A regional 8200 cal. yr BP cooling event in northwest Europe, induced by final stages of the Laurentide ice-sheet deglaciation?

Journal of Quaternary Science, Vol. 13, No. 2, p. 165-169, 1998 

D. Klitgaard-Kristensen, H.P. Sejrup, H. Haflidason
Department of Geology, University of Bergen, N-5007 Bergen, Norway.
S. Johnsen
Departement of Geophysics, The Niels Bohr Institute of Astronomy, Physics and Geophysics, University of Copenhagen.
M. Spurk
Botanical Institute, Garbenstr. 30, University of Hohenheim, D-70593 Stuttgart, Germany.

ABSTRACT.
The most notable change in d¹⁸O in Greenland ice cores during the Holocene occurs at 8200 ca. yr BP. Here we present a new high-resolution marine record from the northern North Sea, along with tree-ring data from Germany, which contain evidence of a pronounced Temperature drop (>2^oC) contemporaneous with that of the Greenland ice-core records. The synchronous timing of the cooling event in the Greenland ice-cores, marine record and tree-ring data from northwest Europe reflects a regional influence on the North Atlantic ocean-atmospheric system, suggesting a prominent role of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation. The operation of the North Atlantic ocean circulation is sensitive to variation in the freshwater budget, implying that any change in freshwater flux is capable of altering the North Atlantic circulation system. We hypothesise minor but long-term freshwater fluxes in the final stages of the deglaciation of the Laurentide ice-sheet as a forcing mechanism.