Abstract

Chronological control and the ability to examine the degree of synchrony among records of different origin are critical for the understanding of climate and environmental variability. There is an increasing demand for exact time markers in the palaeoclimate community as more investigations now aim at high temporal resolutions.
 
Tephra layers are deposited relatively instantaneously over a wide spatial area and tephrochronology exploits these time-synchronous markers and offer a unique possibility to test hypotheses about synchronous or non-synchronous responses to climate forcing.
 
A new generation of tephrochronologists has been undertaking novel research into cryptotephras (tephra invisible to the naked eye) in ice-cores, marine cores and terrestrial cores. The range of tephrochronology has radically been extended into geographic areas previously not considered suitable for this approach and several sites can now be integrated in a “tephra lattice” for precise linking of sequences. 
 
In this talk, I will give an overview of the state-of –art of tephrochronology in north Europe and also present some ideas for the future. A recent link between proximal tephras on the Azores and the European mainland will also be presented.

Coffee and cookies will be served.