Diederich, Julia L., Wennrich, Volker ORCID: 0000-0003-3617-1963, Bao, Roberto ORCID: 0000-0002-2928-2836, Buettner, Christoph, Bolten, Andreas, Brill, Dominik ORCID: 0000-0001-8637-4641, Buske, Stefan, Campos, Eduardo ORCID: 0000-0003-2048-7445, Fernandez-Galego, Emma, Goedickmeier, Peggy, Ninnemann, Lukas, Reyers, Mark, Ritter, Benedikt ORCID: 0000-0002-5652-1169, Ritterbach, Laura, Rolf, Christian ORCID: 0000-0002-1459-6664, Scheidt, Stephanie, Dunai, Tibor J. and Melles, Martin ORCID: 0000-0003-0977-9463 (2020). A 68 ka precipitation record from the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Glob. Planet. Change, 184. AMSTERDAM: ELSEVIER. ISSN 1872-6364

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Abstract

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest deserts on Earth. Hyperaridity persists at least since the Miocene and was punctuated by pluvial phases. However, very little is known about the timing, regional spread and intensities of precipitation changes. Here, we present a new precipitation record from a sedimentary sequence recovered in a tectonically blocked endorheic basin that is located in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert. The chronostratigraphic framework of the record is given by a multi-disciplinary dating approach, suggesting an age of ca. 68 ka BP for the core base. The sequence consists of three sediment types, whose sedimentological and geochemical characteristics suggest different depositional processes that reflect different degrees in humidity. First, particularly fine-grained sediments with high clastic but low calcium sulfate and carbonate contents reflect a particularly dry climate with only sporadic precipitation events and fluvial supply via channel systems. Second, more coarse-grained sediments with lower clastic and higher calcium sulfate and carbonate contents reflect more moist conditions with stronger precipitation events that lead to fluvial activity not restricted to the channels but involving the slopes and plains in the catchment. Third, normally graded layers with an equally high proportion of calcium sulfate and carbonate reflect occasional high-precipitation events that caused sediment supply also from most distant parts of the catchment via severe flash floods. The sedimentary succession suggests that precipitation changes took place on orbital but also on millennial time scales. Rather moist periods occurred during most of MIS 2, several shorter periods within MIS 3 and parts of MIS 4. Comparison of the findings from the Huara record with selected climate records from continental and marine sites in South America suggests a strong precipitation heterogeneity across the Atacama. This heterogeneity is caused by pronounced differences in the dominating climate patterns and a shift from predominant summer rain in the north to winter rain in the south. Precipitation supply to the Huara clay plan is controlled by the atmospheric circulation rather than the surface temperature of the adjacent ocean.

Item Type: Journal Article
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCIDORCID Put Code
Diederich, Julia L.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Wennrich, VolkerUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0003-3617-1963UNSPECIFIED
Bao, RobertoUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0002-2928-2836UNSPECIFIED
Buettner, ChristophUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Bolten, AndreasUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Brill, DominikUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0001-8637-4641UNSPECIFIED
Buske, StefanUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Campos, EduardoUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0003-2048-7445UNSPECIFIED
Fernandez-Galego, EmmaUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Goedickmeier, PeggyUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Ninnemann, LukasUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Reyers, MarkUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Ritter, BenediktUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0002-5652-1169UNSPECIFIED
Ritterbach, LauraUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Rolf, ChristianUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0002-1459-6664UNSPECIFIED
Scheidt, StephanieUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Dunai, Tibor J.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Melles, MartinUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0003-0977-9463UNSPECIFIED
URN: urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-351920
DOI: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2019.103054
Journal or Publication Title: Glob. Planet. Change
Volume: 184
Date: 2020
Publisher: ELSEVIER
Place of Publication: AMSTERDAM
ISSN: 1872-6364
Language: English
Faculty: Unspecified
Divisions: Unspecified
Subjects: no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:
KeywordsLanguage
LAKE OHRID MACEDONIA; SALAR-DE-ATACAMA; RELATIVE PALEOINTENSITY; BOLIVIAN ALTIPLANO; CLIMATE-CHANGE; GEOMAGNETIC PALEOINTENSITY; SALINITY MODELS; VARIABILITY; SEA; AGEMultiple languages
Geography, Physical; Geosciences, MultidisciplinaryMultiple languages
URI: http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/35192

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