1st November 2002 – 31st August 2003
NERC
The central objective of this proposal is to examine changes in vegetation during the closing stages of interglacials in order to gain an improved understanding of the effects of orbital forcing and abrupt climate change during situations that represent the closest analogues to the present. Initial results suggest that during the last interglacial forest conditions in S. Europe persisted well into the period of increased ice volume until rapid climate change in the North Atlantic led to the abrupt demise of tree populations. This proposal seeks to examine whether this is a recurring pattern, characteristic of the end interglacials, by generating pollen records of the last four interglacials from a new marine core off Portugal. Comparison of marine proxies (currently generated) with pollen spectra from the same stratigraphic depths will enable direct assessment of phase relationships.