Holocene paleoenvironmental reconstructions from speleothem and peat bog archives

The geological materials (speleothems and peatbogs) presented in Belgium (Hautes-Fagnes Plateau, Ardennes caves) are interesting archives for atmospheric pollution record and climate variability. Both archives are easily dated (U/Th and counting for laminated speleothems, 210Pb and 14C for peatbogs), have a high temporal resolution (decadal to seasonal), contain multiple measurable parameters (elemental geochemistry, stable isotopes, radiogenic Nd and Pb isotopes, pollens, rates of peat humification, luminescence and thickness of laminated speleothems) and depending on environmental conditions of temperature and / or humidity. The aim of this study is to determine the sensitivity of both archives (speleothems and peatbogs) to human perturbations and climate changes. Our ultimate goal is to contribute to a better understanding of natural interglacial climate variability by generating and confronting high resolution paleoclimate reconstructions from 2 continental archives.