The speliothem record of climate variability in Southern Arabia.

Fleitmann, D. and Matter, A. (2009) The speliothem record of climate variability in Southern Arabia. Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 341 (8-9). pp. 633-642. ISSN 1631-0713 doi: 10.1016/j.crte.2009.01.006

Abstract/Summary

Uranium-series dated stalagmites from Oman indicate that pluvial conditions prevailed from 6.3 to 10.5, 78 to 82, 120 to 130, 180 to 200 and 300 to 330 kyr B.P.; all of these periods coincide with peak interglacials. Oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δD) isotope ratios of speleothem calcite and fluid inclusions reveal the source of moisture and provide information on the amount of precipitation, respectively. δ18O and δD values of stalagmites deposited during peak interglacials vary between −8 and −4 ‰ (VPDB) and −53 and −20‰ (Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water [VSMOW]) respectively, whereas modern stalagmites range from −2.6 to −1.1‰ in δ18O (VPDB) and −7.6 and −3.3‰ in δD (VSMOW), respectively. The growth and isotopic records indicate that during peak interglacial periods, the limit of the monsoon rainfall was shifted far north of its present location and each pluvial period was coinciding with an interglacial stage of the marine oxygen isotope record.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/30492
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Scientific Archaeology Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Archaeology
Publisher	Elsevier
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