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Millennial-scale Dansgaard Oeschger (DO) variability at northern high latitudes has influenced climatic and environmental conditions in the Mediterranean during the last glacial period. There is evidence that the hemispheric transmission of the DO variability occurred at the end of DO event 25; however, the exact timing and the trigger that activated the environmental response in the Mediterranean remains incompletely understood. Here, we provide evidence that the clear millennial-scale teleconnection between Greenland and the Mediterranean started at ∼111.4 ka BP and was initiated by a sub-millennial scale cooling in Greenland (GI-25b). High-resolution sediment proxies and the pollen record of Lago Grande di Monticchio (MON), Italy, reflect climatic instability during the last millennium of the last interglacial, which was characterised by a first and short cooling episode (MON 1) at 111.44 ± 0.69 ka BP, coinciding with the Greenland cold sub-event GI-25b in duration and timing (within dating uncertainties). MON and Greenland (NorthGRIP ice core) also agree in recording a subsequent warm rebound phase that abruptly culminated in the stadial MON 2/GS-25, marking the transition into the last glacial period. Our results show that the GI-25b triggered an early environmental response at MON to centennial-scale climate change in Greenland as a prelude to the millennial-scale teleconnection that was maintained during the glacial period. • Annual-resolution study of the transition from the Last Interglacial period to the last Glacial period. • Evaluation of the differences in proxy response to sub-millennial-scale climate variability. • Chronological discussion based on comparison of independent chronologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Early Pleistocene (Calabrian) clays of the Lindos Bay Formation have been uplifted and are exposed today on the eastern coast of Rhodes (Hellenic forearc, Greece). The hemipelagic origin of these sediments and the excellent preservation of the microfossils they contain, make the Lindos Bay Formation a unique element in the eastern Mediterranean, which has the potential to constitute a paleoclimate referential framework of the region for the Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition (EMPT). In this context, 98 samples were collected in the type locality section of the Lindos Bay Formation. Stable isotope (δ18O, δ13C) analyses were carried out on benthic (Uvigerina peregrina) and planktonic (Globigerina bulloides) foraminifera for the interval between ∼1100 ka and ∼858 ka. We identify and continuously reconstruct the climate cycles that occurred between Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 32 and 21. Counts of planktonic foraminifera were further carried out and allow connecting the conditions occurring locally in the surface waters with the glacial-interglacial cycles during the onset of the EMPT. While (sub)tropical taxa dominate the assemblages, glacials were associated with short-term (<∼10 kyr) influxes of temperate to subpolar species suggesting cooling and/or increasing productivity in the surface waters correlating with the deposition of sapropels in the eastern Mediterranean deep sea. Finally, planktonic/benthic foraminiferal ratios show that the section deposited at upper bathyal depths between ∼450 m and ∼150 m. During the late Early Pleistocene, the eastern coast of Rhodes has locally undergone repeated, transient and possibly very rapid vertical motions which are overprinted on a regional tectonically-forced regressive trend. Highlights • Foraminiferal stable isotopes and counts in the late Early Pleistocene of Rhodes. • A continuous upper bathyal record exposed onshore for the onset of the EMPT. • A climate referential framework for the Calabrian of the eastern Mediterranean. • Rhodes underwent repeated and rapid vertical motions during the Early Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earliest complex societies and a distinctive set of pan-regional social, political, and economic institutions appeared in the southern Maya lowlands during the Preclassic period (ca. 1200/1100 cal BCE–cal 300 CE). The timing of these cultural changes was variably influenced by local developments, interaction with other regions of Mesoamerica, and climate change. We present a high-resolution radiocarbon chronology for the growth of the early polity of Cahal Pech, Belize, one of the first permanent settlements in the southern Maya lowlands. We compare our results to a database containing over 1190 radiocarbon dates from cultural contexts reported from five major regions of the southern lowlands to interpret the expansion and decline of emerging complex social groups during the Preclassic. Comparisons to paleoclimate proxy datasets suggest that fluctuating climate regimes may have promoted alternating integration and fragmentation of early hierarchically organized societies. Stable climatic conditions during the Middle Preclassic (1000/900-300 cal BCE) fostered the centralization of populations and the formation of large regional polities across the southern lowlands. An extended drought at the end of the Late Preclassic (cal 150–300 CE) likely contributed to the decline of some major polities in the central Petén, but smaller sites located in productive environments were more resilient and persisted in to the Classic period. This research provides a framework for understanding the complex social and environmental factors that influenced localized adaptations to climate change and the episodic growth and decline of early complex societies in prehistory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a method and software for reconstructing palaeoclimate from pollen data with a focus on accounting for and reducing uncertainty. The tools we use include: forward models, which enable us to account for the data generating process and hence the complex relationship between pollen and climate; joint inference, which reduces uncertainty by borrowing strength between aspects of climate and slices of the core; and dynamic climate histories, which allow for a far richer gamut of inferential possibilities. Through a Monte Carlo approach we generate numerous equally probable joint climate histories, each of which is represented by a sequence of values of three climate dimensions in discrete time, i.e. a multivariate time series. All histories are consistent with the uncertainties in the forward model and the natural temporal variability in climate. Once generated, these histories can provide most probable climate estimates with uncertainty intervals. This is particularly important as attention moves to the dynamics of past climate changes. For example, such methods allow us to identify, with realistic uncertainty, the past century that exhibited the greatest warming. We illustrate our method with two data sets: Laguna de la Roya, with a radiocarbon dated chronology and hence timing uncertainty; and Lago Grande di Monticchio, which contains laminated sediment and extends back to the penultimate glacial stage. The procedure is made available via an open source R package, Bclim, for which we provide code and instructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new palaeoecological sequence from the western Iberian Central Range significantly contributes to the knowledge on the Holocene vegetation dynamics in central Iberia. This sequence supports the existence of time-transgressive changes in the vegetation cover during the beginning of the Holocene over these central Iberian mountains, specifically the replacement of boreal birch–pine forests with Mediterranean communities. Anthracological analyses also indicate the replacement of boreal pines (Pinus sylvestris) with Mediterranean ones (Pinus pinaster) during the early Holocene. The observed vegetation changes were generally synchronous with climatic phases previously reconstructed for the western Mediterranean region, and they suggest that the climatic trends were most similar to those recorded in the northern Mediterranean region and central Europe. Several cycles of secondary succession after fire ending with the recovery of mature forest have been identified, which demonstrates that the vegetation of western Iberia was highly resilient to fire disturbance. However, when the recurrence of fire crossed a certain threshold, the original forests were not able to completely recover and shrublands and grasslands became dominant; this occurred approximately 5800–5400 cal yr BP. Afterwards, heathlands established as the dominant vegetation, which were maintained by frequent and severe wildfires most likely associated with human activities in a climatic framework that was less suitable for temperate trees. Finally, our palaeoecological record provides guidelines on how to manage protected areas in Mediterranean mountains of southwestern Europe, especially regarding the conservation and restoration of temperate communities that are threatened there such as birch stands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: What circulation pattern drove Southern Alps glacial advances at ∼21 ka? Late 20th century glacial advances in New Zealand are commonly attributed to a dual precipitation increase and cooler than normal temperatures associated with enhanced westerly flow that occur under synoptic pressure patterns termed ‘zonal’ regimes (). But was the circulation pattern that supported major Southern Alps glacial advances during the global LGM similar to the modern analog? Here, a Regional Climate Regime Classification (RCRC) time slice was used to infer past circulation for New Zealand during the LGM at ∼21 ka. Palaeoclimate information that supported the construction of the ∼21 ka time slice was derived from the NZ-INTIMATE Climate Event Stratigraphy (CES), one new Auckland maar proxy record, and additional low-resolution data sourced from the literature. The terrestrial evidence at ∼21 ka implicates several possibilities for past circulation, depending on how interpretations for some proxies are made. The interpretation considered most tenable for the LGM, based on the agreement between terrestrial evidence, marine reconstructions and palaeoclimate model results is an ‘anticyclonic/zonal’ circulation regime characterized by increased influences from blocking ‘highs’ over the South Island during winter and an increase in zonal and trough synoptic types (with southerly to westerly quarter wind flow) during summer. These seasonal circulation traits would have generated lower mean annual temperatures, cooler than normal summer temperatures, and overall lower mean annual precipitation for New Zealand (particularly in the western South Island) at ∼21 ka. The anticyclonic/zonal time slice reconstruction presented in this study has different spatial traits than the late 20th Century and the early Little Ice Age signatures, suggesting more than one type of regional circulation pattern can drive Southern Alps glacial activity. This finding lends support to the hypothesis that temperature over precipitation change is more important as the primary modulator of Southern Alps ice advances. The RCRC approach also demonstrates some subtle advantages of integrating multi-proxy data within a palaeocirculation context for New Zealand, notably because this reconstruction technique enables direct comparisons to coarsely resolved palaeoclimate model outputs that do not have downscaled information. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Little has challenged our understanding of climate change more so than the abruptness with which large-scale shifts in temperature occurred during the Late Quaternary. The causal mechanisms driving these rapid changes are poorly understood, largely due to the inherent difficulties of integrating palaeoclimate records which represents the key focus of the INTIMATE 1 [1] INTIMATE: INTegration of Ice, MArine and TErrestrial record is a core project of the INQUA Palaeoclimate Commission. Australasian and North Atlantic projects are currently active. This paper refers specifically to the objectives of the North Atlantic group. project. Tephrochronology has become central to the synchronisation goals of INTIMATE, the overall aim of which is to test the degree of climatic synchroneity in relation to these rapid climatic events. Here we present a European framework of 12 volcanic events that hold considerable promise for achieving the INTIMATE goals and effecting precise correlation of widespread palaeoarchives. These tephras are widespread and fall stratigraphically in close association to rapid climatic changes. We believe that these represent the most valuable tephras for the European INTIMATE project, but also highlight those that require urgent investigation to refine their geochemical signatures, eruptive context and chronological and stratigraphical uncertainties. For instance, new data are presented for the Saksunarvatn Ash that question the sole reliance on major-element analysis for tephra characterisation and highlights some of the challenges that remain for tephra studies. Accordingly, we outline a number of key recommendations relating to geochemical characterisation, data comparison, assessing the depositional integrity of tephra horizons as well as methods for improving age estimates – all of which will optimise the application of tephrochronology to meet the INTIMATE goals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: How fast and how much climate can change has significant implications for concerns about future climate changes and their potential impacts on society. An abrupt climate change 8200 years ago (8.2ka event) provides a test case to understand possible future climatic variability. Here, methane concentration (taken as an indicator for terrestrial hydrology) and nitrogen isotopes (Greenland temperature) in trapped air in a Greenland ice core (GISP2) are employed to scrutinize the evolution of the 8.2ka event. The synchronous change in methane and nitrogen implies that the 8.2ka event was a synchronous event (within ±4 years) at a hemispheric scale, as indicated by recent climate model results [Legrande, A. N., Schmidt, G. A., Shindell, D. T., Field, C. V., Miller, R. L., Koch, D. M., Faluvegi, G., Hoffmann, G., 2006. Consistent simulations of multiple proxy responses to an abrupt climate change event. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103, 837–842]. The event began with a large-scale general cooling and drying around ∼8175±30 years BP (Before Present, where Present is 1950 AD). Greenland temperature cooled by 3.3±1.1°C (decadal average) in less than ∼20 years, and atmospheric methane concentration decreased by ∼80±25ppb over ∼40 years, corresponding to a 15±5% emission reduction. Hemispheric scale cooling and drying, inferred from many paleoclimate proxies, likely contributed to this emission reduction. In central Greenland, the coldest period lasted for ∼60 years, interrupted by a milder interval of a few decades, and temperature subsequently warmed in several steps over ∼70 years. The total duration of the 8.2ka event was roughly 150 years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High-precision U-series dating allows a direct correlation to be made between terrestrial records of the penultimate interglacial (Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 7 (MIS 7)) in Britain and sub-stage climate forcing in the marine oxygen isotope sequence. U-series ages of surficial tufa deposits are of sufficient precision to correlate discrete episodes of temperate conditions with individual warm sub-stages within MIS 7. Furthermore, detailed biostratigraphy allows periods of faunal turnover to be correlated with cold climates and lowered sea level. Ecological and environmental conditions in Britain during MIS 7 are therefore driven by the short-lived, sub-stage climate forcing that is observable in the marine isotope record. It is clear that interglacial climates are highly dynamic, producing multiple climatic optima and a diverse range of environments within single warm episodes. Consequently