Title | Atmospheric methane, southern European vegetation and low-mid latitude links on orbital and millennial timescales |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2009 |
Authors | Tzedakis, PC, Pälike, H, Roucoux, KH, de Abreu, L |
Journal | Earth and Planetary Science Letters |
Volume | 277 |
Pagination | 307-317 |
ISBN Number | 0012-821X |
Keywords | ITCZ, Mediterranean, methane, millennial, orbital, Pollen, vegetation |
Abstract | Pollen records from marine and terrestrial sequences in southern Europe reveal a strong coherence between changes in tree populations and atmospheric methane concentrations over the last 800 thousand years. Variations in the continental hydrological balance provide a link for the observed patterns, leading to concomitant changes in southern European vegetation, and low-latitude wetland extent and methane/volatile organic compound emissions, although additional contributions to the methane budget from extratropical sources are not excluded. Here we propose that the close coupling between low- and mid-latitude hydrological changes reflects shifts in the mean latitudinal position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which determines the extent to which southern Europe is dominated by subtropical or mid/high-latitude influences. This provides a conceptual framework within which to view vegetation variability in southern Europe on orbital and millennial timescales. |
URL | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X08006900 |
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