Late Pleistocene Climate Change and Erosion in the Santa Maria Basin, NW Argentina

Trauth, Martin H.; Bookhagen, Bodo; Müller, Andrea; Strecker, Manfred R.

doi:10.1306/061702730082

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…This result is in line with the observations of Trauth et al (2000) suggesting an enhanced erosion of red-coloured clastic sediments during heavy rainfall events today whereas precipitation usually only reaches the elevated areas with mainly greenish low-grade metamorphic rocks exposed. This effect causes predominant greenish to buff-coloured clays deposited in the former lake basin (Trauth and Strecker 1999;Trauth et al 2000Trauth et al 2003. Since our analysis of modern data reveals a strong relation between local rainfall in the northern part of the study area (Jujuy) and ENSO, we interpret this similarity as an indication of a strong ENSO-like influence in the Santa Maria Basin at around 30,000 years.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Comparing modern and Pleistocene ENSO-like influences in NW Argentina using nonlinear time series analysis methods

et al. 2003

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Higher variability in rainfall and river discharge could be of major importance in landslide generation in the north-western Argentine Andes. Annual layered (varved) deposits of a landslide dammed lake in the Santa Maria Basin (26 • S, 66 • W) with an age of 30,000 14 C years provide an archive of precipitation variability during this time. The comparison of these data with present-day rainfall observations tests the hypothesis that increased rainfall variability played a major role in landslide generation. A potential cause of such variability is the El Niño/ Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The causal link between ENSO and local rainfall is quantified by using a new method of nonlinear data analysis, the quantitative analysis of cross recurrence plots (CRP). This method seeks similarities in the dynamics of two different processes, such as an ocean-atmosphere oscillation and local rainfall. Our analysis reveals significant similarities in the statistics of both modern and palaeo-precipitation data. The similarities in the data suggest that an ENSO-like influence on local rainfall was present at around 30,000 14 C years ago. Increased rainfall, which was inferred from a lake balance modeling in a previous study, together with ENSO-like cyclicities could help to explain the clustering of landslides at around 30,000 14 C years ago.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Comparing modern and Pleistocene ENSO-like influences in NW Argentina using nonlinear time series analysis methods

et al. 2003

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“…rock avalanche, which are interpreted to have been activated in the same event. b Wide-angle photo of the rock avalanche surface of rupture in the Tonco valley which was sampled for SED, showing the positions of sampling sites for the phase of the lake (Trauth et al 2003b). As we have not taken into account the systematic uncertainty of the production rate of 10-15% this fits quite well, indicating that the calculated exposure ages of surfaces with a dip <40 are reliable and denudation of the dated surfaces has been minor.…”

Section: Results Of Surface Exposure Datingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…and the younger rock avalanche at E.P. (Trauth et al 2003b). The end of the lake phase of the upper basin must have been prior to~3,600 yr BP as indicated by a tephra layer with a minimum age of 3,630€70 yr cal BP in redeposited lake sediments .…”

Section: Stratigraphy Of Quaternary Deposits In Las Conchas and Surromentioning

confidence: 99%

Rock avalanching into a landslide-dammed lake causing multiple dam failure in Las Conchas valley (NW Argentina) ? evidence from surface exposure dating and stratigraphic analyses

Hermanns

Niedermann

Ivy‐Ochs³

et al. 2004

Landslides

120

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Generally landslide dams which exist for several hundreds to thousands of years are considered as stable. We show with an example from the Argentine Andes that such dams can exist for several thousands of years but still may fail catastrophically. Multiple rock avalanches impounded two lakes with surface areas of~8 km 2 and~600 km 2 , respectively, in Las Conchas valley, NW Argentina. Surface exposure dating (SED) by 10 Be of the rock-avalanche deposits or landslide scars indicates that these landslides occurred at 15,300€2,000 yr and 13,550€900 yr. The dams were stable during a strong earthquake, as suggested by seismites within related lake sediments and by multiple coeval landslides in this region, which occurred at~7.5 kyr. However, when a further rock-avalanche fell into the lower, smaller lake at 4,800€500 yr the dam downriver was destroyed, presumably by the resulting tsunami wave. The resulting flood also destroyed an additional rock-fall dam which had formed at~5,630 yr 14 C cal BP 30 km downriver. The new dam formed by the second rock avalanche was eroded prior to 3,630 yr 14 C cal BP. This dam erosion coincides with an important climatic shift towards more humid conditions in the Central Andes. Our results show that instead of direct effects of strong seismicity on landslide dams, (1) landsliding into a landslide-dammed lake, (2) abrupt hydrological changes, and (3) climate change towards conditions related to enhanced run-off are processes which can produce failures of "quasi-stable" natural dams.

