Cryptotephras in the Lateglacial ICDP Dead Sea sediment record and their implications for chronology

Due to a lack of visible tephras in the Dead Sea record, this unique palaeoenvironmental archive is largely unconnected well-established Mediterranean tephrostratigraphy. Here we present first results ongoing search for cryptotephras International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) sediment core from deep basin. This study focusses on Lateglacial (~15–11.4 cal. ka BP), when Lake Lisan – precursor shrank its glacial highstand Holocene low levels. We developed glass shard separation protocol and counting procedure that adapted extreme salinity recycling Sea. Cryptotephra abundant record (up ~100 shards cm-3), but often glasses are physically and/or chemically altered. Six samples five tephra horizons reveal heterogeneous geochemical composition, with mainly rhyolitic some trachytic potentially sourced Italian, Aegean Anatolian volcanoes. Most likely originate eastern volcanic province can be correlated using major element analyses deposits swarm eruptions Süphan Volcano ~13 BP ashes Nemrut Volcano, presumably Van V-16 layer at ~13.8 BP. In addition match TM-10-1 Lago Grande di Monticchio (15 820±790 BP) tentatively St. Angelo Tuff Ischia, further identified cryptotephra which identical those PhT1 Philippon peat (13.9–10.5 also compositional Santorini Cape Riva Tephra (Y-2 marine tephra, 22 024±642 BP). These demonstrate great potential cryptotephrochronology improving chronology connecting Levantine region framework.