sub-stage records of climate forcing are crucial frameworks for reconstructing terrestrial records of environmental change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The development of midge-based palaeoclimatology in North America is reviewed, with a focus on Lateglacial and Holocene climatic change. Although relatively few sites have been studied, midge-inferred palaeotemperatures reveal detailed records of Lateglacial climate oscillations and more subtle Holocene temperature changes. Holocene climate changes are often at, or near, the detection limit using current palaeotemperature inference models. Interference from other environmental variables, including water depth and oxygen concentration changes are discussed, as well as the challenges inherent to developing better models. The isotopic signature of chitin preserved in midge head capsules has opened new avenues for midge–palaeotemperature inference. Through coordinated research efforts, national and international collaborations will provide opportunities to reconstruct Holocene palaeoclimate at continental and hemispheric scales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The mid-continent of North America was likely drier than present during the mid-Holocene, based on inferences from fossil-pollen data and estimates of past lake levels. Mid-Holocene dry conditions have often been explained by increases in the dominance (frequency and/or duration) of Pacific airmasses, zonal flow patterns, or enhanced westerlies. We analyzed modern episodes between 1959 and 1997 when westerly flow was anomalously strong (an indication of zonal flow) to determine if zonal flow is associated with drier-than-normal conditions in the mid-continent. In contrast to that expectation, composite-anomaly patterns of 500mb geopotential heights show similar meridional, as opposed to zonal, patterns for both anomalously dry and anomalously wet years, suggesting that large-scale circulation patterns alone may not provide a full explanation of surface-moisture anomalies. Anomalous moisture conditions in the mid-continent at present develop due to the dynamic interplay between surface conditions and atmospheric processes. Consideration of both moisture availability (determined by atmospheric moisture flux and soil-moisture recycling) and mechanisms for enhancing or suppressing precipitation (vertical motions in the atmosphere) is therefore required to describe the establishment of anomalously dry or wet conditions in the region today, as well as during the mid-Holocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Previous results from deep-sea pore fluid data demonstrate that the glacial deep ocean was filled with salty, cold water from the South. This salinity stratification of the ocean allows for the possible accumulation of geothermal heat in the deep-sea and could result in a water column with cold fresh water on top of warm salty water and with a corresponding increase in potential energy. For an idealized 4000dbar two-layer water column, we calculate that there are ∼106 J/m2 (∼0.2J/kg) of potential energy available when a 0.4psu salinity contrast is balanced by a ∼2°C temperature difference. This salt-based storage of heat at depth is analogous to Convectively Available Potential Energy (CAPE) in the atmosphere. The “thermobaric effect” in the seawater equation of state can cause this potential energy to be released catastrophically. Because deep ocean stratification was dominated by salinity at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the glacial climate is more sensitive to charging this “thermobaric capacitor” and can plausibly explain many aspects of the record of rapid climate change. Our mechanism could account for the grouping of Dansgaard/Oeschger events into Bond Cycles and for the different patterns of warming observed in ice cores from separate hemispheres. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report the results obtained for the climate of the Earth at Last Glacial Maximum based upon multi-millennium integrations of a model of the coupled atmosphere–ocean–sea ice–land surface processes, system. The model employed is the low spatial resolution (T31) paleoclimate version of the Community Climate System Model that has been developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) with important input from the UCAR community. In this initial discussion of the results delivered by the model for LGM, we focus upon the primary characteristics of the statistical equilibrium state of both atmosphere and ocean. Also discussed are the characteristics of the ENSO mode of internal climate variability that the model predicts to obtain under glacial conditions. Our analysis suggests that the degree of tropical cooling at LGM is approximately 4.5°C over the equatorial Pacific sector, a value that is somewhat higher than has been obtained in other recent simulations of LGM climate. We also find that the strength of the ENSO phenomenon is significantly increased at LGM relative to its expression in the modern climate system. In order to achieve a statistical equilibrium representation of LGM climate, we have been obliged to integrate the coupled system for over 2000 years, a fact that has important implications for snapshot analyses of paleoclimatic state when a coupled atmosphere–ocean model is employed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Steppe