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A paleoclimate record with tephrochronological age control for the last glacial-interglacial cycle from Lake Ohrid, Albania and Macedonia

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Abstract

Lake Ohrid is probably of Pliocene age, and the oldest extant lake in Europe. In this study climatic and environmental changes during the last glacial-interglacial cycle are reconstructed using lithological, sedimentological, geochemical and physical proxy analysis of a 15-m-long sediment succession from Lake Ohrid. A chronological framework is derived from tephrochronology and radiocarbon dating, which yields a basal age of ca. 136 ka. The succession is not continuous, however, with a hiatus between ca. 97.6 and 81.7 ka. Sediment accumulation in course of the last climatic cycle is controlled by the complex interaction of a variety of climate-controlled parameters and their impact on catchment dynamics, limnology, and hydrology of the lake. Warm interglacial and cold glacial climate conditions can be clearly distinguished from organic matter, calcite, clastic detritus and lithostratigraphic data. During interglacial periods, short-term fluctuations are recorded by abrupt variations in organic matter and calcite content, indicating climatically-induced changes in lake productivity and hydrology. During glacial periods, high variability in the contents of coarse silt to fine sand sized clastic matter is probably a function of climatically-induced changes in catchment dynamics and wind activity. In some instances tephra layers provide potential stratigraphic markers for short-lived climate perturbations. Given their widespread distribution in sites across the region, tephra analysis has the potential to provide insight into variation in the impact of climate and environmental change across the Mediterranean.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Goce Kostoski, Sasho Trajanoski, Zoran Spirkovski, and Zoran Brdaroski from the Hydrobiological Institute in Ohrid for logistical support during the 2007 field campaign. The field team was completed by Jens Aubel, Ariane Liermann, and Michael Fritz, who contributed greatly to the success of the 2007 coring campaign. Nicole Mantke and Florian Boxberg are warmly acknowledged for their assistance with laboratory work. Martin Melles gave valuable comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. Jane M Reed is warmly acknowledge for improving the language. The German Research Foundation (DFG) grant no. WA2109/1-1 provided financial support for the field campaign and analytical work on core Co1202.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 49a, 50674, Köln, Germany

    Hendrik Vogel & Bernd Wagner

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, University of Pisa, via S. Maria 53, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Giovanni Zanchetta

  3. CNR-IGG, Via Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Giovanni Zanchetta

  4. INGV-sez. Pisa, via della Faggiola 32, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Giovanni Zanchetta

  5. CIRISIVU, c/o Dipartimento Geomineralogico, University of Bari, via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy

    Roberto Sulpizio

  6. Climate Impacts Research Centre (CIRC), Umeå University, 98107, Abisko, Sweden

    Peter Rosén

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  1. Hendrik Vogel
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Correspondence to Hendrik Vogel.

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10933_2009_9404_MOESM1_ESM.tif

ESM1: Core photograph of the section between 630 and 530 cm showing the correlation of peak Mn (white line) and Fe (black line) intensities with concretionary horizons and laminations in core Co1202. The light red horizon between 620 and 617 cm represents tephra layer OT0702-4Supplementary material 1 (TIFF 5193 kb)

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Vogel, H., Wagner, B., Zanchetta, G. et al. A paleoclimate record with tephrochronological age control for the last glacial-interglacial cycle from Lake Ohrid, Albania and Macedonia. J Paleolimnol 44, 295–310 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-009-9404-x

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