Millennial-scale glacial climate variability in Southeastern Alaska follows Dansgaard-Oeschger cyclicity

A stalagmite from Prince of Wales Island grew episodically between similar to 75,000 and similar to 11,100 yr BP; interrupted by seven hiatuses. Hiatuses most likely correspond to permafrost development and a temperature drop of up to 5 degrees C from modern conditions. Intervals of calcite deposition place tight constraints on the timing of mild climatic episodes in Alaska during the last glacial period, when permafrost was absent, allowing water infiltration into the karst system. These periods of calcite deposition are synchronous, within dating uncertainties, with Greenland Interstadials 1, 10, 11, 12c, 14b-14e, 16.1a, 17.2, and 20c.