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Subfossil tree deposits in the middle Durance (southern Alps, France); environmental changes from Allerod to Atlantic.

C Miramont, O Sivan, T Rosique, J L Edouard, M Jorda

Abstract


The purpose of this paper is to analyze the numerous holocene subfossil trees (Pinus silvestris) buried in alluvial deposits in the Southern French Alps. These trees lived between the Allerod and Subboreal periods, according to (super 14) C dates. Our dendochronological studies explain the trees' sudden death as due to morphological crisis brought on by climatic oscillations. Tree-ring series could be used to identify the variability of early Holocene atmospheric (super 14) C levels.

Keywords


Durance Basin;alluvial plains;French Alps;Atlantic;Subboreal;fossil wood;climate change;upper Weichselian;Weichselian;Allerod;fluvial features;atmosphere;France;tree rings;Holocene;Alps;Pleistocene;upper Pleistocene;Europe;Western Europe;Cenozoic;Quaternary;C 14;carbon;dates;isotopes;radioactive isotopes;absolute age

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