Calcareous sediments spanning the last 13 ka from Lake Zeribar, western Iran, were sampled for stable-isotope analysis as a means of augmenting earlier climatic interpretations based on pollen and macrofossils. The Lateglacial period was cold and dry, supporting semi-desert vegetation and highly concentrated lake water. Low evaporation rates due to the cold resulted in long residence times and high lake stands. Durinig the early Holocene, the upland vegetation changed to a pistachio-oak savanna as low temperatures and aridity ameliorated. Lake level dropped in response to increased evapotranspiration. The low oxygen-isotope values of lacustrine calcite during this period are interpreted as a relative increase in the contributioni of winiter moisture rather than overall changes in effective moisture. A gradual increase in oak pollen at ∼7 ka BP signalled the increase in effective moisture to levels similar to those of today. At the same time the δ18O values increased. reflecting a greater percentage of 18O-enriched spring rains. Modern values and seasonal distribution of precipitation were established by 6 ka BP. A short-lived return to winter-only precipitation occuiTed at ∼4.5 ka BP and resulted in a temporary increase in aridity. The covariance among δ13C, carbonate deposition and δ18O values suggests that lake productivity is linked to these seasonal climatic changes.
Atanasova, J.1995: Palynological data of three deepwater cores from the westens part of the Black Sea. In Bozilova, E. and Tonkov, S. editors, Advaonce.s in Holocenie palaeoecology in Bulgaria, Sofia: Pensoft Puiblications , 68-83.
2.
Ayalon, A. , Bar-Matthews, M. and Kaufman, A.1999: Petrography, strontium. barium and uranium concentrations, and strontium and uranium isotope ratios in speleothems as palaeoclimatic proxies: Soreq Cave, Israel . The Holocene9, 715-722 .
3.
Bar-Matthews, M. , Ayalon, A. and Kaufman, A.1997: Late Quaternary paleoclimate in the eastern Mediterranean region from stable isotope analysis of speleothems at Soreq Cave, Israel . Quaternary Research47, 155-168 .
4.
Bottema, S.1986: A Late Quaternary pollen diagram from Lake Urmia (Northwestern Iran) . Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology47, 241-261 .
5.
Bottema, S.1995: Holocene vegetation of the Van area: palynological and chronological evidence from Sögütltü, Turkey . Vegetation Histoty and Archaeobotany4, 187-193 .
6.
Bryson, R.A. 1986: Airstream climatology of Asia . In Proceedings of International Symposium on the Quinghai-Xizang Plateau and Mountain Meterology, Beijing, China, March 20-24, 1984, Beijing: Science Press, 604-619 .
7.
Burns, Sj. , Matter, A. , Frank, N. and Mangini, A.1998: Speleothembased paleoclimate record from northem Oman . Geology26, 499-502 .
8.
Clark, I.D. and Fontes, J.C.1990: Paleoclimatic reconstruction in northens Oman based on carbonates from hyperalkaline groundwaters . Quaternarv Research33, 320-336 .
9.
COHMAP Members1988: Climatic changes of the last 18,000 years: observations and model simulations . Science241, 1043-1052 .
10.
Dean, W.E.1974: Determination of carbonate and organic matter in calcareous sediments and sedimentary rocks by loss on ignition: comparison with other methods . Journal of Sedimentary Petrology44. 242-248 .
11.
Drummond, C.N. , Patterson, W.P. and Walker, J.C.G.1995: Climatic forcing of carbon-oxygen isotopic covariance in temperate-region marl lakes . Geology23, 1031-1034 .
12.
El-Moslimanay, A.P.1987: The late Pleistoceise climates of the Lake Zeribar region (Kurdistan, western Iran) deduced from the ecology and pollen production of non-arboreal vegetation . Vegetatio72, 131-139 .
13.
Freitag, H.1977: The pleniglacial, late-glacial and early postglacial vegetations of Zeribar and their present-day counterparts . PalaeohistoriaXIX. 85-95 .
14.
Frumkin, A. , Magaritz, M. , Carmi, I. and Zak, I.1991: The Holocene climatic record of the salt caves of Mount Sedom, Israel . The Holocene1, 191-2(0) .
