Challenges and potential in developing high resolution British palaeoclimate and palaeoecological records for the Holocene of Britain – from Star Carr to Diss Mere Seminar

This presentation will set out new and recently published work from two of the most important records of Holocene climate, ecology and human interaction with climate from Britain. The first is based around palaeolake Flixton in the North East of Britain, near Scarborough in Yorkshire. The lake record is important as it has well preserved carbonate marls, covering the transition out of the Lateglacial and across the initial Holocene climate oscillations. The record is particularly relevant as it is associated with the world famous archaeological site of star Carr.  The second site is Diss Mere in Norfolk, which has also a carbonate rich sequence, and is one of the very few annually laminated records in the British isles, covering most of the Holocene. This presentation will outline ongoing work at both sites and discuss their existing and potential contribution to understanding the expression of pre-industrial climate change in the Holocene of Britain driven by ocean circulation and solar variability.