Note: Front Cover -- The Climate of Past Interglacials -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Preface: Climates of Past Interglacials - a PAGES Perspective -- Acknowledgements -- Section 1 Forcing Mechanisms -- Chapter 1. Introduction to Climate Forcing and Climate Feedbacks -- 1.1 What is climate? -- 1.2 Why does climate vary? -- 1.3 Climate forcing -- 1.4 Internal variability -- 1.5 Climate amplifier -- 1.6 Climate change triggers -- 1.7 Relevance to the interpretation of palaeoclimate archives -- Acknowledgement -- References -- Chapter 2. Insolation During Interglacial -- Abstract -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Energy received by the whole earth over a full year -- 2.3 Precession and obliquity -- 2.4 24-h Mean irradiance -- 2.5 Insolation at the top of the atmosphere and at the earth's surface -- 2.6 Caloric seasons -- 2.7 Tropical latitudes -- 2.8 The annual and seasonal irradiation -- 2.9 Mid-month and calendar insolations -- 2.10 Calendar definition and palaeoclimate simulations -- 2.11 Characteristics of insolation during interglacials -- References -- Chapter 3. A Survey of Hypotheses for the 100-kyr Cycle -- Abstract -- 3.1 A brief history of theories of ice ages -- 3.2 The 100-kyr paradox -- 3.3 Free models -- 3.4 Forced models -- 3.5 What type of model do we need? -- 3.6 Perspective -- References -- Chapter 4. Modelling the 100-kyr Cycle - An Example From LLN EMICs -- Abstract -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Last glacial-interglacial cycle -- 4.3 Last 200 kyr -- 4.4 Last 800 kyr -- 4.5 From 41- TO 100-kyr cycle -- 4.6 Conclusions -- References -- Section 2 Methods of Palaeoclimate Reconstruction and Dating -- Chapter 5. Introduction - Palaeoclimate Reconstructions and Dating -- References -- Chapter 6. Late Quaternary Interglacials in East Antarctica From Ice-Core Dust Records -- Abstract -- 6.1 Introduction. , 6.2 Late quaternary aeolian dust variability in Antarctica -- 6.3 Geographic dust provenance during glacials and interglacials -- 6.4 The LGM to holocene transition -- 6.5 Holocene epoch -- 6.6 Conclusions and perspectives -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 7. Eustatic Sea Level During Past Interglacials -- Abstract -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Evidence and chronology -- 7.3 Continuous records of sea-level change -- 7.4 Sea level during stage 5e -- 7.5 Interglacial sea levels in MIS 7, 9 and 11 -- 7.6 Interglacial sea level previous to MIS 11 -- 7.7 Discussion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 8. Uranium-Series Dating of Peat from Central and Northern Europe -- Abstract -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Methodology -- 8.3 Experimental details -- 8.4 Application -- 8.5 Discussion -- 8.6 Conclusion -- Acknowledgement -- References -- Chapter 9. U-Redistribution in Fossil Reef Corals from Barbados, West Indies, and Sea-Level Reconstruction for MIS 6.5 -- Abstract -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Material and methods -- 9.3 Results -- 9.4 Discussion -- 9.5 MIS 6.5 - An extraordinary climate period -- 9.6 Timing, magnitude and duration of the MIS 6.5 sea-level peak -- 9.7 Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 10. Holocene and Eemian Varve Types of Eifel Maar Lake Sediments -- Abstract -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 The holocene SMM lake -- 10.3 The eemian dry maar lake west HL -- 10.4 Comparison of sedimentation during the eemian and holocene interglacials -- References -- Chapter 11. Dating of Interglacial Sediments by Luminescence Methods -- Abstract -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Basic principles of luminescence dating -- 11.3 Specifics of dating interglacial deposits -- 11.4 Radioactive disequilibria -- 11.5 Experimental -- 11.6 Age determination on interglacial sediments - case studies -- 11.7 Summary -- References. , Chapter 12. Neanderthal Presence and Behaviour in Central and Northwestern Europe During MIS 5e -- Abstract -- 12.1 The Eemian interglacial -- 12.2 Conditions for the preservation of sites from the last interglacial -- 12.3 The ecological basis of hominid settlementand the chronological position of archaeological sites within the last interglacial -- 12.4 The early neanderthals -- 12.5 Tools and weapons -- 12.6 Subsistence -- 12.7 Religious conceptions -- 12.8 Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Section 3 Climate and Vegetation in Europe During MIS 5 -- Chapter 13. Introduction to Climate and Vegetation in Europe During MIS5 -- 13.1 Timing and duration -- 13.2 Pacing and amplitude of the Eemian climatic variability -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 14. Abrupt Cooling Events at the Very End of