and grassland ecosystems constitute important biomes that are influenced by multiple factors such as climate, human activity, and fire. Yet how these factors have influenced the plant composition of these biomes through time continues to be understudied. This paper investigates how these mechanisms have transformed the steppe landscape recorded at the mire site of Shenkani, Armenia. This highland site, located in the South Caucasus, has a long human history of permanent settlements near the core site starting at 5500 cal. BP. A variety of biological and geochemical proxies, including pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, macro-charcoal, 14C age model, X-ray fluorescence, loss-of-ignition, magnetic susceptibility, and a quantitative climate reconstruction inferred from pollen, are utilized in this paper. We find that this area has remained a steppe with small stands of trees throughout the duration of the Holocene. Changes in steppe plant composition primarily occur between semi-desert steppes (Chenopodiaceae), grassland steppes (or Poaceae dominated meadow-steppes), and mixed steppes with forest patches. In this record, two phases of local grassland expansion occurred between 9500 and 7000 cal. BP and 2500–1000 cal. BP, which covaried with local fire events. These grassland steppes were sustained until tree encroachment led to a more mixed steppe landscape around 7000 cal. BP and again at 1000 cal. BP. Climate, primarily precipitation, is the main driver of this persistent steppe landscape and the plant compositional shifts within it. However, fire and human activities contributed to steppe maintenance. • A 10,240 year-old sequence from Shenkani, Armenia documents a persistent Holocene steppe. • Changes in steppe plant composition occur between semi-desert, grassland, and mixed steppes with forest patches. • Poaceae dominated grasslands covary with fires that limit tree and shrub encroachment. • The mid- to late Holocene transition is characterized by drops in Betula and declines in distant arboreal pollen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dead Sea Deep Drilling Project drilled 456 meters into the deepest floor of the Dead Sea and recovered a record of the past ∼220 kyr of the Levant hydroclimate history, that is, Marine Isotope Stages 1–7, including the last three interglacials and the last two glacials. We present an updated chronology of the core from DSDDP Hole 5017-1-A, from the Dead Sea's deepest basin, that refines our previous chronology (Torfstein et al. 2015) based on new information. The updated chronology uses the following approaches: (1) radiocarbon ages of Kitagawa et al. (2017); (2) correlation of specific layers in the core with U–Th-dated sediments on the Dead Sea margin, particularly during the interval of glacial Lake Lisan (MIS 2,3,4); (3) tuning of the δ18O data of DSDDP core aragonite to the U–Th dated oxygen isotopes of regional cave speleothems; and (4) tuning of the DSDDP aragonite δ18O data to summer insolation curves when the cave δ18O chronology is less clear. The updated chronology reveals a strong relationship between the sedimentary facies comprising the core and Northern Hemisphere summer insolation variations. It shows that sequences of sediments marking drier/wetter/drier climate conditions in the lake's watershed (e.g., salt/muds/salt, respectively) appear across the flank/peak/flank segments of several summer insolation peaks. In particular, the transition from drier to wetter sedimentary facies during mid-latitude insolation peaks coincides with the intervals of sapropel conditions in the Mediterranean, reflecting enhanced Nile flow due to intense African monsoonal conditions, and marking the impact of the tropical precession cycles on Eastern Mediterranean hydroclimate. This pattern was lost during MIS 2,3,4, when mostly sequences of primary aragonite are punctuated by gypsum precipitation during Heinrich events, marking the strong impact of the North Atlantic on the last glacial Levant hydroclimate. • Updated chronology of the ICDP Dead Sea drill core DSDDP Hole 5017-1-A. • Strong relationships persist between the core's sedimentary facies and NH summer insolation. • Interglacial arid conditions occurred during intervals of enhanced changes in insolation. • Interglacial Levant wetter conditions coincide with Mediterranean sapropels and other NH summer insolation peaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human paleodemographic changes were related to environmental fluctuations for the North American Arctic and boreal region, including Greenland. Using the frequency of archaeological radiocarbon dates as a proxy for population size, past changes in population were estimated and quantitatively examined in relation to reconstructions of temperature and sea ice conditions. This analysis was conducted across three spatial scales in order to better identify potential climate impacts on population size: the entire area, four major cultural-environmental regions and sixteen sub-regions. The timing of initial settlement differed by region, and population size fluctuated through time, but there was nevertheless an overall, accelerating increase in most areas. There was a high correspondence between millennial and centennial-scale climate variability and paleodemographic changes across the region, with population size generally