Holocene paleohydrology and glacial history of the central Andes using multiproxy lake sediment studies

Abbott, Mark B.; Wolfe, Brent B.; Wolfe, Alexander P.; Seltzer, Geoffrey O.; Aravena, Ramón; Mark, Brian G; Polissar, P. J.; Rodbell, Donald T.; Rowe, Harry; Vuille, Mathias

doi:10.1016/s0031-0182(03)00274-8

Cited by 184 publications

(178 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Similar conclusions were reached for the Titicaca basin record (16 • S, ∼3810 m a.s.l.) which shows three dry events at 2400-2200; 1900-1700 and 900-600 cal yr BP, the latter followed by a period of increased moisture throughout the LIA (Abbott et al, , 2003Mourguiart et al, 1998). Contrasting hydroclimate conditions have been also inferred from a calcite record recovered from varves at lake Pumacocha (10 • S, 4300 m a.s.l.)…”

Section: Regional Paleoclimate Of the Last 2500 Yrmentioning

confidence: 86%

Hydroclimate variability in the low-elevation Atacama Desert over the last 2500 yr

et al. 2012

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Abstract. Paleoclimate reconstructions reveal that Earth system has experienced sub-millennial scale climate changes over the past two millennia in response to internal/external forcing. Although sub-millennial hydroclimate fluctuations have been detected in the central Andes during this interval, the timing, magnitude, extent and direction of change of these events remain poorly defined. Here, we present a reconstruction of hydroclimate variations on the Pacific slope of the central Andes based on exceptionally wellpreserved plant macrofossils and associated archaeological remains from a hyperarid drainage (Quebrada Maní, ∼21 • S, 1000 m a.s.l.) in the Atacama Desert. During the late Holocene, riparian ecosystems and farming social groups flourished in the hyperarid Atacama core as surface water availability increased throughout this presently sterile landscape. Twenty-six radiocarbon dates indicate that these events occurred between 1050-680, 1615-1350 and 2500-2040 cal yr BP. Regional comparisons with rodent middens and other records suggest that these events were synchronous with pluvial stages detected at higher-elevations in the central Andes over the last 2500 yr. These hydroclimate changes also coincide with periods of pronounced SST gradients in the Tropical Pacific (La Niña-like mode), conditions that are conducive to significantly increased rainfall in the central Andean highlands and flood events in the low-elevation watersheds at inter-annual timescales. Our findings indicate that the positive anomalies in the hyperarid Atacama over the past 2500 yr represent a regional response of the central Andean climate system to changes in the global hydrological cycle at centennial timescales. Furthermore, our results provide support for the role of tropical Pacific sea surface temperature gradient changes as the primary mechanism responsible for climate fluctuations in the central Andes. Finally, our results constitute independent evidence for comprehending the major trends in cultural evolution of prehistoric peoples that inhabited the region.

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Section: Regional Paleoclimate Of the Last 2500 Yrmentioning

confidence: 86%

Hydroclimate variability in the low-elevation Atacama Desert over the last 2500 yr

et al. 2012

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“…At 5.0-4.9 ka a significant transition to wetter conditions is evidenced in the CLP record by a pronounced Si / Ti peak. This abrupt climate change has been recognised in several records from the tropical Andes (Abbott et al, 2003;Thompson et al, 2006;Ekdahl et al, 2008;Buffen et al, 2009). The onset of this cool and wet period led to an expansion of the Quelccaya ice cap (Thompson et al, 2006) and an increase of the Lake Titicaca lake level (Baker et al, 2001).…”

Section: Mid-holocene and Late Holocene Palaeoenvironmental Changesmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Nonetheless, records of midHolocene climate conditions are not synchronous in the central Andes (Betancourt et al, 2000;Holmgren et al, 2001;Abbott et al, 2003;Latorre et al, 2003;Kuentz et al, 2011). Discrepancies in the exact timing of climatic changes and the interpretation of their causes are common as proxy records are obtained from different archives and geographically heterogeneous localities.…”

Section: Mid-holocene and Late Holocene Palaeoenvironmental Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene environmental changes in the highlands of the southern Peruvian Andes (14° S) and their impact on pre-Columbian cultures

