Isotopic Stratigraphy of a Last Interglacial Stalagmite from North-Western Romania: Correlation with the Deep-Sea Record and Northern-Latitude Speleothem

LFG-2, a 39.5 cm tall stalagmite from northwestern Romania, has been dated by U-series α -spectro- metric dating, and analyzed for stable isotope variations ( δ 18 O, δ 13 C) along its growth axis. The sam- ple grew all the way through oxygen isotope stage 5(a-e), and perhaps for some time into stage 4. In spite of a rather low uranium content and therefore imprecise chronology, the sample provides an inter- esting stable isotope record with high temporal resolution that correlates favorably with other speleothems and with the deep-sea record. Termination II is well defined in the record as a rapid shift from light (cold) to heavier (warm) δ 18 O values, when C3 vegetation seemed to dominate. The δ 13 C in a slow growth zone, corresponding to oxygen isotope stage 5d, as well after the stage 5/4 transition, sug- gests that C4 plants possibly dominated the surface environment. The δ 18 O record also correlate quite well with the α -dated FM-2 record from northern Norway.