Journal article
Hydroclimate changes across the Amazon lowlands over the past 45,000 years
Nature (London), Vol.541(7636), pp.204-207
01/12/2017
DOI: 10.1038/nature20787
PMID: 28079075
Abstract
Reconstructing the history of tropical hydroclimates has been difficult, particularly for the Amazon basin-one of Earth's major centres of deep atmospheric convection(1,2). For example, whether the Amazon basin was substantially drier(3,4) or remained wet(1,5) during glacial times has been controversial, largely because most study sites have been located on the periphery of the basin, and because interpretations can be complicated by sediment preservation, uncertainties in chronology, and topographical setting(6). Here we show that rainfall in the basin responds closely to changes in glacial boundary conditions in terms of temperature and atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide(7). Our results are based on a decadally resolved, uranium/thorium-dated, oxygen isotopic record for much of the past 45,000 years, obtained using speleothems from Paraiso Cave in eastern Amazonia; we interpret the record as being broadly related to precipitation. Relative to modern levels, precipitation in the region was about 58% during the Last Glacial Maximum (around 21,000 years ago) and 142% during the mid-Holocene epoch (about 6,000 years ago). We find that, as compared with cave records from the western edge of the lowlands, the Amazon was widely drier during the last glacial period, with much less recycling of water and probably reduced plant transpiration, although the rainforest persisted throughout this time.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Hydroclimate changes across the Amazon lowlands over the past 45,000 years
- Creators
- Xianfeng Wang - Nanyang Technological UniversityR. Lawrence Edwards - University of MinnesotaAugusto S Auler - Instituto do Carste, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30150-160, Brazil.Hai Cheng - University of MinnesotaXinggong Kong - Nanjing Normal UniversityYongjin Wang - Nanjing Normal UniversityFrancisco W Cruz - Universidade de São PauloJeffrey A Dorale - University of IowaHong-Wei Chiang - Nanyang Technological University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Nature (London), Vol.541(7636), pp.204-207
- DOI
- 10.1038/nature20787
- PMID
- 28079075
- NLM abbreviation
- Nature
- ISSN
- 0028-0836
- eISSN
- 1476-4687
- Publisher
- NATURE PORTFOLIO
- Number of pages
- 16
- Grant note
- 41230524 / National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 540064/01-7 / Brazil National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq); Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) NRFF2011-08 / Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF); National Research Foundation, Singapore 2013CB955902 / China National Basic Research Program (NBRP) Sao Paulo Research Foundation of Brazil 7574-03 / National Geographical Society 1337693 / Directorate For Geosciences; National Science Foundation (NSF); NSF - Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) 2012/50260-6 / US NSF Dimensions of Biodiversity joint program (FAPESP/NSF) 1103404; 1317693 / US National Science Foundation (NSF); National Science Foundation (NSF) Gary Comer Fellowship
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/12/2017
- Academic Unit
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9984240782302771
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