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Milankovitch orbital parameters control cycles of insolation, a primary pacer of long term changes in climate, but exactly how insolation signals are transmitted around the globe in the climate system is unclear. In order to address the fundamental questions of when and how ice age climates begin and end, how fast glaciers retreated during the last deglaciation, and how glaciers behaved before anthropogenic influence, we need robust glacial chronologies. The timing of local glacial maxima beyond the last glacial cycle, however, has remained largely unconstrained due to moraine degradation over time, limiting our ability to fully explore these questions. By developing a detailed geomorphic surficial map and targeting relatively tall, ridge-top boulders, we have constructed a new, precise 10Be chronology of glacial maxima of the Ñirehuao glacier lobe (45°S) for the last two glacial cycles. We report one of the first directly dated records of a MIS 6 glacier advance in Patagonia, which formed a major set of moraines by at least 153 ± 5.1 ka, with a stillstand or smaller readvance by 137 ± 4.2 ka, corresponding to the two coldest and dustiest periods of MIS 6 in Antarctica. The next largest advance occurred at 23.6 ± 0.9 ka, at the end of peak Southern Hemisphere MIS 2 cooling. Retreat of the glacier commenced by ∼18.5 cal ka BP when lakes in a tributary valley just to the southwest became ice-free. Overall we find that advances of the Ñirehuao glacier lobe occur when winter sea ice around Antarctica is expansive and both obliquity and eccentricity are at their minima. • We present a new, detailed geomorphic map and 10Be chronology of the Ñirehuao glacier lobe for the last two glacial cycles • We report one of the first directly dated records of a MIS 6 glacier advance in Patagonia • The Ñirehuao glacier lobe formed a major set of moraines by 153±5.1 ka with a stillstand or smaller readvance by 137±4.2 ka • The MIS 2 glacial maximum occurred at 23.6±0.9 ka and subsequent retreat of the glacier commenced by ∼18.5 cal ka BP • Overall, advances occurred when winter sea ice around Antarctica was expansive and obliquity and eccentricity were at minima [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, research aiming to reveal the unique biogeochemical processes and gas hydrate potential in methane seep areas is well established. Furthermore, methane seeps discovered in the South China Sea (SCS) have been widely studied and have achieved significant results. Herein, by systematically analyzing sedimentary samples from the Shenhu area, SCS, we discovered a methane seep that was once active during the last glacial period, particularly the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period, and fixed at the seafloor for ∼10 ka. This discovery was achieved by integrating the features of the glauconite within the foraminifera chamber, different morphologies of pyrites, and unique framboid goethites (pyrite pseudomorphs). In addition, this study accounted for the high chromium-reducible sulfur content and extremely negative δ34S values (from −50.78 to −46.92%) between 121 and 231 cmbsf, the Mo content and its correlation with total sulfur (TS) and total organic carbon (TOC), the TS/TOC ratios of sediments, the results of AMS 14C dating, and the results of planktonic foraminifera analysis in the case of carbon and oxygen isotopes. Glauconite, which is usually considered a product associated with transgressive deposits and condensed sections, is widely found in warm climatic intervals. However, these intervals are generally associated with methane emission events. Thus, our results demonstrate another mechanism for the formation of glauconite in methane seeps during the LGM. Furthermore, the existence of framboid goethites implies that this methane seep has been subsiding since the end of the LGM and that few pyrites that formed previously were reoxidized. Notably, this study is the first to report a systematic investigation of methane seep activity during the last glacial period by the indication of authigenic minerals, such as glauconite and framboid goethite, in the SCS. Overall, our results show a direct relationship between methane seep activity and climatic variation. • The diverse morphologies of pyrites indicate various formative environments. • The glauconite records the changed redox condition near the seafloor surface. • The occurrence of Fe (hydrogen) oxide indicates the methane seeps is inactive at present. • All the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics reveal a subsided methane seep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent debate on records of southern midlatitude glaciation has focused on reconstructing glacier dynamics during the last glacial termination, with different results supporting both in-phase and out-of-phase correlations with Northern Hemisphere glacial signals. A continuing major weakness in this debate is the lack of robust data, particularly from the early and maximum phase of southern midlatitude glaciation (~30-20 ka), to verify the competing models. Here we present a suite of 58 cosmogenic exposure ages from 17 last-glacial ice limits in the Rangitata Valley of New Zealand, capturing an extensive record of glacial oscillations between 28-16 ka. The sequence shows that the local last glacial maximum in this region occurred shortly before 28 ka, followed by several successively less extensive ice readvances between 26-19 ka. The onset of Termination 1 and the ensuing glacial retreat is preserved in exceptional detail through numerous recessional moraines, indicating that ice retreat between 19-16 ka was very gradual. Extensive valley glaciers survived in the Rangitata catchment until at least 15.8 ka. These findings preclude the previously inferred rapid climate-driven ice retreat in the Southern Alps after the onset of Termination 1. Our record documents an early last glacial maximum, an overall trend of diminishing ice volume in New Zealand between 28-20 ka, and gradual deglaciation until at least 15 ka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) distributions observed in a sediment core from Lake McKenzie were utilized to quantitatively reconstruct the pattern of mean annual air temperature (MAAT) from coastal subtropical eastern Australia between 37 and 18.3calkaBP and 14.0calkaBP to present. Both the reconstructed trend and amplitude of MAAT changes from the top of the sediment core were nearly identical to a local instrumental MAAT record from Fraser Island, providing confidence that in this sediment core branched GDGTs could be used to produce a quantitative record of past MAAT. The reconstructed trend of MAAT during 37 to 18.3calkaBP and timing of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Lake McKenzie record were in agreement with previously published nearby marine climate records. The amplitude of lower-than-present MAAT during the LGM potentially provides information on the latitude of separation of the Tasman Front from the East Australian current in the subtropical western Pacific. The Lake McKenzie record shows an earlier onset of near