Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T02:21:54.943Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Radiocarbon Reservoir Effect and the Timing of the Late-Glacial/Early Holocene Humid Phase in the Atacama Desert (Northern Chile)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Mebus A. Geyh ,
Martin Grosjean ,
Lautaro Núñez  and
Ulrich Schotterer
Mebus A. Geyh
Affiliation:
Joint Geoscientific Research Institute (GGA), Stilleweg 2, D-30655, Hannover, Germany. E-mail: Mebus.Geyh@BGR.de
Martin Grosjean
Affiliation:
Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
Lautaro Núñez
Affiliation:
Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
Ulrich Schotterer
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We revise substantially the regional chronology of lake-level fluctuations from the late-glacial/early Holocene humid phase along a high altitude transect (3500 to 4500 m) between 18°S and 28°S in the Southwestern Altiplano of Northern Chile. Radiocarbon dates and 210Pb profiles for limnic and terrestrial materials allow us to estimate and justify reservoir correction values for conventional 14C dates. Our chronology suggests that the latest Pleistocene/early Holocene humid phase started between 13,000 and 12,000 14C yr B.P., and that maximum lake levels were reached between 10,800 and 9200 14C yr B.P. This is significantly younger than what has been established so far for the Titicaca–Uyuni Basin in Bolivia. The paleolakes disappeared sometime between 8400 and 8000 14C yr B.P. Our revised chronology agrees with the regional history of human occupation, and is broadly synchronous with vegetation changes in subtropical continental South America, and with the onset of wetland expansion in the northern hemisphere tropics.

Keywords

Central AndesAltiplanolake sediments14C reservoir effectTauca Phasegeoarchaeology
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 52 , Issue 2 , September 1999 , pp. 143 - 153
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aravena, R. (1995). Isotope hydrology and geochemistry of northern Chile groundwaters. Bulletin Institut français études andines. 24, 495–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Behling, H. (1997). Late Quaternary vegetation, climate and fire history from the tropical mountain region of Morro de Itapeva, SE Brazil. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 129, 407–422.Google Scholar
Benson, L. (1993). Factors affecting 14C ages of lacustrine carbonates: Timing and duration of the last highstand lake in the Lahontan basin. Quaternary Research. 39, 163–174.Google Scholar
Blunier, T., Chappellaz, J., Schwander, J., Stauffer, B., Raynaud, D. (1995). Variations in atmospheric methane concentrations during the Holocene epoch. Nature. 374, 46–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clayton, J.D., Clapperton, C.M. (1997). Broad synchrony of late Quaternary glacier advances and paleolake highstands in the Bolivian Altiplano. Journal of Quaternary Science. 12, 169–182.3.0.CO;2-S>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deevey, E.S. Jr., Gross, M.S., Hutchinson, G.E., Kraybill, H.L. (1954). The natural 14C contents of materials from hard-water lakes. Proceedings, Natural Academy of Science. 40, 285–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fritz, P., Silva, C., Suzuki, O., Salati, E. (1979). Isotope hydrology in northern Chile. IAEA-SM. 228, 525–543.Google Scholar
Geyh, M.A. (1972). Basic studies in hydrology and 14C and 3H measurements. Proceedings, XXIV International Geological Congress, Montreal. p. 227–234.Google Scholar
Geyh, M.A. (1992). The 14C time-scale of groundwater. Correction and linearity. Isotope Techniques in Water Resources Development. IAEA, p. 167–177.Google Scholar
Geyh, M.A., Schleicher, H. (1991). Absolute Age Determination. Springer, New York.Google Scholar
Geyh, M.A., Merkt, J., Müller, H. (1971). Sediment-, Pollen- und Isotopenanalysen an jahreszeitlich geschichteten Ablagerungen im zentralen Teil des Schleinsees. Archiv für Hydrobiologie. 69, 366–399.Google Scholar
Geyh, M.A., Schotterer, U., Grosjean, M. (1998). Temporal changes of the 14C reservoir effect in lakes. Radiocarbon. 40, 921–932.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grosjean, M. (1994). Paleohydrology of the Laguna Lejı́a (north Chilean Altiplano) and climatic implications for late-glacial times. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 109, 89–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grosjean, M., Núñez, L.A. (1994). Late-glacial, early and middle Holocene environments, human occupation, and resource use in the Atacama (Northern Chile). Geoarchaeology. 9, 271–286.Google Scholar
