| one publication added to basket [369467] | Global evolution of paleoclimate during the Quaternary Period: cyclostratigraphic integration of terrestrial and marine proxies
Sánchez Morales, J. (2023). Global evolution of paleoclimate during the Quaternary Period: cyclostratigraphic integration of terrestrial and marine proxies. PhD Thesis. Universidad de Granada: Granada. ISBN 978-84-1117-892-1. 236 + appendixes pp.
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Document type: Dissertation
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| Keywords |
Marine/Coastal; Terrestrial |
| Abstract |
The Quaternary period comprises a recognisable climate succession of glacial and interglacial periods for the last 2.58 Ma. The Quaternary climate has governed all past and present aspects of human evolution, and it will do so in the future. Thus, to advance in understanding Quaternary paleoclimate history is considered as of special interest to improve knowledge of past, present and future climates. The Quaternary climate is primarily affected by Milankovitch orbital forcing which constitutes the main driver of the observed climate variability, but also by sub-Milankovitch solar variability at shorter time scales. The general aim of this Thesis is to improve the understanding of some of the past climate changes occurred during the Quaternary, based on a detailed cyclostratigraphic analysis of selected proxies. This PhD Thesis has used the framework of the cyclostratigraphic analysis, which assumes that the climate signal is preserved in the geological record, and more specifically the spectral analysis methodology, for identifying the involved climate cycles. This research has aimed for shedding light on some diverse but hot topics in Quaternary paleoclimate research from a global perspective. The present work analyses the availability of open proxy data in deep, including a detailed assessment of their geographic and temporal properties, considering both marine and terrestrial environments. By doing that, it has been proven that it is possible to re-use third-party scientific data for new research. Thus, different scientific objectives have been targeted, including the development of new methodologies for the study of paleoclimate. A novel computer method for visualising results from spectral analysis applied to Milankovitch cycles is presented. At a local and short-temporal scale a new method for reconstructing climate variables using tree-ring data has been successfully applied to the Sierra de las Nieves (southern Spain). The spectral analysis applied to precipitation and temperature data for the past decades has revealed new evidence linking the Andalusia hydroclimate variability with the Mediterranean Oscillation. At a global scale, new categorisation of the climatic cycles occurring during the Holocene period, by using oxygen time series and derived from speleothems, is presented here, which speaks of Eurasia having a different evolution and climate forcing at millennial time scales. Respect to abrupt climate changes, new insights into the onset of the last cold glacial before the Holocene, known as the Younger Dryas period, are exposed by linking sodium and wind variables, and Platinum spikes to a lesser extent. All these advancements contribute to the understanding of the most recent Earth's past climate and lay the foundations for future research using climate proxy data for a global perspective. |
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