modern day warm temperatures in the early Holocene compared to marine records and the presence of a warmer than present day period during the mid-Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent studies of the Last Glacial period Indo-Australian summer monsoon (IASM) have revealed links to both northern and southern hemisphere high latitude climate as well as to regional ocean conditions. Particular interest has been paid to the monsoon response to Heinrich events, with variability explained by meridional shifts in positioning of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), but this model has not been adequately tested. In addition, the shorter-lived Dansgaard/Oeschger (D/O) events have not been detected (beyond D/O-1, the Bølling/Allerød) in land-based records from the Indo-Pacific, despite their prominent expression in stalagmites from southern Asia, raising questions about the sensitivity of the IASM to these events. Here we present a Southern Hemisphere stalagmite oxygen isotopic time series from Ball Gown Cave (BGC), tropical northern Australia, located on the margins of the modern austral summer ITCZ, that spans 40–31 and 27–8 ka. Elevated IASM rainfall coincides with Heinrich stadials and the Younger Dryas, while decreased rainfall characterizes D/O interstadials, a response that is anti-phased with sites spanning the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool and with Chinese records of the East Asian summer monsoon. The BGC time series thus reveals a precipitation dipole consistent with a southward (northward) migration of the ITCZ during periods of high northern latitude cooling (warming) as the primary driver of millennial-scale IASM variability during the Last Glacial period. Our record indicates a strengthening of the IASM after the Younger Dryas period, likely as a result of rising sea level and sea surface temperatures, breaking the link with the high latitudes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Several lines of evidence have previously been used to suggest that ice retreat after the last glacial maximum (LGM) resulted in regionally-increased levels of volcanic activity. It has been proposed that this increase in volcanism was globally significant, forming a substantial component of the post-glacial rise in atmospheric CO2, and thereby contributing to climatic warming. However, as yet there has been no detailed investigation of activity in glaciated volcanic arcs following the LGM. Arc volcanism accounts for 90% of present-day subaerial volcanic eruptions. It is therefore important to constrain the impact of deglaciation on arc volcanoes, to understand fully the nature and magnitude of global-scale relationships between volcanism and glaciation. The first part of this paper examines the post-glacial explosive eruption history of the Andean southern volcanic zone (SVZ), a typical arc system, with additional data from the Kamchatka and Cascade arcs. In all cases, eruption rates in the early post-glacial period do not exceed those at later times at a statistically significant level. In part, the recognition and quantification of what may be small (i.e. less than a factor of two) increases in eruption rate is hindered by the size of our datasets. These datasets are limited to eruptions larger than 0.1km3, because deviations from power-law magnitude–frequency relationships indicate strong relative under-sampling at smaller eruption volumes. In the southern SVZ, where ice unloading was greatest, eruption frequency in the early post-glacial period is approximately twice that of the mid post-glacial period (although frequency increases again in the late post-glacial). A comparable pattern occurs in Kamchatka, but is not observed in the Cascade arc. The early post-glacial period also coincides with a small number of very large explosive eruptions from the most active volcanoes in the southern and central SVZ, consistent with enhanced ponding of magma during glaciation and release upon deglaciation. In comparison to non-arc settings, evidence of post-glacial increases in rates of arc volcanism is weak, and there is no need to invoke significantly increased melt production upon ice unloading, as occurred in areas such as Iceland. Non-arc volcanoes may therefore account for a relatively higher proportion of global volcanic emissions in the early post-glacial period than is suggested by the relative contributions of arc and non-arc settings at the present day. The second part of this paper critically examines global eruption records, in an effort to constrain global-scale changes in volcanic output since the LGM. Accurate interpretation of these records relies on correcting both temporal and spatial variability in eruption recording. In particular, very low recording rates, which also vary spatially by over two orders of magnitude, prevent precise, and possibly even accurate, quantitative analysis. For example, if we assume record completeness for the past century, the number of known eruptions (volcanic explosivity index≥2) from some low-latitude regions, such as Indonesia, is approximately 1 in 20,000 (0.005%) for the period 5–20ka. There is a need for more regional-scale studies of past volcanism in such regions, where current data are extremely sparse. We attempt to correct for recording biases, and suggest a maximum two-fold (but potentially much less) increase in global eruption rates, relative to the present day, between 13 and 7ka. Although volcanism may have been an important source of CO2 in the early Holocene, it is unlikely to have been a dominant control on changes in atmospheric CO2 after the LGM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Exposure dating of abraded bedrock surfaces below glacial trimlines in the Pięciu Stawów Polskich/Roztoki Valley, using cosmogenic 36Cl, has been applied to determine the deglaciation chronology in the study area. Nineteen rock samples yielded ages between 21.5 and 9.5ka. The spatial distribution of ages provides evidence of progressive downwasting of glaciers within the study area. Dates of exposure indicate that the onset of ice volume decrease occurred no later than 21.5ka. This provides evidence that the local maximum glaciation occurred in accordance with the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The first period of deglaciation in the study area was completed around 18ka. Further significant loss of ice volume is confirmed between 15 and 13ka. The spatial distribution of chronological data within the Pięciu Stawów Polskich Valley indicates post-LGM readvances of glaciers around 17ka and 12ka. Using the glacier modelling and paleoclimate proxies from the study area, the early Late Glacial glacier had been stable with a 9–10°C decrease in temperature and 30–50% lower precipitation in relation to modern conditions. The subsequent advance took place with temperatures 6–7°C lower and 10–30% less precipitation. The timing of the readvances is nearly synchronous with Late Glacial advances in the European Alps, Southern Carpathians and Anatolian peninsula. This suggests synchronicity of major climatic fluctuations across Central Europe and the northern margin of the