Speleothems as sensitive recorders of volcanic eruptions – the Bronze Age Minoan eruption recorded in a stalagmite from Turkey

The 1597 BCE date could be argued to correlate with a chemical response recorded in a speleothem at Sofular Cave in Turkey.

“could be argued to correlate with a chemical response recorded in a speleothem at Sofular Cave in Turkey ( 35 )”

The date range reported above for the Thera eruption is consistent with the reported likely volcanic eruption signal(s) recorded in the Sofular Cave speleothem in northwest Turkey, with a bromine peak 1621±25 BCE, a molybdenum peak 1617±25 BCE, and a sulfur peak centered 1589±25 BCE.

“The date range reported above for the Thera eruption is consistent with the reported likely volcanic eruption signal(s) recorded in the Sofular Cave speleothem in northwest Turkey [161], with a bromine (Br) peak 1621±25 BCE, then a molybdenum (Mo) peak 1617±25 BCE, and finally a sulfur (S) peak centered 1589±25 BCE.”

The first two dates from the Sofular Cave (bromine and molybdenum) are very similar and there is a plausible set of mechanisms explaining the slight timing offsets in the speleothem record.

“The first two dates are very similar and there is a plausible set of mechanisms explaining the slight timing offsets in the speleothem record ([161] at pp. [62][63].”

The slightly later and less sharply-defined sulfur peak is as expected, given understanding of soil-vegetation processes and transfer times for sulfur up to 15-30 years.

“The slightly later and less sharply-defined sulfur peak is as expected, given understanding of soil-vegetation processes and hence transfer times for sulfur between availability from the eruption to speleothem inclusion, that will likely involve a period up to 15-30 years ([161] at p.63).”

The signals in the Sofular Cave speleothem likely reflect a large, local volcanic eruption, and this is likely the approximately contemporary Minoan eruption of the Thera volcano.

“For these reasons it would seem plausible that the signals in the Sofular Cave speleothem not only reflect a volcanic eruption [161], but that it is likely to be a large, local, eruption and this forms the distinctive feature that explains the available record.If so, then this is likely the approximately contemporary Minoan eruption of the Thera volcano.”

The two Sofular Cave dates (bromine and molybdenum) both include the 14C range defined above, derive from an independent timescale, and have a plausible geographic-geochemical association with the Thera eruption.

“While the dating available from the Sofular Cave speleothem record is not high-precision, these two dates both include the 14 C range defined above, and have the merit of deriving from an independent timescale, and they have a plausible geographic-geochemical association with the Thera eruption [161].”