Paleoclimate reconstruction of the quaternary sediments near the Gulf of Aqaba (Southern Jordan)

Abbas, Mahmoud; Al-Saqarat, Bety S.; Al-Shdaifat, Ahmad

doi:10.1007/s12517-016-2346-5

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The timing of this migration and the associated patterns of human dispersal likely were strongly influenced by the availability of freshwater resources (Vaks et al, 2007, 2010) from either rainfall runoff or groundwater-fed springs along the way (Mischke et al, 2015; Engel et al, 2016; Ginat et al, 2017; Roberts et al, 2018). The deserts of the southern Levant are hyperarid today, with rainfall of <50–100 mm/yr, but the scatter of palaeolakes and wetlands is a compelling sign of the hydrological transformations of the past (Litt et al, 2012; Mischke et al, 2012, 2015; Abbas et al, 2016; Breeze et al, 2016; Groucutt et al, 2018; Goder-Goldberger et al, 2020). The first human migrants arriving from Africa are thought to have crossed the Levantine deserts during an interval of wetter climate sometime between about 130 and 90 ka (Vaks et al, 2007; Waldmann et al, 2010; Frumkin et al, 2011; Lazar and Stein, 2011; Breeze et al, 2016), and there is still much to discover about how these people utilized the hydrological systems they encountered (Goldberg, 1986; Jones and Richter, 2011; Tooth and McCarthy, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A wetland oasis at Wadi Gharandal spanning 125–70 ka on the human migration trail in southern Jordan

et al. 2020

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Former lakes and wetlands can provide valuable insights to the late Pleistocene environments encountered by the first humans to enter the Levant from Africa. Fluvial incision along Wadi Gharandal in hyperarid southern Jordan has exposed remnants of a small riverine wetland that accumulated as a sedimentary sequence up to ~20 m thick. We conducted a chronometric and sedimentological study of this wetland, including 10 optically stimulated luminescence dates. The wetland sequence accumulated during the period ~125 to 70 ka in response to a positive water balance coupled with a (possibly coseismic) landslide that dammed the outlet. The valley fill was dissected when the dam was incised shortly after ~36 ± 3 ka. Comparison of our ages with regional palaeoclimate indicates that the Gharandal oasis developed during the relatively humid Marine Isotope Stage 5. A minimum age of 74 ± 7 ka for two Levallois flakes collected from stratified sediments suggests that the oasis was visited by humans during the critical 130–90 ka time window of human migration out of Africa. Gharandal joins a growing network of freshwater sites that enabled humans to cross areas of the Levant and Arabia along corridors of human dispersal.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A wetland oasis at Wadi Gharandal spanning 125–70 ka on the human migration trail in southern Jordan

et al. 2020

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“…These monitoring The outcrops of southern Aqaba area comprised of Quaternary sediments deposited near the shoreline of the Gulf Aqaba. These sediments consist of red sandstone, Aqaba formation which consists of clays, sandstone, and conglomerate, uplifted fossil coral reefs and alluvium sediments and wadi sediments [35] [36] [37].…”

Section: Sedimentation Rate In the Coastal Habitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Southern Jordan Coastal Sediments Quality Assessment at Aqaba Special Economic Zone/Red Sea

Al-Saqarat¹,

Abbas²,

Ma’aytah³

et al. 2017

JWARP

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The bottom surface sediments at the southern part of the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba have been studied. Samples were collected from 10 m depth at nine coastal stations which are located within two main zones: Marine Park Zone and Industrial Zone. Sedimentation rate, grain size oxygenation state, Loss on Ignition, hydrogen sulfide, calcium carbonate, total phosphorous, organic carbon, organic nitrogen, and heavy metals were analyzed to assess and evaluate the quality of bottom surface sediments. The sedimentation rate at the southern part of the Gulf has been affected by Khamassin winds from the south as a result of sand storm events in southern Jordan and adjacent regions. Floods and streams also played a vital role as a transportation agent of the sediments from the interstitial nearby areas to the Gulf. Also construction works played a minor role. Bottom surface sediments at the different sites were quite different in some chemical properties. Sediments from all stations other than the MSS were fine, gray-black and oxygen deficient. Sediments from the MSS and VC are whitish, better oxygenated and have higher calcium carbonate content since they are typically coral reef sediments coral reef sediments. Coral reef carbonate sediments are well known to have high organic nitrogen concentration as compared to silicate sediments, even those in close proximity. The concentration of phosphorous and calcium carbonate is attributed in the phosphate port to the phosphate by the generation of the dust and coral reef. Whilst, heavy metal concentration due to presence of major sources of metal pollution and intensive human activities. These include ship 53boat activities, domestic sewage discharges and phosphate rock particles from the phosphate port.

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“…Investigations in northern, central, and southern parts of Arabia showed that these areas were habitable in MIS 5, in particular for substages MIS 5e (128 to 121 ka), 5c (104 to 97 ka), 5a (82 to 77 ka), and in MIS 3 (~54 ka), owing to climatic amelioration and enhanced humidity [e.g., (4,10,16,(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)]. However, climatic and paleoenvironmental archives from the southern Levant and Jordan, as a vital migration corridor, are not well understood owing to the poor chronological framework of the paleo-water bodies in the region (26)(27)(28)(29).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human dispersals out of Africa via the Levant

Abbas,

Lai,

Jansen

et al. 2023

Sci. Adv.

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Homo sapiens dispersed from Africa into Eurasia multiple times in the Middle and Late Pleistocene. The route, across northeastern Africa into the Levant, is a viable terrestrial corridor, as the present harsh southern Levant would probably have been savannahs and grasslands during the last interglaciation. Here, we document wetland sediments with luminescence ages falling in the last interglaciation in the southern Levant, showing protracted phases of moisture availability. Wetland sediments in Wadi Gharandal containing Levallois artifacts yielded an age of 84 ka. Our findings support the growing consensus for a well-watered Jordan Rift Valley that funneled migrants into western Asia and northern Arabia.

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Paleoclimate reconstruction of the quaternary sediments near the Gulf of Aqaba (Southern Jordan)

Cited by 8 publications

References 20 publications

A wetland oasis at Wadi Gharandal spanning 125–70 ka on the human migration trail in southern Jordan

A wetland oasis at Wadi Gharandal spanning 125–70 ka on the human migration trail in southern Jordan

Southern Jordan Coastal Sediments Quality Assessment at Aqaba Special Economic Zone/Red Sea

Human dispersals out of Africa via the Levant

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