Mediterranean Basin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Reconstructing the paleoglaciation of the Tibetan Plateau is critical to understanding linkages between regional climate changes and global climate changes, and here we focus on the glacial history of the Shaluli Shan, an area of the southeastern Tibetan Plateau that receives much of its precipitation from monsoon flow. Based on field investigation, geomorphological mapping, and 10Be exposure dating of moraines, we identify glacial deposits from the Late Glacial, with minimum ages at 13.0 ± 1.2 –17.1 ± 1.6 ka, global Last Glacial Maximum (gLGM) at 21.6 ± 2.0 ka, and pre-gLGM at 102.3 ± 10.0–183.6 ± 17.0 ka. These ages are consistent with and significantly extend the known range from most prior chronological work using terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides in this area, and include a set of dates for the Kuzhaori moraine that raise questions about prior chronologies based on the electron spin resonance technique. Ice caps about 4000 km2 in size covered the Haizishan Plateau and the Xinlong Plateau during the global LGM, with large glaciers extending far down outlet valleys. The presence of ice cap glaciation, here, contrasts strongly to glaciation elsewhere in the Shaluli Shan and more central regions of the Tibetan Plateau where ice expansion remained constricted to valleys. This work provides important insights into the paleoclimate pattern and monsoon evolution of the Tibetan Plateau over past glacial cycles and indicates that the Shaluli Shan has a glacial chronology more consistent with the Northern Hemisphere paleo-ice sheets than other areas of the Tibetan Plateau. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim Climatic fluctuations during the Pleistocene have shaped the population structure of many extant taxa. However, few studies have examined widespread species inhabiting the Australian continent, where periods of increased aridity characterized the Pleistocene. Here we investigate the phylogeography and population history of a widespread and vagile southern Australian marsupial, the western grey kangaroo ( Macropus fuliginosus). Location Southern Australia. Methods We examined the variation of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region from 511 individuals of M. fuliginosus sampled throughout their transcontinental distribution. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses were used to investigate the phylogeography and coalescence analyses were then used to test hypothesized biogeographical scenarios. Results The combined results of the phylogeographical and coalescence analyses revealed a complex evolutionary history. Macropus fuliginosus originated in the south-west of the continent, with north-western and south-western populations subsequently diverging as a result of vicariance events during the mid-Pleistocene. Subsequent arid phases affected these populations differently. In the north-west, the expansion and contraction of the arid zone resulted in repeated vicariance events and multiple divergent north-western mtDNA subclades. In contrast, the south-western population was less impacted by climatic oscillations but gave rise to a major transcontinental eastward expansion. Main conclusions Macropus fuliginosus exhibits the genetic signature of divergence due to unidentified barriers in south-western Western Australia, while previously identified barriers across southern Australia appear to have had little impact despite evidence of a broad-scale range expansion prior to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This pattern of localized expansion and contraction is comparable to unglaciated regions in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Furthermore, this study indicates that despite the potential similarities between Northern Hemisphere glaciation and the activation of dune systems in the Australian arid zone, both of which rendered large areas inhospitable, the biotic responses and resultant phylogeographical signatures are dissimilar. Whereas a limited number of major geographically concordant refugia are observed in glaciated areas, the Southern Hemisphere arid zone appears to be associated with multiple species-specific idiosyncratic refugia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the general patterns of deglacial climate change are relatively well constrained, how, and to what magnitude, large parts of the Southern Hemisphere responded to deglacial forcings remains unknown, particularly for the early part of the last deglaciation. We investigate the timing and magnitude of early deglacial climate change using cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure ages of moraines deposited by glaciers in the Rio Guanaco Valley, adjacent to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field at 50°S. We demonstrate that the beginning of ice retreat from the local last glacial maximum occurred at 19.7 ± 1.1 ka, with significant retreat commencing at 18.9 ± 0.4 ka, concurrent with glacier retreat elsewhere in southern Patagonia and New Zealand and with warming of Southern Hemisphere middle to high latitudes. A third moraine shows that half of the deglacial retreat upvalley had occurred by 17.0 ± 0.3 ka. Equilibrium line altitudes and climate simulations show ~1.5 °C of warming in southern Patagonia between 18.9 ± 0.4 ka and 17.0 ± 0.3 ka, one-third of the total estimated deglacial warming relative to present. The climate model links this warming to retreat of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets ca. 19 ka through changes in ocean circulation that caused a bipolar seesaw response resulting in Southern Hemisphere warming and driving initial deglaciation across southern Patagonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We summarize 121 14C and in-situ cosmogenic (10Be and 36Cl) ages that constrain fluctuations of the Irish Ice Sheet (IIS) since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) that can be linked to abrupt climate changes in the North Atlantic region. These data provide a robust means to date ice-sheet fluctuations because similar-age events can be identified from widely spaced sites, they are constrained by stratigraphy, and they can be related to large changes in the configuration of a dynamic ice sheet. The following events are recognized. (1) AMS 14C ages and 10Be and 36Cl ages as well as offshore data suggest that the last maximum advance of the IIS occurred between ∼27 and 23 cal ka. (2) Deglaciation began on the western continental shelf and in the Irish Sea Basin at ∼23 cal ka. Dated sites from around Ireland constrain subsequent widespread retreat of ice-sheet margins from the shelf onto Irish coastlines during the Cooley Point Interstadial ≥20 cal ka. AMS 14C ages suggest that the Cooley Point Interstadial continued until ≤18.2 cal ka B.P. During this interstadial, retreat of the ice-sheet margin into the northern Irish Sea Basin indicates that the IIS may have lost up to two-thirds of its mass. (3) Dated sites from northwestern and eastern Ireland indicate that the Cooley Point Interstadial was terminated by ice readvance during the Clogher Head Stadial at ∼18.2 cal ka. (4) The Linns Interstadial was a brief interval (≥17.0–≥16.5 cal ka) of ice recession following the Clogher Head Stadial that is identified from raised marine sediments in eastern and northern Ireland and cosmogenic ages elsewhere in Ireland. (5) The IIS subsequently readvanced during the Killard Point Stadial, reaching its maximum extent ∼16.5 cal ka, indicating that the readvance began sometime earlier. (6) Widespread retreat of the IIS began by ∼15.5 cal ka during the Rough Island Interstadial. (6) Readvance of cirque glaciers in western Ireland occurred during the Younger-Dryas equivalent Nahanagan Stadial. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The climatic responses to the direct radiative effect of dust aerosol at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) are examined using a general circulation model with online simulation of dust. The predicted global dust emission at the LGM is 2.3 times as large as the present-day value, which is the combined effect of the expansion of dust sources and the favorable meteorological parameters (MPs; e.g., the strong surface wind and the low air humidity) under the LGM climate. Simulated global dust emission is 1966 Tg yr−−1 with present-day dust sources and MPs, 2820 Tg yr−−1 with LGM dust sources and current MPs, 2599 Tg yr−−1 with present-day dust sources and LGM MPs, and 4579 Tg yr−−1 with LGM sources and MPs. The simulated percentage increases of dust concentrations are the largest at high latitudes in both hemispheres, which are consistent with the deposition data from geological records. The LGM dust is estimated to exert global annual-mean shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) radiative forcing (RF) of −−4.69 and ++1.70 W m−−2 at the surface, respectively, and −−0.58 and ++0.68 W m−−2 at the top of the atmosphere, respectively. On a global- and annual-mean basis, surface air temperature (SAT) is predicted to be reduced by 0.18 K and precipitation is reduced by 0.06 mm day−−1, as a result of the net (SW and LW) radiative effect of dust at the LGM. Two sensitivity studies are performed to identify the uncertainties in simulated climatic effect of LGM dust that arise from the assumed LW and/or SW absorption by dust: 1) in the absence of dust LW radiative effect, the LGM global- and annual-mean SAT is predicted to be further reduced by 0.19 K; and 2) when the single scattering albedo of the Saharan dust at 0.55 μμm is increased from 0.89 to 0.98 in the LGM climate simulation, the LGM dust-induced annual- and global-mean surface cooling increases from 0.18 to 0.63 K even with both SW and LW radiative effects of dust. In these two sensitivity studies, the LGM dust is predicted to induce an average cooling of 0.42 and 0.72 K in SAT, respectively, over the tropical oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Millennial-scale climate variability in the Bay of Bengal is reconstructed by TEX 86. • Warming trend during millennial-scale cold events is revealed in the northern Indian Ocean. • Atmospheric CO 2 force SST change during the millennial-scale cold events over the past 40 kyr. To better understand the process of hydrographic and temperature changes in the Indian Ocean, we present Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether data on core BoB-56 from the Bay of Bengal to reconstruct the sea surface temperature (SST) variability during the last glaciation. The results indicate that the TEX 86 -derived SST ranged from 22.00 to 28.30 °C with several fluctuations since 40 ka BP and that the evolution pattern matched well with the marine isotope stage (MIS). During MIS 3, the SST kept around 24.60 °C with some small amplitudes. The SST showed more significant fluctuations during MIS 2 and increased gradually with a ~3 °C cooling during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). After the Younger Dryas (YD) stage, Holocene SST values exhibited miniscule variations. During the last glaciation climate variability process, the cold signals of the YD and Heinrich events were recorded well in our core SST series, revealing a regional response to global climate changes. The warming trend during these millennial-scale cold events in the northern Indian Ocean was also identified, and SST increased in the range of 2 °C. A comparison of SST records and atmospheric CO 2 concentration shows that the warming process during the YD, LGM, and Heinrich (1–4) events matched the gradual increase in atmospheric CO 2 concentration in the northern Indian Ocean. Hence, this study implies millennial-scale hydroclimate change linked with atmospheric CO 2 forcing that could improve our knowledge of the role of atmospheric CO 2 in triggering abrupt Indian Ocean climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes of marine paleoproductivity could reflect the history of marine biogenic cycle process, and exploring the evolution and mechanism of marine productivity are important for understanding the global biogenic factor cycle and its roles in past, present and future climate change. Based on the analysis of biogenic silica (BSi) in core ADM-159 and core BoB-56 from the northeastern Indian Ocean, high-resolution curves of paleoproductivity evolution were obtained. The results show that the BSi contents in these two core sediments are less than 1.8%, mainly affected by the low supply of silica skeleton and the high dissolution and dilution of terrigenous materials. Distinct fluctuations in BSi contents could still be reflected, and their relative values were controlled by chemical weathering processes and terrigenous material supply. The power spectrum analysis of BSi content shows reliable periodicities of 5.86 kyr, 1.95 kyr, 1.35 kyr and 1.09 kyr, suggesting that millennial-scale BSi value might be affected by solar activity. Based on the BSi mass accumulation rates (MAR), lower paleoproductivity during the glacial period and higher level during the Holocene were revealed in our records, which matched well with the global climate changes. Temperatures controlled by low latitude insolation changes could influence the nutrient substance supply, further promote productivity variations at the glacial–interglacial scale. Some millennial events, such as the Heinrich stadial 1 (HS1) and Younger Dryas (YD) periods, showed relatively low paleoproductivity, while the Bølling/Allerød (B/A) period and the middle Holocene showed higher paleoproductivity. These millennial paleoproductivity fluctuations may be due to the changes of nutrient supply caused by Indian summer monsoon (ISM). In addition, the BSi MAR of core ADM-159 and core BoB-56 are well correlated with the isotopic compositions of Greenland ice core and Chinese speleothem, providing robust evidence for the link between northeastern Indian Ocean paleoproductivity and global climate change. • paleoproductivity variability since LGM was reconstructed by BSi in the northeastern Indian Ocean. • BSi content were controlled by supply of silica skeleton, dissolution and dilution of terrigenous materials. • Indian summer monsoon have been proved linked with tropic Indian Ocean paleoproductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geomorphic reconstructions of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet history across Antarctica suggest diachronous and varying retreat patterns with changing climate. However, little is known of how terrestrial environments responded to these climate changes because the continental ice sheet covered most Antarctic coastal oases during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), eliminating terrestrial records. In this study, the environmental history spanning the last 25,400 years was reconstructed using geochronology, lithology, rock magnetism and geochemistry to understand the effect of glacial–deglacial climate variations on surface processes and Mochou Lake ecology. During the last glacial period (25.4 to 18.8 cal. kyr BP), intensified winds and the freeze-thaw action of ice actively weathered the high elevation western catchment that was a dominant sediment source to the lake. The glacial environmental conditions induced a persistent perennial lake ice-cover resulting in anoxia, low sedimentation, primary production and weak brackish conditions. Progressively, as deglacial conditions augmented around 18.8 cal. kyr BP, increased catchment meltwater flow enhanced sediment transport and also transformed the lake into a freshwater basin, although perennial ice-cover still prevailed. Further, the biotic development of the lake began later in the Mid-Holocene as compared to other lakes in the region, wherein the seasonal lake ice cycle and/or ice moat developed. Weak chemical weathering and pedogenesis also commenced in the catchment in response to the warming climate trend. This delayed response to the Holocene warming was possibly due to the local cooling effect of the Dälk Glacier's discharge that also led to sea-ice persistence in the Prydz Bay. This study also provides further evidence that parts of the Larsemann Hills remained free of erosive grounded ice during the LGM and subsequent deglaciation. The Mirror Peninsula, specifically, escaped ice overriding despite being enclosed by the Dälk Glacier, Lake Nella ice lobe and Amery Ice Shelf. [Display omitted] • A multi-proxy record of glacial-deglacial environment change from lake sediments. • The regional weathering changes are due to geomorphic and atmospheric factors. • Variations in lake ice cover across warming phases limited biogenic productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Quaternary climatic fluctuations influenced in the demographic history of amphibians. • Population expansions took place during periods of climate cooling. • A microendemic lineage was recovered in a geographic isolated region. • The results found are in accordance with other studies with codistributed species. We evaluated the role of Quaternary climatic fluctuations on the demographic history and population structure of amphibian species endemic to the 'campo rupestre' in the Neotropics, evaluating their distributional shifts, demographic changes, and lineage formation from the end of Pleistocene to present. We chose two anurans endemic to the high-elevation 'campo rupestre' in the Espinhaço Range (ER) in northeastern and southeastern Brazil (Bokermannohyla alvarengai and Bokermannohyla oxente), as models to test the role of Quaternary climatic fluctuations over their distribution range in this region. We collected tissue samples throughout their distribution range and used statistical phylogeography to examine processes of divergence and population demography. We generated spatial–temporal reconstructions using Bayesian inference in a coalescent framework in combination with hind-cast projections of species distribution models (SDMs). We also used the results and literature information to test alternative diversification scenarios via approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). Our results show that Quaternary climatic fluctuations influenced the geographic ranges of both species showing population expansion during the last glacial maximum (LGM) and range contraction during interglacial periods, as inferred from selected ABC models and from past projections of SDMs. We recovered Pleistocene diversification for both species occuring in distinctly unique periods for each taxon. An older and range-restricted lineage was recovered in a geographically isolated geological massif, deserving conservation and further taxonomic study. The diversification and distribution of these amphibian species endemic to the Neotropical 'campo rupestre' were influenced by Quaternary climatic fluctuations. The expansion of cold adapted species restricted to higher elevations during glacial periods and their concomitant retraction during interglacial periods may have been crucial for producing patterns of species richness and endemism along elevation gradients in tropical and subtropical domains. Such processes may influence the evolution of the biota distributed in heterogeneous landscapes with varied topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bathyal Ocean Drilling Program Site 765 at 5725 m water depth, offshore northwest Australia at 16°S is directly under the influence of the Australian monsoon during the Austral summer and is the recipient of continental dust during the Austral winter. It is downstream of the Indonesian Throughflow, which is a major arm of the global thermohaline circulation. As such it is ideally situated to record the climate and oceanic consequences of Quaternary climate variability. Despite being over 400 km from northwest Australia, palynomorphs (pollen and spores) are relatively common in this section, sourced via aeolian (during the dry winter) and benthic transportation processes and sediment plumes (during the summer monsoon). Detailed palynological analyses of this flora in the upper part of this core reveals intermittent snap shots of environmental and climate change over the last 300 kyrs. Interglacial stages are interpreted to be characterised by palynomorph-rich turbidite and calcareous ooze deposition whereas palynomorph-poor slowly accumulating siliceous oozes (deposited below the Calcium Carbonate Compensation Depth) are present during glacials. The dominance of Poaceae sourced from the Australian mainland in interglacial periods suggests that vegetation during these periods was similar to today. Interglacial palynofloral assemblages suggest a more intense wet season (Australian monsoon) with higher rainfall that allowed more active erosion and deposition onto the shelf. The presence of Indonesian sourced pollen and fern spore taxa, as well as warm water dinoflagellate species suggest enhanced Leeuwin Current and monsoonal intensity during interglacials times. The youngest part of the core is dominated by siliceous ooze, likely deposited during the Last Glacial Maximum and the early Holocene. The lack of calcareous ooze near the top of the core is likely caused by Holocene to Recent erosive processes or core disturbance. The presence of common charcoal in all samples over the last 300 kyrs shows that fire was a constant feature of the landscape in northwest Australia prior to human occupation of the region 65,000 years ago. • Palynomorphs