STABLE CARBON-ISOTOPE VARIATIONS IN NORTHWEST EUROPE DURING THE LAST GLACIAL-INTERGLACIAL TRANSITION

Stable carbon isotope data that span part of the last glacial-intergla cial transition (ca. 14-9 ka C-14 BP; Ca. 15-11 ka cal. BP), and which derive from organ-specific plant macrofossils recovered from two lake sediment profiles in the UK and one in Norway, are compared. The reco rded temporal variations show similar trends, which, over a millennial timescale appear to parallel the main drift in delta(18)O as determin ed for the GRIP ice-core. It is postulated that some smaller scale var iations in the delta(13)C profiles may reflect the shorter term oscill ations in delta(18)O values evident in the GRIP record, although this is less certain. Overall, however, the results suggest that stable car bon isotope measurements based on organ-specific terrestrial plant mac rofossils may provide (i) a means for establishing correlations betwee n terrestrial successions and (ii) additional paleoenvironmental infor mation, as the apparent 'shadowing' of the GRIP record indicates a com mon forcing mechanism for both Greenland delta(18)O and northwest Euro pean delta(13)C variations. From the evidence available we suggest tha t the recorded delta(13)C variations reflect fluctuations in air tempe rature and/or changes in water vapour pressure in the atmosphere. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.