Journal of Cave and Karst Studies - ISSN 1090-6924
Volume 61 Number 1: 22-30 - April 1999

A publication of the National Speleological Society

Isotopic Stratigraphy of a Last Interglacial Stalagmite from Northwestern Romania: Correlation with the Deep-Sea record and Northern-Latitude Speleothem
Stein-Erik Lauritzen and Bogdan Petroniu Onac

Abstract

LFG-2, a 39.5 cm tall stalagmite from northwestern Romania, has been dated by U-series a-spectrometric dating, and analyzed for stable isotope variations (d18O, d13C) along its growth axis. The sample grew all the way through oxygen isotope stage 5(a-e), and perhaps for some time into stage 4. In spite of a rather low uranium content and therefore imprecise chronology, the sample provides an interesting stable isotope record with high temporal resolution that correlates favorably with other speleothems and with the deep-sea record. Termination II is well defined in the record as a rapid shift from light (cold) to heavier (warm) d18O values, when C3 vegetation seemed to dominate. The d13C in a slow growth zone, corresponding to oxygen isotope stage 5d, as well after the stage 5/4 transition, suggests that C4 plants possibly dominated the surface environment. The d18O record also correlate quite well with the a-dated FM-2 record from northern Norway.

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