Cyclic climate fluctuations during the last interglacial in central Europe
2005-01-01

Research Article| June 01, 2005 Cyclic climate fluctuations during the last interglacial in central Europe Ulrich C. Müller; Ulrich C. Müller 1Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60054 Frankfurt, Germany, and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Stefan Klotz; Stefan Klotz 2Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Mebus A. Geyh; Mebus A. Geyh 3Leibniz Institute for Applied Geoscience (GGA), D-30655 Hannover, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jörg Pross; Jörg Pross 4Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60054 Frankfurt, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Gerard C. Bond Gerard C. Bond 5Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Ulrich C. Müller 1Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60054 Frankfurt, Germany, and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, USA Stefan Klotz 2Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany Mebus A. Geyh 3Leibniz Institute for Applied Geoscience (GGA), D-30655 Hannover, Germany Jörg Pross 4Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60054 Frankfurt, Germany Gerard C. Bond 5Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 28 Oct 2004 Revision Received: 27 Jan 2005 Accepted: 04 Feb 2005 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 The Geological Society of America, Inc. Geology (2005) 33 (6): 449–452. https://doi.org/10.1130/G21321.1 Article history Received: 28 Oct 2004 Revision Received: 27 Jan 2005 Accepted: 04 Feb 2005 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Ulrich C. Müller, Stefan Klotz, Mebus A. Geyh, Jörg Pross, Gerard C. Bond; Cyclic climate fluctuations during the last interglacial in central Europe. Geology 2005;; 33 (6): 449–452. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G21321.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Differentiating natural climate change from anthropogenic forcing is a major challenge in the prediction of future climates. In this context, the investigation of interglacials provides valuable information on natural climate variability during periods that resemble the present. This paper shows that natural cyclic changes in winter climates affected central European environments during the last interglacial, i.e., the Eemian, 126–110 ka. As a result of the extraordinarily high counting sums performed at Eemian pollen samples, it was possible to reveal a robust presence–absence pattern of the insect-pollinated, and therefore in the pollen rain underrepresented, taxon Hedera. This plant is known to require the influence of oceanic winter climates, i.e., moist and mild, in northwest and central Europe. By analogy with recent findings from the North Atlantic's Holocene interglacial, the trigger of the Eemian climate variability may have been changes in solar activity, possibly amplified by changes in North Atlantic ocean currents and/or in the North Atlantic Oscillation. Our findings suggest natural cyclic changes to be a persistent feature of interglacial climates. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.