Cryogenic processes and fire activity in a high Atlantic mountain area in NW Iberia (Picos de Europa) during the Mid-Late Holocene

Mid-Late Holocene environmental changes in the Cantabrian Mountains are a consequence of both climate variability and human activity. A 182cm-long sedimentary sequence was collected from Belbín depression, Western Massif of Picos de Europa (Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain), in order to reconstruct Holocene environmental dynamics and the factors triggering landscape changes in the area. Using multi-proxy analysis of the uppermost 60cm of the sediments (texture, organic matter content, quartz grains microstructures, charcoal deposition) together with three 14C AMS dates, a sequence of alternating warmer and colder phases has been inferred for the last ca. 6.7kycalBP. Warm stages are defined by low to moderate chemical weathering of the quartz grain particles with relative increases of the C/N ratio, while colder phases show a moderate to intense physical weathering of the quartz grains and lower C/N ratios. Warmer temperatures were recorded in Belbín area between: 6.7-5, 3.7-3, 2.6-1.1, 0.87-0.51 and since 0.01kycalBP. A colder regime occurred between 5-3.7, 3-2.6, 1.1-0.87 and 0.51 to 0.01kycalBP. The increasing organic matter content during the Late Holocene may be associated with increasing temperatures. The charcoal particles do not show a higher or lower concentration during prevailing colder or warmer conditions, and therefore may be linked to human-induced fire management of the landscape. The most intense period with fire activity occurred between 3.5 and 3kycalBP during the Bronze Age.The authors acknowledge the support for field logistics provided by the National Park of Picos de Europa. Alexandre Nieuwendam thanks the Portuguese Science Foundation (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal) for funding a PhD fellowship during which this paper has been writtenPeer reviewe