Last Interglacial Climate in Northern Sweden—Insights from a Speleothem Record

Continental records with absolute dates of the timing and progression of climatic conditions during the Last Interglacial (LIG) from northern Europe are rare. Speleothems from northern Europe have a large potential as archives for LIG environmental conditions since they were formed in sheltered environments and may be preserved beneath ice sheets. Here, we present delta C-13 and delta O-18 values from speleothem Kf-21, from Korallgrottan in Jamtland (northwest Sweden). Kf-21 is dated with five MC-ICPMS U-Th dates with errors smaller than similar to 1 ka. Kf-21 started forming at similar to 130.2 ka and the main growth phase with relatively constant growth rates lasted from 127.3 ka to 124.4 ka, after which calcite formation ceased. Both delta C-13 and delta O-18 show rapid shifts but also trends, with a range of values within their Holocene counterparts from Korallgrottan. Our results indicate an early onset of the LIG in northern Europe with ice-free conditions at similar to 130 ka. Higher growth rates combined with more negative delta O-18 values between similar to 127.3 and 126.8 ka, interpreted here as warmer and more humid conditions, as well as indications of a millennial-scale cold spell centered at 126.2 ka, resemble findings from speleothem records from other parts of Europe, highlighting that these were regional scale climatic patterns.Peer reviewe