Dry events in the Mediterranean basin at 5.2 and 5.6 ka as recorded by stable isotopes in Corchia (Italy) and Soreq (Israel) caves speleothems.

Analyses of speleothem δ18O records from Soreq (Israel) and Corchia (central Italy) caves for the period between ca. 7 to 4 ka BP show two prominent isotopic excursions toward higher values, argued to reflect relatively drier conditions, centred at ca. 5.6 and ca. 5.2 ka. A possible mechanism explaining these two drier events is from comparison with the wind strength proxy record from Hólmsá loess profile in Iceland. This suggests that rainfall decrease was related to a reduced vapour advection from Atlantic towards the Mediterranean connected to northward shift in the Westerlies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]