Speleothem use in Paleoclimatic Study

At a coarse level of time resolution, episodes of speleothem growth record relatively wet periods in semi-arid climates or relatively warm periods in cool temperate climates.

• Precise dating of speleothems allows them to be used to test Milankovitch theory and to calibrate the timing of Paleoclimatic fluctuations.
• Counting of physical and chemical laminae allows the duration of climatically significant intervals to be determined.
• Directional sense of Calibration :
  • Laminae thickness for temperature and rainfall
  • del¹⁸O, for temperature or rainfall
  • del¹³C, for type and amount of vegetation or degree of cave air circulation
  • Mg and /or Sr for aridity
  • ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr for rainfall or changes in aeolian activity or source