Limnological changes and chironomid-inferred summer air temperature from the Late Pleniglacial to the Early Holocene in the East Carpathians

Abstract Here we provide the first chironomid record and associated summer air-temperature (T VII ) reconstruction between ca. 16,800–9100 cal yr BP from Lake Saint Anne (SZA), situated in Eastern Carpathians. SZA was formed by youngest volcanic eruption of Ciomadul volcano at 29,600 BP. Our main goals this study are to test whether warming after Heinrich event 1 (H1; 16,200 BP) had similar amplitude late glacial warming, while Younger Dryas (YD) summers remained relatively warm region Europe. We found most remarkable assemblage change with a T increase ~3.5–3.8°C 16,350 SZA, followed another slight ~0.8–1.0°C 14,450 Only very minor temperature variations were recorded 11,700 BP, an unexpected decrease Early Holocene. Variations water depth together increasing analogue problems paludification 14,200 onwards may have influenced reliability our paleotemperature obtained SZA. In addition, Sphagnum -indicated decreasing pH, hence nutrient level, likely overrode effect changes during Holocene, explain bias chironomid-inferred Holocene section.