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The Holocene record of Alberca de Tacámbaro, a tropical lake in western Mexico: evidence of orbital and millennial‐scale climatic variability
Author(s) -
OrtegaGuerrero Beatriz,
Caballero Margarita,
IsradeAlcáNtara Isabel
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of quaternary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.142
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-1417
pISSN - 0267-8179
DOI - 10.1002/jqs.3316
Subject(s) - holocene , geology , period (music) , facies , orbital forcing , palynology , radiocarbon dating , clastic rock , paleoclimatology , physical geography , climatology , paleontology , oceanography , climate change , pollen , sedimentary rock , geography , structural basin , ecology , physics , acoustics , biology
Laminated sediments in a core from Alberca de Tacámbaro, western central Mexico, provide a high‐resolution record of palaeoclimatic variability for most of the Holocene. Using compositional and textural characteristics we identified 14 facies classified in biogenic, clastic and volcaniclastic groups, in which diatoms and other algal remains are the most common components. In addition to facies analysis, high‐resolution geochemical data from continuous core scanning XRF and the analysis of discrete samples for organic and inorganic carbon content, provide the basis for palaeoclimatic reconstruction. The age model indicates that the record spans from 9.4 cal ka bp to ad 1760. Three main phases in the sequence are identified, controlled by millennial‐scale variability. During the period between 9.4 and 5.7 cal ka bp , the lake is dominated by siliceous organisms. Drier conditions between 8.2 and 6.3 cal ka bp are linked to decreases in summer insolation and solar irradiance. By 5.7 cal ka bp , the change in sedimentation is related to the increase in El Niño Southern Oscillation frequency. Evidence of the occurrence of dry conditions during the archaeological Late Classic period ( ad 600–900) and historical droughts are also documented in the Alberca de Tacámbaro record. Unprecedented changes in the landscape are recorded after ad 1520.