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Summary
This data set consists of stable oxygen and carbon isotope data from TIMS
U-series dated stalagmites from Cold Air Cave, Makapansgat Valley, South
Africa, document regional climatic change in southern Africa over the past
25,000 years.

ABSTRACT:
Data from stalagmites in the Makapansgat Valley, South Africa, document
regional climatic change in ... southern Africa in the Late Pleistocene and
Holocene. A new TIMS U-series dated stalagmite indicates speleothem growth
from 24.4 to 12.7 ka and from 10.2 to 0 ka, interrupted by a 2.5 ka hiatus.
High-resolution oxygen and carbon stable isotope data suggest that postglacial
warming was first initiated ~17 ka, was interrupted by cooling, probably
associated with the Antarctic Cold Reversal, and was followed by strong
warming after 13.5 ka. The Early Holocene experienced warm, evaporative
conditions with fewer C4 grasses. Cooling is evident from ~6 to 2.5 ka,
followed by warming between 1.5 and 2.5 ka and briefly at ~AD 1200. Maximum
Holocene cooling occurred at AD 1700. The new stalagmite largely confirms
results from shorter Holocene stalagmites reported earlier. The strongest
variability superimposed on more general trends has a quasi-periodicity
between 2.5 and 4.0 ka. Also present are weaker ~1.0 ka and ~100-year
oscillations, the latter probably solar induced. Given similarities to the
Antarctic records, the proximate driving force producing millennial- and
centennial-scale changes in the Makapansgat record is postulated to be
atmospheric circulation changes associated with change in the Southern
Hemisphere circumpolar westerly wind vortex.

Geographic Coverage Spatial coordinates   

N: -24.07

S: -24.07

E: 29.18

W: 29.18

Data Set Citation

Dataset Creator: Holmgren, K., J.A. Lee-Thorp, G.R.J. Cooper, K. Lundblad, T.C. Partridge, L. Scott, R. Sithaldeen, A. Siep Talmaf and P.D. Tyson Dataset Title: Cold Air Cave Stalagmite 25KYr Stable Isotope Data Dataset Series Name: IGBP PAGES/WDCA CONTRIBUTION SERIES NUMBER: 2005-034 Dataset Release Date: April 2005 Dataset Release Place: Boulder, CO Dataset Publisher: IGBP PAGES/World Data Center for Paleoclimatology Issue Identification: 2005-034 Online Resource: ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/africa/cold-air-c...

Paleo Temporal Coverage

Paleo Start Date: 25 ka Paleo Stop Date: 0 ka Chrono Unit: PHANEROZOIC  >  CENOZOIC  >  QUATERNARY  >  HOLOCENE

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > AFRICA > SOUTHERN AFRICA > SOUTH AFRICA

Science Keywords

PALEOCLIMATE > LAND RECORDS > ISOTOPES SOLID EARTH > GEOCHEMISTRY > ISOTOPES PALEOCLIMATE > LAND RECORDS > CAVE DEPOSITS

ISO Topic Category

GEOSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

Project

PAGES > Past Global Changes, IGBP

Ancillary Keywords

speleothems isotopes d18O d13C oxygen isotopes carbon isotopes stalagmites

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Originating Center

NOAA/NCDC

Data Center

World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, Boulder Data Center URL: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ Data Center Personnel Name: WDC/PALEOCLIMATOLOGY, BOULDER Phone: +1 (303) 497-6160 Fax: +1 (303) 497-6513 Email: paleo at noaa.gov Contact Address: World Data Center for Paleoclimatology NOAA/NCDC Code E/GCx3 325 Broadway City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80303 Country: USA

Distribution

Distribution Media: online ftp Distribution Format: ascii Fees: none

Personnel

KARIN HOLMGREN Role: INVESTIGATOR Contact Address: Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology Stockholm University City: Stockholm Postal Code: SE-106 91 Country: Sweden J. A. LEE-THORP Role: INVESTIGATOR G. R. J. COOPER Role: INVESTIGATOR K. LUNDBLAD Role: INVESTIGATOR T. C. PARTRIDGE Role: INVESTIGATOR L. SCOTT Role: INVESTIGATOR R. SITHALDEEN Role: INVESTIGATOR A. SIEP TALMAF Role: INVESTIGATOR P. D. TYSON Role: INVESTIGATOR

Related URL

Link: GET DATA Description: Access Cold Air Cave isotope data

Publications/References
Holmgren, K., J.A. Lee-Thorp, G.R.J. Cooper, K. Lundblad, T.C. Partridge, L.
Scott, R. Sithaldeen, A. Siep Talmaf and P.D. Tyson. 2003. Persistent
millennial-scale climatic variability over the past 25,000 years in Southern
Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, V. 22, Issues 21-22, November-December
2003, Pages 2311-2326, doi:10.1016/S0277-3791(03)00204-X.

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2006-05-22 Last DIF Revision Date: 2006-05-22

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