in bathyal ODP Site 765 record 300kys of Quaternary climate variability. • Fossil palynomorphs are sourced via dry season aeolian or monsoonal sediment plumes. • Interglacials are turbidites/calcareous oozes whereas glacials are siliceous oozes. • Poaceae from Australia dominated interglacials due to an enhanced Australian Monsoon. • Common charcoal shows fire was a constant landscape feature prior to human occupation 65,000kyrs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Quaternary is well known for being a period of the geological record that saw significant and alternating climatic fluctuations. Here, we concentrate on the last 94 millennia that saw Australia and its surrounding seas undergo significant environmental changes. Importantly also it is during that this period of time includes the arrival and settlement of humans in Australia. Following on from Marine Isotopic Stage 4 (MIS4) that saw, over the period of 71-59 ka BP, a significant eustatic sea level drop (∼100 m), low sea-surface temperatures as well as glacial conditions on land, Australia experienced wet conditions again, but eventually progressively entered into a glacial phase. By then, humans had arrived on this large continent and later the megafauna progressively became extinct. This paper describes in detail the climate over this period, based principally on the high-resolution record of two marine sediment cores located offshore of the southern Australian margin, and that are then compared with known events on land as well as other deep-sea cores. Particular emphasis is placed on the period that spans the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the extent of which thus far had been poorly defined in the Australian region. Emphasis is placed on the period from 34 to 14 ka to demonstrate that (1) the LGM, defined here as the period 24 to 18 ka, was not always extremely dry and cold, and (2) that people were able to live in inland Australia as water existed in places, despite generally cold conditions. We also show using a series of ten maps - at 2 ka intervals over the 34-14 ka period - the waxing and waning of oceanic fronts such as the Subtropical and Subantarctic Fronts, link sea-surface temperatures (SST) with periods of glacial expansion in the Australian Alps and Tasmania, as well as the South Island of New Zealand, and the extent of the Leeuwin Current down to south of Australia. Aeolian dust was transported at sea over the main core site from ∼26 to 18 ka period, pointing to arid conditions in Australia, but this period was punctuated by two significant reductions in dust transport to both core sites, coinciding with a retreat of the Subantarctic Front away from the Australian southern coastline, and slight SST shifts for a few centuries at ∼24 and 22-21 ka BP. At the peak of the cold phase, from 23 to 18.4 ka, summer SST were of the order of 9 °C below that experienced during the middle of the Holocene at about 6 ka BP. A similar temperature drop was also experienced offshore the northwestern corner of Western Australia. Periglacial activity dates for the Australian mainland and Tasmania pool around ∼22 ka. On either side of the 24 ka event, the chain of lakes in the Willandra Lakes retained water and human activity was registered in the area. Elsewhere in Australia, water was present to sustain human populations during the cold and dry times. It is postulated here that northern Australia was at times quite wet, especially during MIS4. The cessation of the LGM is set on 18.4 ka from offshore southern Australia as confirmed for the deep-sea cores by several proxies, and more likely at 18 ka inland. Finally, we document that it took two millennia for "glacial" conditions to end in the Australian region as registered in our deep-sea core records, well after the lowest global sea level ∼20.6 and 20 ka, respectively, started to rise. There is also evidence of another very cold period determined on the Australian mainland, Tasmania and the South Island of New Zealand centred around 27 ka, after which time warmer conditions occurred before the start of the LGM. This is matched with our deep-sea records with very cold conditions and changes in oceanographic conditions. • 2 deep-sea cores provide information on the waxing and waning of oceanic fronts south of Australia. • The Last Glacial Maximum for the Australian region spans 24-18 ka. • 10 maps detail conditions in the Australian region spaning the period 34–14 ka. • Environmental conditions for MIS2 & MIS4 are compared in great detail in the cores. • Australia was arid and cold during the LGM but there was water to support human occupation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a density-based method for determining porewater salinity that can be performed shipboard on small volume samples with greater efficiency and precision than the currently available shore-based chloride titration technique. This approach is based on a recently developed water column method that determines salinity at the precision of a conductivity measurement through density measurements and the seawater thermodynamic equation of state. Diagenesis causes deviations in porewater composition from standard seawater values, affecting the density salinity relationship, that we correct for through precise measurements of each ion's concentration before converting measured density to chloride concentration. We account for the diffusive change in porewater chloride that occurs over time independent of diagenesis by optimizing diffusion modeled, sea-level determined bottom water chloride as a function of time to measured modern porewater and converting the best fit to salinity. We applied our density method to porewater samples extracted from adjacent long cores collected from the deep western North Atlantic, determining Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) bottom water paleosalinity in a region critical to understanding deep water mass distribution. High uncertainty is associated with current LGM bottom water salinity characterizations and their implications for LGM overturning circulation and climate. Density was determined to a precision of 2.3 × 10−6 g/mL, which translates to a relative uncertainty of 0.03% for LGM salinity. We compare the high precision chloride concentration profiles determined using our method to profiles determined from chloride titrations of parallel samples. Salinity change at our site between the pre-industrial and LGM is 3.07 ± 0.03 % and 3.65 ± 0.06 % when determined from density and 2.96 ± 0.12 % and 1.96 ± 0.21 % when determined from titrated Cl− for the two co-located cores analyzed. This is consistent with nearby deep Atlantic paleosalinity data (Adkins et al., 2002) and global sea-level-change determined salinity change (Clark and Mix, 2002). By comparing these uncertainties we demonstrate that porewater salinity can be determined to a higher precision and with increased reproducibility through our density protocol compared to titration-determined salinity. Application of our shipboard method at further locations will increase the resolution, precision, and accuracy of available LGM bottom water salinity