Periods of prolonged heat and dryness are expected to increase over central Europe due to anthropogenic warming. Interglacials of the Quaternary provide a unique window into environmental conditions during past warm climate states without anthropogenic interference, and allow better assessment of potential future climate scenarios. Comparing the regional expressions over the course different interglacials is essential to understand regional climatic sensitivities due to orbitally-forced global climate shifts. Precise timing of the onset, duration, and termination of past warm phases is key for detailed analysis of the climate dynamics driving these changes.

The paleo maar lake of Neualbenreuth at the German-Czech border and is part of the Eger Rift system. This 100 m long sediment core was recovered within the multidisciplinary ICDP project Eger Rift, and continuously covers all the warm phases of the penultimate interglacial complex (MIS 7a, MIS 7c, and MIS 7e). Using microfacies analyses and geochemical sediment characterization in combination with leaf-wax hydrogen isotope ratios (δ²H_wax) and with existing palynological analyses, will allow us to examine hydroclimatic shifts and duration of these warm phases over central Europe. Integration of these results with existing European key records will provide a more detailed regional context needed for reconstruction of past climatic dynamics during MIS 7.