This study investigates the relationship between fire activity, vegetation changes, and climate variability in California during the early Holocene using a high-resolution stalagmite record. Elevated levoglucosan concentrations in the stalagmite indicate increased fire activity during the 8.2 kyr event, coinciding with shifts in lignin oxidation products (LOPs) suggesting a transition to more woody vegetation. These changes are linked to increased hydroclimate volatility shown by carbon and calcium isotope proxies. The findings suggest a strong coupling between climate whiplash and fire activity in California during the early Holocene, a relationship projected to intensify with anthropogenic climate change.

Julia Homann, Jessica L Oster, Cameron B de Wet, Sebastian F M Breitenbach, Thorsten Hoffmann