15.
Gat, J.R. and Magaritz, M.1980: Climatic variations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea area . Naturwissenschaften67, 80-87 .
16.
Glennie, K.W.1998: The desert of southeast Arabia: a product of Quaternary climatic change. In Alsharhan, A.S. , Glennie, K.W. . Whittle, G.L. and Kendall, C.G.St.C. . editors. Quaternary deserts and climatic change, Rotterdam: Balkema , 279-292.
17.
Goodfriend, G.A.1999: Terrestrial stable isotope records of Late Quaternary paleoclimates in the eastern Mediterranean regions . Quaternary Science Review.s18, 501-513 .
18.
Griffiths, H.E. , Schwalb, A. and Stevens, L.R.2001: Environmental change in southwestern Iran: the Holocene ostracod fauna of Lake Mirabad . The Holocene, this issue.
19.
Hutchinson, G.E. and Cowgill, U.M.1963: Chemical examination of a core from Lake Zeribar, Iran . Science140, 67-69 .
20.
IAEA/WMO1998: Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation. The GNIP Database. Release 3, October 1999. URL: http:www.iaea.org/programs/ri/gnip/gnipmain.htm.
21.
Kendrew, W.G.1961: The climates of the continents (fifth edition). London: Oxford University Press , 608-608 pp.
22.
Lemcke, G. and Stürm, M.1997: δ18O and trace element measurements as proxy for the reconstruction of climate changes at Lake Van (Turkey): preliminary results. In Dalfez, H.N. , Kukla, G. and Weiss, H. , editors, third millennium BC climate change and the Old World collapse. NATO ASI Series 1. volume 49, Berlin: Springer Verlag , 653-678.
23.
Leng, M.J. , Roberts, N. , Reed, J.M. and Sloane, H.J.1999: Late Quaternary palaeohydrology of the Konya Basin, Turkey, based on isotope studies of modern hydrology and lacustrine carbonates . Jouranal of Paleolimnnology, 22. 187-204 .
24.
Li, H.-C. and Ku, T.-L.1997: δ13C-δ13O convariance as a paleohydrological indicator for closed-basin lakes . Palaeogeogrcphy, Palaeoclimutology, Palaeoecology133, 69-80
25.
Löffler, H.1961: Beitrage zur Kenntnis der iranishcen Binnenegewasser II. Regional-limnlologische Studie mit besonderer Berucksichtigung der Crustaceanfauna . Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie46, 309-406 .
26.
McCrea, J.M.1950: On the isotopic chemistry of carbonates and a paleotemperature scale . Journal of Chemical Physics18. 849-857 .
27.
Megard, R.O.1967: Late Quaternary cladocera of Lake Zeribar. western Iran . Ecology48, 179-189 .
28.
Merlivat, L. and Jouzel, J.1979: Global climatic interpretation of the deuteriun-oxygen 18 relationship for precipitation . Journal of Geophysical Research84, 5029-5033 .
29.
Roberts, N.1983: Age, palaeoenvironnients, and climatic significance of Late Pleistocene Konya Lake, Turkey . Quaternary Research19. 154-171 .
30.
Roberts, N. and Wright, H.E. Jr1993: Vegetational, lake-level, and climatic history of the Near East and Southwest Asia. In Wright. H.E. Jr , Kutzbach, J.E. , Webb, T. III , Ruddiman, W.F. , Street-Peirott, F.A. and Bartlein, P.J. , editors, Global climates since the last glacial maximum, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press , 194-220.
31.
Roberts, N. , Reed, J. , Leng, M.J. , Kuzucuoglu, C. , Fontugne, M. , Bertaux, J. , Woldring, H. , Bottema, S. , Black, S. , Hunt, E. and Karabiyikoglu, M.200)1: The temiipo of Holocene clinmatic change in the eastern Mediterranean region new high-resolution crater-lake sediment data from central Turkey . The Holoceuie, this issue.
32.
