Dear authors,

Based on the comments formulated by the reviewers and your answers, the current manuscript requires major revisions. I invite the authors to fully address all the points raised by the reviewers, and specifically an in depth discussion of all sources of uncertainties related to archive records with respect to precipitation isotopic composition. Even ice core records may not only be distorted by precipitation intermittency, but also by poorly known surface snow metamorphism effects associated with exchanges with overlying water vapour (see for instance Steen-Larsen et al, Clim Past, 2014). When considering very long time periods and the comparison of "continuous records" (e.g. ice cores) with "integrating records" (as groundwaters), the "temporal representativity" of the different records may also be a source of dispersion : couldn't the signal archived from late glacial be distorted towards the integration of data from the wettest glacial phases (e.g. interstadials)? This has to be introduced and also discussed in the comparison of signals recorded in different archives and in model-data comparisons.

Your revised manuscript will be sent for a second review to the three reviewers.

Sincerely, Valerie.

Dear authors,

I have received two positive reviews for your revised manuscript. While they recommend publication, one of the reviewers wants you to add graphs showing deuterium-18O relationships. I ask you to update the manuscript by incorporating this information, either in the main text or as supplementary information, and a brief description of the results. When this final modification is implemented, the manuscript will be suitable for publication. Thank you, sincerely, Valérie.

Dear authors,

I am pleased to accept your revised manuscript for publication in Climate of the Past, with its supplementary material. Thank you for choosing our journal. Sincerely,

Valérie Masson-Delmotte.