Heinrich events (HEs) are recognized as the dominant periods of extreme cold terrestrial climate conditions during the last glacial period. HEs indicate a remarkable source of fresh and cold water from melting icebergs, discovered in marine sediment cores from a wide swath of the subpolar North Atlantic and are assumed to have originated from the episodic discharge of massive numbers of icebergs from the Hudson Strait region into the North Atlantic. The role of climate forcing alone upon Human Existence Potential (HEP) during extreme events, e.g. Heinrich and Dansgaard-Oeschger events, is not yet sufficiently resolved. By reproducing climate variables during the two extreme cold and warm cycles by means of an Earth System Model, introducing an improved HEP model, and utilizing archaeological excavation sites, we report the spatial distribution of HEP over Europe during both cold stadials and warm interstadials corresponding to the Palaeolithic for a few test cases (Gravettian, Aurignacian and Mousterian). A paper is in preparation and it is planned to be published by Rostami et al. (E6) in a peer reviewed journal soon.

Text: Konstantin Klein

Kommentar:
Konstantin Klein is a PhD-candidate in the E6-project. He is modelling palaeoclimate and early human migrations.

Human Existence Potential (score between zero to one representing least to most desirable conditions) of Southeastern Europe for a warm interstadial (left) and a cold stadial (right) derived by the archaeological sites (dots) of the Late Gravettian Figure: K. Klein, archaeological sites from DOI: 10.5880/SFB806.18