CL1.11 Tufa and travertine: high resolution archives for palaeoenvironments and palaeoclimates reconstruction. |
Co-Convener: Pierre Antoine |
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Continental calcium carbonate formations found in spring and fluvial environments (tufa and travertine) represent high quality archives for multiproxy palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstructions. Indeed, tufa and travertine are particularly rich in palaeontological remains, providing precise information on past biosphere from a number of groups (molluscs, crustaceans, mammals, plants, etc..). Sometimes they yield exceptionally well preserved Human remains and artefacts. These deposits have also a unique potential for isotopic approaches and dating (U-Series) resulting in high resolution and well dated reconstruction of past environments and climates. The session aims to provide reports on past interglacial environments and climates using multiproxy approach. The session seeks to enable discussion on comparison i) of the different signals registered and dated within continental calcium carbonates ii) of the climatic reconstructions after terrestrial and marine or glacial proxies, to address accurate reconstruction of terrestrial ecosystem in response to interglacial climatic conditions. High quality results from continental responses are of first importance to i) provide numerical estimations of past temperature and precipitations that can be essential for climatic prediction models calibration and ii) construct palaeobiodiversity models to evaluate possible impact of future climatic change on the ecosystems iii) compare Pleistocene and Holocene interglacial characters in order to emphasize anthropogenic effects during the second half of the Holocene. Conveners invite contributions on palaeobiodiversity, palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic evolution during Quaternary interglacials.