Lateglacial and Holocene palaeoenvironments at Sierra La Madera, northwestern Mexico: Sharp signals of Younger Dryas and North American monsoon

Lateglacial and Holocene palaeoenvironments at Sierra La Madera, northwestern Mexico: Sharp signals of Younger Dryas and North American monsoon

During the last glacial termination, the climate system experienced intense global variations whose causes and impacts are not fully defined, particularly for low latitudes. The northwestern Mexico Sky Islands present a climate‐sensitive ideal setting to record palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of quaternary science Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 76 - 91
Main Authors: Galaz‐Samaniego, Carlos Alberto, Peñalba, M. Cristina, Paz‐Moreno, Francisco Abraham, Espinoza‐Encinas, Iván Rosario, Flores‐Castro, Kinardo, Monreal, Rogelio, Lizárraga‐Celaya, Carlos
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Chichester Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-01-2023
Subjects:
Climate
Climate system
Coniferous forests
El Nino
Glacial climates
Holocene
Humid climates
Hydrology
last glacial termination
Monsoons
North American monsoon
Oceans
palaeoclimate
Paleoenvironments
Pleistocene
Pollen
Pollen analysis
Scrub
Tropical forests
Winter precipitation
Younger Dryas
Mexico
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Summary:During the last glacial termination, the climate system experienced intense global variations whose causes and impacts are not fully defined, particularly for low latitudes. The northwestern Mexico Sky Islands present a climate‐sensitive ideal setting to record palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic changes due to their physiographic complexity and location in the ecotone between temperate and tropical ecosystems. High‐resolution pollen analysis and a detailed sedimentological study were conducted at the Ciénega Tonibabi tropical thorn scrub site. The 15 540–0 cal a bp nearly continuous record shows that the North Atlantic Ocean did have a cold and humid climatic influence during the glacial stages of the end of the Pleistocene, including a sharp pulse during the Younger Dryas. However, a shift to the Pacific Ocean influence occurred during the Holocene, which led to the development of the El Niño conditions prevailing today. Colder and warmer phases follow one another with higher or lower winter precipitation, including a sharp Bølling–Allerød and development and intensification of the North American monsoon. They are reflected in hydrological changes as well as in the advances, retreats and intermingling of coniferous forests and tropical thorn scrub.
ISSN:0267-8179
1099-1417
DOI:10.1002/jqs.3464