Apport des marqueurs isotopiques et biogéochimiques dans la reconstitution du paléoenvironnement de la grotte du Lazaret (Nice, Alpes-Maritimes) au cours du Pléistocène supérieur (stade isotopique 5)

The isotopic composition of calcite from the stalagmitic floor E of the Lazaret Cave is interpreted as proxy of atmospheric circulation and vegetal cover changes during IOS 5. The δ18O variations could indicate change in precipitation sources, which could originate from the Mediterranean Sea during warm periods and from the Atlantic Ocean during colder periods. The δ13C variations could be related to vegetal cover and soil type. Tree cover appears to be dominant according to pollen spectra, and organic molecules trapped into calcite (sterols, terpenoids, humic acids). To cite this article: L. Rousseau et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).