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“…En consecuencia, Guayatayoc y Salinas Grandes son sistemas salinos que funcionan como un 'playa lake' y un salar, respectivamente, desde el Holoceno y cuya génesis obedeció a condicionantes ambientales. Godfrey et al (1997), Trauth and Strecker (1999);Valero Garcés et al (2000); Godfrey et al (2003); Trauth et al (2003) and McGlue et al (2012).…”

Section: The Pleistocene-holocene Transition In the Andesunclassified

“…The intensification of the summer monsoonal regime (Trauth et al, 2003) causes seasonal flooding in the GSG. These regimes are in agreement with evidences from El Colorado terraces that indicate that the hydro availability during the Holocene was intermittent.…”

Section: Fig 8 Elco Profile In the Terrace Of El Colorado River (A)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cambio hidrológico asociado al Último Maximo Glacial-Altitermal durante la transición Pleistoceno-Holoceno en el borde oriental de Puna Norte.

Steinmetz

Galli

2015

Andgeo

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ABSTRACT. The environment of the Andean Puna Plateau is mostly characterized by the dominance of evaporative processes due to aridity. Since the intermittent runoff lacks the morphodynamic competence to generate the present day landscape, authors have usually considered that the Puna landscape is a remnant feature of the Miocene arid-climate persistence. Then, a Quaternary-sensu lato-age was assigned to salars, alluvial fans and other geomorphologies. We present evidences from the endorheic depression of Guayatayoc-Salinas Grandes (GSG) located at 3,400 m a.s.l. in the eastern border of northen Puna. The basin includes a saline playa domain in the north (Guayatayoc Playa Lake) and a salt pan in the southern part (Salinas Grandes). We have identified two dissimilar processes originating the subdivision of the GSG depression. The characterization of those processes included sedimentological and geomorphological observations, as well as chronologies using luminescence and radiocarbon. Evidences reveal the development of a saline-lacustrine water body that is associated with the Last Glacial Maximum. During the Late Pleistocene and until ~13.8 cal kyr BP, lake shores were modelled in the front of distal-alluvial fans, the sedimentary aggradation was widespread, and associated with kaolinitic-clay accumulation, inyoite, and the formation of peat-deposits. An environmental change towards aridity occurred after 13.8 cal kyr BP, and wetter conditions returned during the early to middle Holocene, around 9 cal kyr BP. Then, incisive river dynamics accompanied the establishment of a playa lake, with montmorillonitic-fine sediments and ulexite generation during later Holocene. The subdivision of the GSG depression onset by the two following processes: 1. the topographic decoupling, that is associated with Las Burras's alluvial fan aggradation during Pleistocene; 2. the lacustrine regression phase at 13.8 cal kyr BP. Therefore, Guayatayoc and Salinas Grandes are saline systems functioning as a playa lake and a salt pan, respectively, since the Holocene, due to environmental constraints.

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Late Pleistocene Climate Change and Erosion in the Santa Maria Basin, NW Argentina

Cited by 21 publications

References 40 publications

Comparing modern and Pleistocene ENSO-like influences in NW Argentina using nonlinear time series analysis methods

Comparing modern and Pleistocene ENSO-like influences in NW Argentina using nonlinear time series analysis methods

Rock avalanching into a landslide-dammed lake causing multiple dam failure in Las Conchas valley (NW Argentina) ? evidence from surface exposure dating and stratigraphic analyses

Cambio hidrológico asociado al Último Maximo Glacial-Altitermal durante la transición Pleistoceno-Holoceno en el borde oriental de Puna Norte.

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