Grosjean, M., Geyh, M.A., Messerli, B., Schotterer, U. (1995). Late-glacial and early Holocene lake sediments, groundwater formation and climate in the Atacama Altiplano. Journal of Paleolimnology. 14, 241–252.Google Scholar
Grosjean, M., Valero-G, B., Geyh, M., Messerli, B., Schotterer, U., Schreier, H., Kelts, K. (1997). Mid and late Holocene limnogeology of Laguna del Negro Francisco (South Central Andes, North Chile) and paleoclimatic implications. The Holocene. 7, 151–159.Google Scholar
Kull, C., Grosjean, M. (1998). Albedo changes, Milankovitch forcing, and late Quaternary climate changes in the central Andes. Climate Dynamics. 14, 871–881.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Llagostera, A.M. (1979). 9,700 year of maritime subsistence on the Pacific: An analysis by means of bioindicators in the north of Chile. American Antiquity. 44, 309–424.Google Scholar
Ledru, M.-P. (1993). Late Quaternary environmental and climatic changes in Central Brazil. Quaternary Research. 39, 90–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Núñez, L.A. (1994). The western part of South America (southern Peru, north-west Argentina and Chile) during the stone age. de Laet, S.J. History of Humanity. UNESCORoutledge, Paris, London., 348–362.Google Scholar
Olsson, I.U. (1980). Radiocarbon dating of material from different reservoirs. Suess, H.E., Berger, R. Radiocarbon Dating. UCLA Press, San Diego., 613–618.Google Scholar
Sandweiss, D.H., Richardson, J.B. III, Reitz, E.J., Rollins, H.B., Maasch, K.A. (1996). Geoarchaeological Evidence from Peru for a 5000 Year B. P. Onset of El Niño. Science. 273, 1531–1533.Google Scholar
Schrader, H., Sorknes, R. (1991). Peruvian coastal upwelling: Late Quaternary productivity changes revealed by diatoms. Marine Geology. 97, 233–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Servant, M., Maley, J., Turcq, B., Absy, M.-L., Brenac, P., Fournier, M., Ledru, M.P. (1993). Tropical forest changes during the Late Quaternary in African and South American lowlands. Global and Planetary Change. 7, 25–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Servant, M., Fournier, M., Argollo, J., Servant-Vildary, S., Sylvestre, F., Wirrmann, D., Ybert, J.-P. (1995). La dernière transition glaciaire/interglaciaire des Andes tropicales sud (Bolivie) d'après l'étude des variations des niveaux lacustres et des fluctuations glaciaires. Comptes Rendus, Académie des Sciences, Paris. t.320, 729–736.Google Scholar
Stine, S., Stine, M. (1990). A record from lake Cardiel of climate change in southern South America. Nature. 345, 705–708.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M., Long, A., Kra, R.S., Devine, J.M. (1993). Calibration 1993. Radiocarbon. 35, 1–244.Google Scholar
Sylvestre, F. (1997). La dernière transition glaciaire–interglaciaire (18,000–8000 14C ans B.P.) des Andes tropicales sud (Bolivie) d'après l'étude des diatomées. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris, .Google Scholar
Sylvestre, F., Servant-Vildary, S., Fournier, M., Servant, M. (1996). Lake levels in the southern Bolivian Altiplano (19°–21°S) during the Late Glacial based on diatom studies. International Journal of Salt Lake Research. 4, 281–300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sylvestre, F., Servant, M., Servant-Vildary, S., Causse, C., Fournier, M., Ybert, J.-P. (1999). Lake-level chronology on the southern Bolivian Altiplano (18°–23°S) during late-glacial time and the early Holocene. Quaternary Research. 51, 54–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turcq, B., Pressinotti, M.M.N., Martin, L. (1997). Paleohydrology and paleoclimate of the past 33,000 year at the Tamanduá River, Central Brazil. Quaternary Research. 47, 284–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Valero-Garcés, B.L., Grosjean, M., Schwalb, A., Geyh, M., Messerli, B., Kelts, K. (1996). Limnogeology of Laguna Miscanti: Evidence for mid to late Holocene moisture changes in the Atacama Altiplano (Northern Chile). Journal of Paleolimnology. 16, 1–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, H.E., Kutzbach, J.E., Webb, T., Ruddiman, W.F., Street-Perrott, F.A., Bartlein, P.J. (1993). Global Climates Since the Last Glacial Maximum. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.Google Scholar