Deuterium content of European palaeowaters as inferred from isotopic composition of fluid inclusions trapped in carbonate cave deposits

The results of isotope investigations of groundwaters and carbonate cave deposits collected in karstic regions of southern and central Poland are discussed in detail. Combined isotope studies of carbonate cave deposits allowed some important conclusions to be formulated regarding climatic and environmental conditions prevailing over the European continent during the last 300,000 years: (a) δD values of fluid inclusions suggest a remarkable constancy of the heavy isotope content of European palaeoinfiltration waters recharged during interglacial periods, (b) climate-induced, long term changes in isotopic composition of precipitation and surface air temperature over Europe can be characterized by the deuterium gradient of about 1.4 per mille per deg. C, (c) an apparent constancy of the continental gradient in deuterium content of European palaeoinfiltration waters, as judged from fluid inclusion data, and its similarity to the present-day gradient suggests that atmospheric circulation over Europe has not undergone substantial changes during the last 300,000 years. (author). 28 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab