GLOBAL CHANGE - THE HIGH-AMPLITUDE CHANGES 13-10 KA AGO - NOVEL ASPECTS

Within the period 13-10 ka, the Earth experienced high-amplitude fluct uations in climate and to a lesser degree, also in sea level. These hi gh-amplitude changes occurred within the period of superposition of tw o exponential curves in the eustatic rise in sea level. This intermedi ate period seems to represent the Earth's geodynamic response to the g eneral deceleration due to the sea level rise. The deceleration caused water-masses to move polewards. At a critical point, the symmetry axe s of the Earth's core and mantle were displaced with respect to each o ther along a meridional path recorded in a trans-polar shift of the ax is of the geomagnetic dipole field. At about the same time, the Earth came into a new mode with large-scale interchanges of angular momentum between the ''solid'' Earth and the hydrosphere. These speeding-ups a nd slowing-downs of the hydrosphere caused increases and decreases in the ocean current system. The Gulf Stream affecting climate and sea le vel in Europe, the Labrador current controlling climate and ice margin al changes in the Hudson Strait region. The Humboldt Current controlli ng climate and precipitation in South America, the coastal upwelling a nd the marine productivity and in that way also affecting the atmosphe ric CO2 content. These ocean current changes are the main controlling factors of the high-amplitude changes within the intermediate period f rom about 13.5 to 9.5 ka.