An early glacial maximum during the last glacial cycle on the northern Velebit Mt. (Croatia)

Comprehensive glacial Quaternary studies involving geochronological methods, modelling of ice topography with the support of field geomorphological and geological data in the Balkan Peninsula are relatively scarce, although there is evidence of past glaciations in several mountain ranges. Here, we present research on the extent and timing of past glaciations on the northern Velebit Mt. in coastal Croatia and inferences of the climate during that time. Based on geomorphological and sedimentological evidence and using cosmogenic 36Cl surface exposure dating of moraine boulders, we provide an empirical reconstruction of past glaciers and compare this with the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) simulations under different palaeoclimate forcings. The dating results show that the northern Velebit glaciers reached their maximum extent during the last glacial cycle before the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Maximum ice extent likely correlates with Marine Isotope Stage 5–4, although the exact timing cannot be determined at this point due to poorly known site- and time-specific denudation rates. Empirical reconstruction of the maximum extent suggests that the area covered by glaciers was ~116 km2. The-best fit PISM simulation indicates that the most likely palaeoclimate scenario for the glaciers of this size to form is a cooling of ~8 °C and a 10% reduction in precipitation from present-day levels. However, the best-fit simulation does not correctly model all mapped ice margins when changes in climatological parameters are applied uniformly across the model domain, potentially reflecting a different palaeoprecipitation pattern to today

Carbonate and silicate intercomparison materials for cosmogenic 36Cl measurements

Two natural mineral separates, labeled CoCal-N and CoFsp-N, have been prepared to serve as intercomparison material (ICM) for in situ-produced cosmogenic 36Cl and natural chlorine (Clnat) analysis. The sample CoCal-N is derived from calcite crystals in a Namibian lag deposit, while the sample CoFsp-N is derived from a single crystal of alkali-feldspar from a Namibian pegmatite. The sample preparation took place at the University of Cologne and a rotating splitter was used to obtain homogeneous splits of both ICMs. Forty-five measurements of CoCal-N (between 1 and 16 per facility) and forty-four measurements of CoFsp-N (between 2 and 20 per facility) have been undertaken by ten target preparation laboratories measured by seven different AMS facilities. The internal laboratory scatter of the 36Cl concentrations indicates no overdispersion for half of the laboratories and 3.9 to 7.3% (1σ) overdispersion for the others. We show that the CoCal-N and CoFsp-N splits are homogeneous regarding their 36Cl and Clnat concentrations. The grand average (average calculated from the average of each laboratory) yields initial consensus 36Cl concentrations of (3.74 ± 0.10) × 106 at 36Cl/g (CoCal-N) and (2.93 ± 0.07) × 106 at 36Cl/g (CoFsp-N) at 95% confidence intervals. The coefficient of variation is 5.1% and 4.2% for CoCal-N and CoFsp-N, respectively. The Clnat concentration corresponds to the lower and intermediate range of typical rock samples with (0.73 ± 0.18) µg/g in CoCal-N and (73.9 ± 6.8) µg/g in CoFsp-N. We discuss the most relevant points of the sample preparation and measurement and the chlorine concentration calculation to further approach inter-laboratory comparability. We propose to use continuous measurements of the ICMs to provide a valuable quality control for future determination of 36Cl and Clnat concentrations