Climate reconstruction using trace element and stable isotope signatures preserved in an early Late Pleistocene stalagmite from Buckeye Creek Cave, Appalachian Mountains, southern West Virginia, USA

An early-Late Pleistocene stalagmite was recovered from Buckeye Creek Cave (37°58.57'N, 80°23.98'W), southeastern West Virginia, USA. The growth axis of stalagmite BCC-025 was sampled for delta 18O, delta13C, and Sr/Ca of the calcite. A crude age model was developed using two Th-230 ages, from the top (∼490 kyrBP) and bottom (∼630 kyrBP) of the stalagmite. A more elaborate age model for stalagmite growth was developed using established marine isotope stage (MIS 13/14, 14/15, 15/16) boundaries. Overall, the MIS boundaries approximate the locations of major hiatuses along the axis of stalagmite growth. The proxy records developed from BCC-025 reveal less covariation and overall diminished absolute ranges when compared to younger records, potentially, because the glacial/interglacial variability of the early-Late Pleistocene is less than that of the Late Pleistocene. Despite the need for better age constraints, the observations and interpretations provide an initial window into the drivers and extent of climate change before the more pronounced swings of glacial/interglacial variability of the Late Pleistocene.