Palaeoclimate records 60–8 ka in the Austrian and Swiss Alps and their forelands

摘要: Abstract The European Alps and their forelands provide a range of different archives climate proxies for developing records in the time interval 60–8 thousand years (ka) ago. We review quantitative semi-quantitative approaches reconstructing climatic variables Austrian Swiss sector Alpine region within this interval. Available to are mainly based on fossil assemblages biota such as chironomids, cladocerans, coleopterans, diatoms pollen preserved lake sediments peat, analysis oxygen isotopes speleothems sediment records, reconstruction past variations treeline altitude, equilibrium line altitude extent glaciers geomorphological evidence, interpretation soil formation processes, dust deposition permafrost apparent loess-palaeosol sequences. Palaeoclimate reconstructions affected by dating uncertainties increasing with age, fragmentary nature most available which typically only incorporate fraction interest, limited replication between regions. Furthermore, there have been few attempts cross-validate across confirm reconstructed patterns change several independent lines evidence. Based our we identify number developments that would major advances palaeoclimate period ka forelands. These include (1) compilation individual, longer continuous reconstructions, (2) development regional parts Alps, (3) cross-validation proxy-types approaches, (4) gradients downscaled model runs ka, forward modelling expand opportunities assessments conditions Europe time-interval.