European climatic response to millennial-scale changes in the atmosphere-ocean system during the last glacial period

Pollen, foraminifer, dinocyst, and coarse lithic high-resolution analyses a nd delta O-18 measurements have been carried out for the last-glacial secti on of marine core MD95-2042 located near the southwestern margin of the Ibe rian Peninsula. The pollen data indicate a high frequency of vegetational c hanges on the adjacent continent during this period, suggesting a climatic variability very similar to that of the Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles recorded by the Greenland ice cores. The detailed direct correlation of the terrestr ial and marine proxy data from core MD95-2042 indicates a three-phase patte rn of Heinrich events in land and ocean environments. The first and last ph ases of the H5 and H4 events are characterized by a mild and humid climate in southwestern Europe, probably associated with the European origin of the ice-rafted detritus, The middle phase exhibits a cold and dry climate in I beria linked with the maximum input of ice-rafted detritus. This phase seem s to correspond with the Laurentide ice-sheet surges. Between the Heinrich events, several cold and dry periods on land are correlated with stades of the Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles. The impact of the Dansgaard-Oeschger stades in southwestern Europe seems to be preferentially connected to the cold win ter air masses reaching this mid-latitude region. (C) 2000 University of Wa shington.