Spatio-temporal dynamics of speleothem growth and glaciation in the British Isles
<p>Reconstructing the spatio-temporal dynamics of glaciations and permafrost largely relies on surface deposits and is therefore a challenge for every glacial period older than the last due to erosion. Consequently, glaciations and permafrost remain poorly constrained worldwide before ca. 30 k...
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Copernicus Publications
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Climate of the Past |
| Online Access: | https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/21/261/2025/cp-21-261-2025.pdf |
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| author | S. Panitz S. Panitz M. Rogerson J. Longman N. Scroxton T. J. Lawson T. C. Atkinson V. Ersek J. Baldini L. Baldini S. Umbo M. A. Lone G. M. Henderson S. F. M. Breitenbach |
| author_facet | S. Panitz S. Panitz M. Rogerson J. Longman N. Scroxton T. J. Lawson T. C. Atkinson V. Ersek J. Baldini L. Baldini S. Umbo M. A. Lone G. M. Henderson S. F. M. Breitenbach |
| author_sort | S. Panitz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Reconstructing the spatio-temporal dynamics of glaciations and permafrost largely relies on surface deposits and is therefore a challenge for every glacial period older than the last due to erosion. Consequently, glaciations and permafrost remain poorly constrained worldwide before ca. 30 ka. Since speleothems (carbonate cave deposits) form from drip water and generally indicate the absence of an ice sheet and permafrost, we evaluate how speleothem growth phases defined by U series dates align with past glacial–interglacial cycles. Further, we make the first systematic comparison of the spatial distribution of speleothem dates with independent reconstructions of the history of the British–Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) to test how well geomorphologic ice reconstructions are replicated in the cave record. The frequency distribution of 1020 U series dates based on three different dating methods between 300 and 5 ka shows statistically significant periods of speleothem growth during the last interglacial and several interstadials during the last glacial. A pronounced decline in speleothem growth coincides with the Last Glacial Maximum before broad reactivation during deglaciation and into the Holocene. Spatio-temporal patterns in speleothem growth between 31 and 15 ka agree well with the surface-deposit-based reconstruction of the last BIIS. In data-rich regions, such as northern England, ice dynamics are well replicated in the cave record, which provide additional evidence about the spatio-temporal distribution of permafrost dynamics. Beyond the Last Glacial Maximum, the distribution of speleothem dates across the British Isles offers the opportunity to improve chronological constraints on past ice sheet variability, with evidence for a highly dynamic Scottish ice sheet during the last glacial. The results provide independent evidence of ice distribution complementary to studies of surface geomorphology and geology, and the potential to extend reconstructions into permafrost and earlier glacial cycles. Whilst undersampling is currently the main limitation for speleothem-based ice and permafrost reconstruction even in relatively well-sampled parts of the British Isles, we show that speleothem dates obtained using modern mass spectrometry techniques reveal a higher spatio-temporal resolution of glacial–interglacial cycles and glacial extent than previously possible. Further study of leads and lags in speleothem growth compared to surface deposition may provide new insights into landscape-scale dynamics during ice sheet growth and retreat.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e845c04f243a4d3ca29c195c06190b8e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1814-9324 1814-9332 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| series | Climate of the Past |
| spelling | doaj-art-e845c04f243a4d3ca29c195c06190b8e2025-01-29T06:19:20ZengCopernicus PublicationsClimate of the Past1814-93241814-93322025-01-012126127810.5194/cp-21-261-2025Spatio-temporal dynamics of speleothem growth and glaciation in the British IslesS. Panitz0S. Panitz1M. Rogerson2J. Longman3N. Scroxton4T. J. Lawson5T. C. Atkinson6V. Ersek7J. Baldini8L. Baldini9S. Umbo10M. A. Lone11G. M. Henderson12S. F. M. Breitenbach13Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UKSchool of Health & Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BX, UKDepartment of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UKDepartment of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UKDepartment of Geography, Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units, Maynooth University, Maynooth, IrelandSchool of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, UKDepartment of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, WC1E 6BS, UKDepartment of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UKDepartment of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UKSchool of Health & Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BX, UKDepartment of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UKDepartment of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UKDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UKDepartment of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UK<p>Reconstructing the spatio-temporal dynamics of glaciations and permafrost largely relies on surface deposits and is therefore a challenge for every glacial period older than the last due to erosion. Consequently, glaciations and permafrost remain poorly constrained worldwide before ca. 30 ka. Since speleothems (carbonate cave deposits) form from drip water and generally indicate the absence of an ice sheet and permafrost, we evaluate how speleothem growth phases defined by U series dates align with past glacial–interglacial cycles. Further, we make the first systematic comparison of the spatial distribution of speleothem dates with independent reconstructions of the history of the British–Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) to test how well geomorphologic ice reconstructions are replicated in the cave record. The frequency distribution of 1020 U series dates based on three different dating methods between 300 and 5 ka shows statistically significant periods of speleothem growth during the last interglacial and several interstadials during the last glacial. A pronounced decline in speleothem growth coincides with the Last Glacial Maximum before broad reactivation during deglaciation and into the Holocene. Spatio-temporal patterns in speleothem growth between 31 and 15 ka agree well with the surface-deposit-based reconstruction of the last BIIS. In data-rich regions, such as northern England, ice dynamics are well replicated in the cave record, which provide additional evidence about the spatio-temporal distribution of permafrost dynamics. Beyond the Last Glacial Maximum, the distribution of speleothem dates across the British Isles offers the opportunity to improve chronological constraints on past ice sheet variability, with evidence for a highly dynamic Scottish ice sheet during the last glacial. The results provide independent evidence of ice distribution complementary to studies of surface geomorphology and geology, and the potential to extend reconstructions into permafrost and earlier glacial cycles. Whilst undersampling is currently the main limitation for speleothem-based ice and permafrost reconstruction even in relatively well-sampled parts of the British Isles, we show that speleothem dates obtained using modern mass spectrometry techniques reveal a higher spatio-temporal resolution of glacial–interglacial cycles and glacial extent than previously possible. Further study of leads and lags in speleothem growth compared to surface deposition may provide new insights into landscape-scale dynamics during ice sheet growth and retreat.</p>https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/21/261/2025/cp-21-261-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | S. Panitz S. Panitz M. Rogerson J. Longman N. Scroxton T. J. Lawson T. C. Atkinson V. Ersek J. Baldini L. Baldini S. Umbo M. A. Lone G. M. Henderson S. F. M. Breitenbach Spatio-temporal dynamics of speleothem growth and glaciation in the British Isles Climate of the Past |
| title | Spatio-temporal dynamics of speleothem growth and glaciation in the British Isles |
| title_full | Spatio-temporal dynamics of speleothem growth and glaciation in the British Isles |
| title_fullStr | Spatio-temporal dynamics of speleothem growth and glaciation in the British Isles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatio-temporal dynamics of speleothem growth and glaciation in the British Isles |
| title_short | Spatio-temporal dynamics of speleothem growth and glaciation in the British Isles |
| title_sort | spatio temporal dynamics of speleothem growth and glaciation in the british isles |
| url | https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/21/261/2025/cp-21-261-2025.pdf |
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