increasing during warmer periods and decreasing during cooling episodes. Late Holocene cooling (neoglaciation) triggered a nearly-synchronous population decline across the entire region at 3.9 ka, a time when significant societal disruptions have been identified around the world, and are here shown in the Arctic. Decreasing temperatures and increased sea ice coverage also influenced large-scale migration patterns of Paleo-Inuit peoples as well as their cultural evolution. The growth of Paleo-Inuit populations after 3 ka during continued climate cooling is consistent with archaeological evidence suggesting Paleo-Inuit technological change enabled adaptations to increased sea ice. • Multi-scale analysis of human-environment interactions discerns local and regional population dynamics. • Climate changes caused increases and decreases in population in the Arctic and Subarctic. • Neoglaciation triggered continental-scale population decline across the north. • Population density underwent long-term growth despite climate-induced regional decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the climate evolution of North America during the last deglaciation has received considerable attention, few detailed model–data comparisons of the deglacial hydroclimate have been conducted at the continental scale. Here we use a transient climate simulation of the last deglaciation and a synthesis of hydroclimate proxies from across the continent to broadly assess the moisture budget and its evolution, including the primary components and mechanisms for changes, and evaluate the level of agreement between model and data in order to inform areas of major discrepancy for attention in future work. At the broadest scale, the simulation indicates that North America was wetter than modern through much of the last deglaciation, with the exception of the Pacific Northwest. This was principally due to increased moisture convergence by the mean flow over the west of the continent, and by transient eddies over the east. We find that the simulation demonstrates considerable skill in comparison to proxy records in the coastal Southwest and Pacific Northwest, with limited success in other regions. The highest disagreement occurs in the North-central region, where the model and data disagree on the sign of changes. In addition, we find that the areas of agreement coincide with regions whose hydroclimate is dominated by winter precipitation, while regions of disagreement are those where summer precipitation is predominant, and where the model suggests dynamical changes are important. These results illustrate the impact of the ice sheet on the atmospheric dynamics, and therefore the importance of its accurate reconstruction, as well as that of model resolution. Our analysis and synthesis provide context for future transient climate simulations, and suggest numerous areas of priority for future research. • Analysis of the moisture budget over North America between the LGM and the Holocene. • Evaluation of moisture budget terms, components, and mechanisms from the TraCE21k transient climate simulation. • Comparison to a broad compilation of hydroclimate records from North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Last Interglacial period (LIG) is Earth's most recent globally warm period and is analogous in some ways to projected future global warming. However, questions remain regarding the state of the climate during the LIG in the North Atlantic, a region that is extremely sensitive to changes in oceanic and atmospheric circulation. Here, we present hydrogen and carbon isotope (δD and δ13C) records from a suite of plant wax biomarkers preserved in Holocene and LIG lacustrine sediments from the North Atlantic Faroe Islands and interpret them as qualitative proxies for temperature and hydroclimate variability. These data are used to directly compare LIG and Holocene climate using the same proxy approaches from the same terrestrial location. Measuring multiple isotopes on multiple types of waxes elucidates the sources of homologous plant waxes. We deduce that the δD values of long-chain n -alkanes (C 27 –C 33) and mid-chain n -alkanes (C 23 –C 25) in these sedimentary archives reflect leaf water and lake water δD values, respectively, while the δD values for both long-chain (C 28 –C 30) and mid-chain n-alkanoic acids (C 24 –C 26) primarily represent lake water δD values. Plant wax-inferred δD values of precipitation during the early Holocene (10,100 to 8,200 cal yr BP) are ∼35‰ more positive than late Holocene values, and decline over the Holocene. δD-inferred hydrologic change and δ13C -inferred plant water use efficiency both indicate that the Faroe Islands became drier throughout the Holocene. Comparison with measurements from LIG plant waxes indicates that late LIG in the Faroe Islands was hydrologically similar to the early-to mid-Holocene (8,200 to 4,000 cal yr BP), with enriched precipitation isotopes and reduced evapotranspiration indicating a warmer, wetter environment. • Holocene climate was characterized by a drying trend in the Faroe Islands. • Leaf wax δD and water use efficiency from δ13C reveal the same drying trend. • Decreased northward heat transport caused Holocene cooling and drying in the Faroes. • North Atlantic climate in the late LIG was similar to the early to mid-Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]