Speleothem oxygen record – thermal or moisture changes proxy? A case study of multiproxy record from MIS 5/MIS 6 age speleothems from Demänová Cave System

Abstract

Abstract. The speleothems are an important source of paleoclimatic information in the land environment. The basic advantages of speleothems are the high potential of preservation; the possibility of precise dating by the U-series method; many different proxies like stable isotopes, trace elements, and microfabric which can be interpreted in the term of paleoclimate. The JS9 stalagmite was collected in Demanova Cave System (Slovakia). Presently this region of Europe is under influence of transitional and continental climate. However, in the past, it could be under stronger influence of the continental climate during cold glacial episodes and under wetter transitional climate during interglacial. The multiproxy record of the JS9 stalagmite represents ca. 60 ka period (143–83 ka). The multiproxy interpretation of the JS9 record shows that long time tendencies of δ18O have thermal nature while the short time δ18O signal reflects changes in humidity. In opposition to the records from the Alps and the northern Tatra mountains, the δ18O record of JS9 has instant decrease episodes during Termination II.