@article{PAR00009958,
  title = {{A} 250 ka sedimentary record from a small karstic lake in the {N}orthern {L}evant ({Y}ammouneh, {L}ebanon) paleoclimatic implications},
  author = {{D}evelle, {A}. {L}. and {G}asse, {F}. and {V}idal, {L}. and {W}illiamson, {D}avid and {D}emory, {F}. and {V}an {C}ampo, {E}. and {G}haleb, {B}. and {T}houveny, {N}icolas},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he {L}evant, influenced by both the {M}editerranean {S}ea and the {S}aharan-{A}rabian deserts, is a key region for understanding climatic changes in response to glacial/interglacial boundary conditions that have greatly affected regional hydrology. {H}ere, we present the first long-term paleoenvironmental record from the northern {L}evant, presently much wetter than the southern {L}evant. {O}ur record derives from the multi-proxy study of a sediment core (36 m long) retrieved from the small intra-mountainous, tectonic basin of {Y}ammouneh ({L}ebanon), which is mainly supplied by karstic springs. {S}ediments consist of a thick accumulation of brownish to greenish clayey silts, interrupted by intervals of whitish marls composed of {C}a{CO}(3) rich material. {T}he core chronology is based on radiometric dating ((14){C} and {U}/{T}h) and paleomagnetic techniques. {T}he sedimentary sequence spans approximately the last two glacial-interglacial cycles (similar to 250 ka). {C}arbonate content is relatively high throughout the profile due to a perennial input of detrital calcite from the watershed, but varies significantly. {T}he marls are mostly composed of authigenic and biogenic calcite and reflect lacustrine environments with high carbonate productivity during peaks of interglacial periods. {T}heir occurrence suggests low physical erosion of the basin slopes which were covered by arboreal vegetation, and intense karstic water circulation under warm and relatively wet conditions, in agreement with pollen data. {T}he clayey silts are dominated by quartz and clay minerals, and a few amounts of {K}-feldspars and dolomite. {T}hey are characterized by high concentration in magnetic particles, and high relative concentrations of {S}i, {A}l, {K} and {F}e considered as strictly of detrital origin. {D}ue to the carbonated nature of the watershed, quartz and {K}-feldspars are attributed to eolian origin from a distal source. {T}he clayey silt intervals generally suggest palustrine conditions with abrupt flows responsible for runoff-derived material, or subaerial environments and low local water availability in particular during the {L}ast {G}lacial {M}aximum. {H}igh {S}i/{A}l and {K}/{A}l ratios, during interglacials, are attributed to relatively high eolian dust contribution due to the decrease of local detrital inputs. {O}ur study reveals significant differences between {Y}ammouneh and lake records from the {D}ead-{S}ea basin (southern {L}evant), the latter showing high/low levels during glacial/interglacial periods. {T}hese hydrological differences might reflect either changes in the {N}orth-{S}outh ({NS}) rainfall gradient in response to the development of the northern ice sheet and the southward migration of the westerly belt, or local factors, i.e., a decrease in efficient precipitation and water availability at {Y}ammouneh during the coldest glacial periods (e.g., the {L}ast {G}lacial {M}aximum), due to water storage by ice caps on the {M}ount {L}ebanon range and frozen soils in the {Y}ammouneh basin.},
  keywords = {{L}ake ; {C}arbonates ; {S}edimentology ; {P}aleomagnetism ; {E}astern {M}editerranean ; {G}lacial-interglacial variability ; {LIBAN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}alaeogeography {P}alaeoclimatology {P}alaeoecology},
  volume = {305},
  numero = {1-4},
  pages = {10--27},
  ISSN = {0031-0182},
  year = {2011},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.02.008},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/{PAR}00009958},
}