Detailed insight into Arctic climatic variability during MIS 11 at Lake El'gygytgyn, NE Russia

Abstract

Abstract. Here we present a detailed multiproxy record of the climate and environmental evolution at Lake El'gygytgyn/Far East Russian Arctic during the period 430–395 ka covering the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 12/11 transition and the thermal maximum of super interglacial MIS 11. The MIS 12/11 transition at Lake El'gygytgyn is characterized by initial warming followed by a cold reversal implying similarities to the Bølling/Allerød (B/A) to Younger Dryas (YD) pattern of the last deglaciation. Full and remarkably stable interglacial conditions with mean temperatures of warmest month (MTWM) ranging between ca. 10–15 °C, annual precipitation (PANN) ranging between ca. 300–600 mm, strong in-lake productivity, coincide with dark coniferous forests in the catchment, annual disintegration of the lake ice cover and full mixis of the water column. Such conditions persisted for ca. 27 kyrs between ca. 425–398 ka. The Lake El'gygytgyn record closely resembles the climate pattern recorded in Lake Baikal (SE Siberia) sediments and Antarctic ice cores implying strong teleconnections between Northern and Southern Hemispheres during MIS 11. A peak warm period between ca. 418–415.5 ka and a precipitation anomaly at ca. 401 ka at Lake El'gygytgyn, in contrast, appear to be an expression of more regionally confined climate variations.