Rossignol-Strick, M.1999: The Holocene climatic optimtim and pollen records of sapropel I in the eastern Mediterraniean, 9000-6000 BP . Quatemorny Science Reviews18, 515-530 .
33.
Rozanski, K. , Araguds-Araguds, L. and Gonfiantini, R.1993. Isotopic patterns in modem global precipitation. In Swart. P.K. . Lohmanin, K.C. . McKenzie, J. and Savin. S. , editors, Climate change in continental isotopic recordls, AGU Monograph 78, 1-36.
34.
Sirocko, F. , Sarnthein, M. , Erlenkeuser, H. , Lange, I-I. , Arnold, M. and Duplessy, J.C.1993: Centtiry-scale evenits in miionsoonal climate over the past 24,000 years . Nature364, 322-324 .
35.
Snyder, J.A. , Wasylik, K. , Fritz, S.C. . and Wright, H.E. Jr20)01: Diatom-based conductivity reconstruction and palaeoclimatic interpretation of a 40-ka record from Lake Zeribar, Iran . The Holocene. this isstie.
36.
Street-Perrott, F.A. and Perrott, R.A.1993: Holocene vegetation, lake levels. and climate of Africa. In Wright. H.E. Jr . KtItzbach, J.E. , Webb, T. Ill , Rtiddiman, W.F. , Street-Perrott, F.A. and Bartlein. P.J. , editors. Global climates since the last glacial inatximutn, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press , 194-220.
37.
Stuiver, M.1969: Yale radiocarbon measurements IX . Radliocar-bon4, 545-658 .
38.
Stuiver, M. , Reimer, PJ. , Bard, E. , Beck. J.W. , Burr, G.S. , Hughen, K.A. , Kromer, B. , McCormac, F.G. , van der Plicht, J. and Spurk, M.1999: Calib 4.2 . Radiocarbon40, 1041-1083 .
39.
Taha, M.F. , Harb, S.A. , Nagib, M.K. and Tantawy, A.Ll.1981: The climate of the Near East. In Takahashi, K. and Arakawa. H. , editors. Clinitates of sotuthern ind western2 Asia: svorld survey of clitnatology 9, Amsterdamii: Elsevier , 183-255.
40.
Talbot, M.R.1990: A review of the palaeohydrological interpretation of carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios in primary lacustrine carbonates . Chemical Geolo,y (Isotope Geoscience Section)80, 261-279 .
41.
van Zeist, W. and Wright, IH.E. Jr1963: Prelimiinary pollen studies at Lake Zeribat-, Zagros Motuntainis, southwestern I-an . Science140, 63-67 .
42.
van Zeist, W. and Bottema, S.1977: Palynological investigations in western Iran . PalaeohlistoriaXIX. 19-85 .
43.
van Zeist, W. and Woldring, H.1978: A postglacial pollen diagram from Lake Van in East Anatolia . Review of Pailaeobotany antd Pailynology26. 249-276 .
44.
Wasylikowa, K.1967: Late Qtiaternary plant macrofossils from Lake Zeribar, westerni Iran . Review of PalaeobotanvC antd Palynology2, 313-318 .
45.
Weiss, H. , Courty, M-A. , Wetterstrom, W. , Guichard, F. , Senior, L. , Meadow, R. and Curnow, A.1993: The genesis and collapse of third millennium North Mesopotamian civilization . Science261, 995-1004 .
46.
Wigley, T.M.L. and Farmer, G.1982: Climate of the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East. In Bintcliff, J.L. and vanl Zeist, W. , editors, Paleocliniates, paleoenvironments and hilnian communzities in the eastern Medite-rtrnetan r-egion in later prehistory, BAR International Series 1 33, Oxford:British Archaeological Reports . 3-37.
47.
Wright, H.E. Jr1961: Pleistocenie glaciation in Kurdistan . Eis.eitalter ltsid Gegenwart12, 131-164 .
48.
Wright, H.E. Jr , McAndrews, J.H. and van Zeist, W.1967: Modern pollen rain in westem Iran, and its relation to plant geography and Qtlaternaty vegetational history. Journal of Ecology, 441-443.
