patrick Ludwig & Martina Messmer, 2021. "A review of past changes in extratropical cyclones in the northern hemisphere and what can be learned for the future," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), January.

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