reconstruction, improving the characterization of glacial deep water masses and overturning circulation. • Shipboard density-based method for determining porewater salinity • Last Glacial Maximum paleosalinity of deep western North Atlantic • Higher precision and increased reproducibility data compared to chloride titration • Can improve characterization of glacial deep water mass and overturning circulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Comparative phylogeographic study of a plant community within the Payunia District in the Patagonia Province. • Role of past environmental, climatic, volcanic, and species-specific factors on geographic genetic patterns. • Shared phylogeographic trends, but modulated by species autecological traits. • Quaternary volcanism rather than climatic oscillations explain the evolutionary history of this plant community. • Trait-based approach suggests the role of autecological traits modulating the species responses to environmental changes. Shared genetic patterns within a community of ecologically distinct species may reflect the role of past geoclimatic events imprinting species evolutionary history. Although Pleistocene glaciations are the most important processes evoked as drivers of these shared patterns, in some regions Quaternary volcanic activity should also be considered as a potential process shaping genetic diversity distribution. Additionally, phenotypic attributes related to dispersal and persistence may affect the time and manner in which species respond to geoclimatic changes. We performed a comparative phylogeographical study within a plant community of the South American Arid Diagonal to assess whether genetic patterns are better explained by climatic changes or volcanisms, taking into account the possible influence of life form and dispersal syndromes of the focal species. Chloroplast intergenic spacers were sequenced for five plant species. Genealogy, divergence time estimates, demographic and range expansion analyses were performed. Approximate Bayesian computation was used to test plausible shared phylogeographic scenarios. Climatically stable areas during the last glacial period were inferred with distribution modeling. Results showed that most species were split into northern and southern lineages separated by a phylogeographic break at around 37.5 °S, with the northern populations being genetically less diverse, inhabiting both climatically stable and unstable areas, but being severely affected by intense Plio-Pleistocene magmatic activity; the southern populations, less influenced by volcanism, appeared to be genetically more diverse and occupied climatically stable areas through time. Most recent range expansions and effective population size increases occurred after most of the volcanic episodes, before and during the Last Glacial Maximum. All species shared the same geographic origin of the detected spatial expansion. Overall, our results suggest a preponderant effect of Quaternary volcanism rather than climatic oscillations on the evolutionary history of this xerophytic community. Additionally, we found evidence that autecological traits would have modulated the community historical responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We present a modeled scenario on the evolution of glaciation over the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen for the past 20 ka. • Summer temperature dominates the overall evolution of glaciation, with precipitation modulating the extent and change rate. • The timing and extent of glaciation varies greatly across the orogen. The evolution of past glaciations over the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen and their links with climate change remain elusive, partially owing to the immense scale of the orogen preventing the investigation of all areas. Numerical modeling aids in filling the gaps, verifying the geologic observations, and exploring forcing factors. Based on a transient climate-ice sheet simulation for the past 20 kyr, we demonstrate that the maximum extent of glaciation over the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen occurs around the last glacial maximum (LGM; defined here at ∼20 ka), with expanded ice caps and extensive valley glaciers and being equivalent to a fourfold/sixfold expansion of today's glacier area/volume. The glacier extent shrinks rapidly after the LGM and reaches the minimum around ∼8–7 ka, followed by a slight long-term advancing trend afterwards. Our results suggest a dominant role of summer temperature in controlling the overall trend of glacier response, with precipitation generally modulating the regional extent of glaciation. However, the timing and extent of glaciation in the simulations varies across the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen on millennial timescale, especially between the monsoon-influenced southern and westerly-influenced western parts, further confirming previous speculations based on glacial geologic records. Despite the uncertainties in the simulations and the discrepancy in glaciation between the simulations and the glacial geologic evidence (e.g., 10Be ages), our results provide additional clues on the relationship between climatic change and glacier response. In addition, the modeling aids in advancing our knowledge of the paleoglaciological history of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eolian sediments, an important paleoenvironmental archive, are widespread in the Yarlung Tsangpo River (YTR) valley of the southern Tibetan Plateau (TP), but their chronology and spatial-temporal differentiation are poorly understood. And it is not clear whether eolian accumulation is controlled by global climate changes, or local paleoenvironment, or both. In this study, we applied quartz OSL dating to 30 eolian sediment samples (sandy loess and eolian sand) from eight profiles in the YTR catchment. Our new dates were combined with 72 previously published eolian sediment ages (OSL/TL and 14C) for the YTR catchment to analyze the response of eolian accumulation to paleoenvironmental changes. The overall dataset has eolian accumulation spanning the period from the Last Interglacial through to the Little Ice Age, ranging from 84.6 ± 8.7 ka BP (possibly as old as 118 ± 11 ka BP) to 0.4 ± 0.1 ka BP, with most occurring since the Late Glacial Period (15 ka BP), which suggests that the preservation of eolian deposits is controlled by geologic recirculation. Probability density function distributions (PDFs) of eolian ages from different parts of the YTR catchment show different age clusters, suggesting that factors controlling eolian accumulation vary across the catchment, so that spatial-temporal disparities are inherent in the system. To investigate the effect of regional and global paleoclimate since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) on eolian deposition processes in the YTR, we compared the PDF of ages from the combined dataset with a range of paleoclimate proxies. The PDF shows significant fluctuations since the LGM, including the Younger Dryas cold event. There is no consistent eolian sediment response to changes of the 30°N summer