et al. 2015

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Abstract. High-altitude peatlands of the Andes still remain relatively unexploited although they offer an excellent opportunity for well-dated palaeoenvironmental records.To improve knowledge about climatic and environmental changes in the western Andes of southern Peru, we present a high-resolution record of the Cerro Llamoca peatland for the last 8600 years. The 10.5 m long core consists of peat and intercalated sediment layers and was examined for all kinds of microfossils. We chose homogeneous peat sections for pollen analysis at decadal to centennial resolution. The inorganic geochemistry was analysed in 2 mm resolution (corresponding > 2 years) using an ITRAX X-ray fluorescence core scanner.We interpret phases of relatively high abundances of Poaceae pollen in our record as an expansion of Andean grasslands during humid phases. Drier conditions are indicated by a significant decrease of Poaceae pollen and higher abundances of Asteraceae pollen. The results are substantiated by changes in arsenic contents and manganese/iron ratios, which turned out to be applicable proxies for in situ palaeoredox conditions.The mid-Holocene period of 8.6-5.6 ka is characterised by a series of episodic dry spells alternating with spells that are more humid. After a pronounced dry period at 4.6-4.2 ka, conditions generally shifted towards a more humid climate. We stress a humid/relatively stable interval between 1.8 and 1.2 ka, which coincides with the florescence of the Nasca culture in the Andean foothills. An abrupt turn to a sustained dry period occurs at 1.2 ka, which is contemporaneous with the demise of the Nasca/Wari society in the Palpa lowlands. Markedly drier conditions prevail until 0.75 ka, providing evidence of the presence of a Medieval Climate Anomaly. Moister but hydrologically highly variable conditions prevailed again after 0.75 ka, which allowed re-expansion of tussock grasses in the highlands, increased discharge into the Andean foreland and resettling of the lowlands during this so-called late Intermediate Period (LIP).On a supraregional scale, our findings can ideally be linked to and proved by the archaeological chronology of the Nasca-Palpa region as well as other high-resolution marine and terrestrial palaeoenvironmental records. Our findings show that hydrological fluctuations, triggered by the changing intensity of the monsoonal tropical summer rains emerging from the Amazon Basin in the north-east, have controlled the climate in the study area.

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“…Sediment records from lakes within the LGM ice limits record a late glacial readvance that was underway by 14 000 cal yr BP, and rapid ice retreat that began ∼13 000 cal yr BP (Rodbell and Seltzer, 2000). Most paleoglaciers retreated to nearly modern (∼1950 AD) limits by 12 500 cal yr BP, but some actually disappeared for several thousand years before reforming in the mid-late Holocene (Abbott et al, 2003).…”

Section: Middle To Low Latitude South Americamentioning

confidence: 99%

Inter-hemispheric linkages in climate change: paleo-perspectives for future climate change

et al. 2006

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Abstract. The Pole-Equator-Pole (PEP) projects of the PANASH (Paleoclimates of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere) programme have significantly advanced our understanding of past climate change on a global basis and helped to integrate paleo-science across regions and research disciplines. PANASH science allows us to constrain predictions for future climate change and to contribute to the management of consequent environmental changes. We identify three broad areas where PEP science makes key contributions.1. The pattern of global changes. Knowing the exact timing of glacial advances (synchronous or otherwise) during the last glaciation is critical to understanding interhemispheric links in climate. Work in PEPI demonstrated that the tropical Andes in South America were deglaciated earlier than the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and that an extended warming began there ca. 21 000 cal years BP. The general pattern is consistent with Antarctica and has now been replicated from studies in Southern Hemisphere (SH) regions of the PEPII transect. That significant deglaciation of SH alpine systems and Antarctica led deglaciation of NH ice sheets may reflect either i) faster response times in alpine systems and Antarctica, ii) regional moisture patterns that influenced glacier mass balance, or iii) a SH temperature forcing that led changes in the NH. This highlights the limitations of current understanding and the need for further fundamental paleoclimate research.2. Changes in modes of operation of oscillatory climate systems. Work across all the PEP transects has led to the recognition that the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon has changed markedly through time. It now appears that ENSO operated during the last glacial termination Correspondence to: J. Shulmeister (james.shulmeister@canterbury.ac.nz) and during the early Holocene, but that precipitation teleconnections even within the Pacific Basin were turned down, or off. In the modern ENSO phenomenon both inter-annual and seven year periodicities are present, with the inter-annual signal dominant. Paleo-data demonstrate that the relative importance of the two periodicities changes through time, with longer periodicities dominant in the early Holocene.3. The recognition of climate modulation of oscillatory systems by climate events. We examine the relationship of ENSO to a SH climate event, the Antarctic cold reversal (ACR), in the New Zealand region. We demonstrate that the onset of the ACR was associated with the apparent switching on of an ENSO signal in New Zealand. We infer that this related to enhanced zonal SW winds with the amplification of the pressure fields allowing an existing but weak ENSO signal to manifest itself. Teleconnections of this nature would be difficult to predict for future abrupt change as boundary conditions cannot readily be specified. Paleo-data are critical to predicting the teleconnections of future changes.

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Holocene paleohydrology and glacial history of the central Andes using multiproxy lake sediment studies

Cited by 184 publications

References 35 publications

Hydroclimate variability in the low-elevation Atacama Desert over the last 2500 yr

Hydroclimate variability in the low-elevation Atacama Desert over the last 2500 yr

Holocene environmental changes in the highlands of the southern Peruvian Andes (14° S) and their impact on pre-Columbian cultures

Inter-hemispheric linkages in climate change: paleo-perspectives for future climate change

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