the Last Interglacial -- Abstract -- 14.1 Introduction -- 14.2 Lithology and stratigraphy of sediment cores -- 14.3 Methods -- 14.4 Synthesis of dust and pollen records -- 14.5 Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 15. Estimates of Temperature and Precipitation Variations During the Eemian Interglacial: New Data From the Grande Pile Record (GP XXI) -- Abstract -- Acknowledgement -- References -- Chapter 16. Quantitative Time-Series Reconstructions of Holsteinian and Eemian Temperatures Using Botanical Data -- Abstract -- 16.1 Introduction -- 16.2 Definition of Holsteinian and Eemian -- 16.3. Climate reconstructions based on palaeobotanical data -- 16.4 Palaeobotanical and chronological data -- 16.5 Reconstructions -- 16.6 Comparison of interglacials -- References -- Chapter 17. Comparative Analysis of Vegetation and Climate Changes During the Eemian Interglacial in Central and Eastern Europe -- Abstract -- 17.1 Introduction -- 17.2 Reconstruction of vegetation -- 17.3 Climatic reconstructions -- 17.4 Conclusions. , References -- Chapter 18. Indications of Short-Term Climate Warming at the Very End of the Eemian in Terrestrial Records of Central and Eastern Europe -- Abstract -- 18.1 Introduction -- 18.2 Results and discussion -- 18.3 Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 19. Vegetation Dynamics in Southern Germany During Marine Isotope Stage 5 (& -- sim -- 130 to 70 kyr Ago) -- Abstract -- 19.1 Introduction -- 19.2 Age model -- 19.3 Vegetation dynamics during MIS 5 -- 19.4 Vegetation gradients during the decline of the last interglacial -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 20. Subtropical NW Atlantic Surface Water Variability During the Last Interglacial -- Abstract -- 20.1 Introduction -- 20.2 Environmental background -- 20.3 Materials and methods -- 20.4 The temporal framework -- 20.5 Results and discussion -- 20.6 Discussion -- References -- Chapter 21. Abrupt Change of El Ni& -- ntilde -- o Activity off Peru During Stage MIS 5e-d -- Abstract -- 21.1 Introduction -- 21.2 Study site and material -- 21.3 Methods -- 21.4 Results -- 21.5 Discussion -- 21.6 Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 22. Interglacial and Glacial Fingerprints from Lake Deposits in the Gobi Desert, NW China -- Abstract -- 22.1 Introduction -- 22.2 Geological setting -- 22.3 Methods -- 22.4 Age model -- 22.5 Results -- 22.6 Discussion -- Acknowledgement -- References -- Section 4 Climate, Vegetation and Mammalian Faunas in Europe during Middle Pleistocene Interglacials (MIS 7, 9, 11) -- Chapter 23. Introduction: Climate, Vegetation and Mammalian Faunas in Europe during Middle Pleistocene Interglacials (MIS 7, 9, 11) -- 23.1 Cromerian complex stage -- 23.2 Elsterian stage -- 23.3 Holsteinian stage -- 23.4 Saalian complex stage -- References. , Chapter 24. Fine-Tuning the Land-Ocean Correlation for the Late Middle Pleistocene of Southern Europe -- Abstract -- 24.1 Introduction -- 24.2 The terrestrial records -- 24.3 The marine record -- 24.4 Correlation -- 24.5 Discussion -- 24.6 Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 25. Climate Variability of the Last Five Isotopic Interglacials: Direct Land-Sea-Ice Correlation from the Multiproxy Analysis of... -- Abstract -- 25.1 Introduction -- 25.2 Present-day environmental setting and pollen signal in the Iberian margin -- 25.3 Material and methods -- 25.4 The climatic variability of the last five isotopic interglacials in and off NW Iberia -- 25.5 Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 26. Palynological and Geochronological Study of the Holsteinian/Hoxnian/Landos Interglacial -- Abstract -- 26.1 Holsteinian deposits and their correlation with the MIS timescale -- 26.2 Palynological studies -- 26.3 230Th/U Dating of hoxnian and holsteinian deposits -- 26.4 Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 27. A New Holsteinian Pollen Record from the Dry Maar at D& -- ouml -- ttingen (Eifel) -- Abstract -- 27.1 Introduction -- 27.2 Location -- 27.3 Materials -- 27.4 Methods -- 27.5 Results -- 27.6 Discussion -- 27.7 Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 28. Interglacial Pollen Records from Sch& -- ouml -- ningen, North Germany -- Abstract -- 28.1 Introduction -- 28.2 Open mine Esbeck/Sch& -- ouml -- ningen -- 28.3 Discussion -- 28.4. Summary of stratigraphic aspects of the Sch& -- ouml -- ningen sequence -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 29. Mammalian Faunas From the Interglacial Periods in Central Europe and Their Stratigraphic Correlation -- Abstract -- 29.1 Introduction -- 29.2 The early Pleistocene -- 29.3 Middle Pleistocene interglacial faunas before the Elsterian. , 29.4 Middle Pleistocene interglacial faunas between Elsterian and Saalian.