insolation, Asian Summer Monsoon, and westerlies. Phases of strong eolian sediment accumulation in the YTR basin do not show a simple correspondence with the classical global climate curve, suggesting that eolian processes in the alpine valley environment may be modified by local responses to these changes. • Ages of eolian deposits in the Yarlung Tsangpo River (YTR) catchment are compared. • Most of the ages are since 15 ka BP, ranging from 0.4±0.1 to 118±11 ka BP. • Spatial-temporal disparities of eolian accumulation in the YTR are pointed out. • A relation between eolian accumulation and paleoenvironment is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstruction of denudation rates through time is an important task to quantify andunderstand the impact of climate on landscape evolution. Cosmogenic nuclides have beenwidely used to infer denudation rates at the watershed scale from both present day sedimentsand past stratigraphic records. Here, we analyze the in situ 10Be cosmogenic concentrationin sediments of two long-piston cores that were collected offshore the Var River(Western Mediterranean Sea), precisely along the Var sedimentary ridge. Thesesedimentary archives have been well dated at a high resolution and analyzed forsediment provenance (Bonneau et al., 2017-EPSL) thus providing a unique record toreconstruct the denudation history of the Var catchment in the Southern French Alps overthe last 70 ka. This period covers the majority of the last glacial period and theassociated Dansgaard-Oeschger events, the last glacial maximum (LGM, 26-19 ka) andthe subsequent deglaciation (19-11 ka), and the Holocene, with all these eventsbeing precisely defined in the studied cores. Therefore, this setting offers the rareopportunity to study the impact of rapid climate fluctuations on denudation ratesin a mountainous glaciated catchment over a time scale that is not impacted bytectonics. We present 21 10Be paleo concentrations ranging from 1.24±0.51 x 104 atoms/gquartz to5.99±1.90 x 104 atoms/gquartz. The 10Be paleo concentrations overall are very similar topresent day 10Be concentrations (average of 4.20±0.67 x 104 atoms/gquartz at thewatershed’s outlet in 2016, or a denudation rate of 0.20 ±0.03 mm/year). This suggestssimilar paleo denudation rates between today, the 0-17 ka period and the 27-70 kaperiod. Only the LGM shows a clear change in 10Be concentrations with much lowerconcentrations (average of 1.68±0.48 x 104 atoms/gquartz) suggesting high denudation ratesduring this period of maximum glacial extent in the French Alps. These results suggest that climatic settings have a limited impact on overall denudationrates and that glaciers in the Mediterranean Alps either weren’t strong agents of erosionduring the MIS 3 (70-25 ka) or were smaller than previously thought. These results alsosuggest that only strong climatic fluctuations (such as the LGM) can induce meaningfulchanges in denudation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased knowledge about anthropogenic climate change has raised growing concerns about its potential catastrophic impacts on both ecosystems and human societies. Yet, several studies on damages induced on the economy by unmitigated global warming have proposed a much less worrying image of the future, with only a few points decrease in the world GDP per capita by the end of the century, even for high levels of warming. Here we consider two different empirically estimated damage functions, linking GDP growth or GDP level to temperature, and apply them to a global cooling of -4°C in 2100, corresponding to a return to glacial conditions. We show that the alleged impact on average GDP per capita is comprised between -1.8% and +36%.These results are then compared to the living conditions on the planet during the last glacial maximum. The modeled impacts on the world GDP appear clearly unrealistic given the magnitude of climate and environmental changes recorded for that period. We therefore conclude that, if such damage functions cannot reasonably be trusted for a cooling outside their calibration range, nor should they be considered as plausible for the future climate projection under massive greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resolving the timing and structure of glacial advances throughout the last glacial cycle is essential for understanding the underlying drivers of climate changes in the southern hemisphere. Our knowledge of glacial activity in the early stages of the last glacial cycle, however, is limited owing to the inherently incomplete preservation of the moraine record. Here, we present a 10Be-dated glacial chronology from Lago Belgrano (47.9°S) in central Patagonia that extends to the early last glacial. Our data reveal a major advance at the end of Marine Isotope Stage 5. A second, less-extensive advance occurred during the global Last Glacial Maximum at 25 ka. We suggest the pattern of ice advances reflects ice-divide migration during the build-up of the Patagonian Ice Sheet, which caused ice-flow re-routing, snow starvation, and less extensive glaciers at the site during peak glacial conditions. The timing of the early maximum coincides with cooling evident in Antarctic ice cores and marine proxies from the southern mid-latitudes. The early maximum at Lago Belgrano is likely an expression of hemisphere-wide oceanic and atmospheric cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volcanic island of Jan Mayen is situated on the southern part of the active Jan Mayen transform fault zone in the Norwegian – Greenland Sea. Jan Mayen hosts the world's northernmost active volcano, the spectacular Beerenberg which rises 2277 meter above sea level. Jan Mayen has an arctic – maritime climate influenced by the northwards flowing Atlantic current and the southwards flowing East Greenland current, suggesting that the island is sensitive to climatic changes. In 2015 we started a project to investigate the glacial and climate history of the island. In this presentation we focus on the glacial history of the island until the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Stratigraphic investigations in coastal cliffs indicate that the island was covered by ice also prior to the LGM. At several locations, glaciogenic diamictites at stratigraphic positions below the LGM are found in association with lava flows. Interaction between glaciers and volcanic eruptions cause complex sediment associations, but also provide opportunity for dating glacial events. 40Ar/39Ar and K/Ar dating are in progress in order to constrain pre-LGM glacial events, and results so far indicate that possible two ice advances may have taken place in Jan Mayen prior to the LGM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author discusses effect of climatic changes on sea and oceans, and mentions new records of iceberg-rafted debris from the Scotia Sea which reveals episodic retreat of the Antarctic Ice Sheet since the peak of the last glacial period. The author also mentions Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), occurred between about 26,000 and 19,000 years ago, melted ice sheets which raised global sea level by about 130 metres.