This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Dugmore, A. J. Articles by Buckland, P. C. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

A Scottish speleothem record of the H-3 eruption or human impact? A comment on Baker, Smart, Barnes, Edwards and Farrant

Department of Geography, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK

Geriant M. Coles

Department of Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, High School Yards, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK

Paul C. Buckland

Department of Archaeology and Prehistory, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield S1 4ET, UK

Studies of a stalagmite sample from Sutherland, Scotland, have identified a period of enhanced growth that lasted for four years and has been dated to 1135 ± 130 BC (Baker et al., 1995). This episode is unique within this sample and has not been observed elsewhere. The authors correlate it with the Icelandic volcanic eruption at 1021 + 130/-100 Bc that produced the Hekla-3 (H-3) tephra. There is, however, no direct evidence for a causal relationship between volcanic activity in general, or the H-3 eruption in particular, and the growth patterns of the stalagmite. As an alternative to the volcanic explanation of enhanced growth, we suggest that the speleothem could reflect environmental changes associated with woodland decline and the spread of blanket peat.

Key Words: Speleothem • Hekla-3 • tephra • ice cores • tree-rings • human impact • Scotland

The Holocene, Vol. 9, No. 4, 501-503 (1999)
DOI: 10.1191/095968399671080578


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Baker A Scottish speleothem record of the H-3 eruption or human impart? A reply to Dugmore, Coles and Buckland The Holocene, May 1, 1999; 9(4): 503 - 503. [PDF]