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Multiple phases of North African humidity recorded in lacustrine sediments from the Fazzan Basin, Libyan Sahara

Armitage, S. J., Drake, N. A., Stokes, S., El-Hawat, A., Salem, M., White, K., Turner, P. and McLaren, S. J. (2007) Multiple phases of North African humidity recorded in lacustrine sediments from the Fazzan Basin, Libyan Sahara. Quaternary Geochronology , 2 (1-4). pp. 181-186.

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To link to this item DOI: 10.1016/j.quageo.2006.05.019

Abstract/Summary

The Fazzan Basin of south-west Libya is at present arid with less than 20 mm of rainfall per annum. However, regionally extensive limestones, lacustrine sands and coquina (fossiliferous carbonate rock) deposits show that the Fazzan Basin previously contained a large palaeolake, indicating that the climate in the past was more humid. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating techniques have been applied to key lacustrine deposits within the basin in an attempt to provide an internally consistent chronology for this humidity record. Results indicate that palaeolake sediments within the Fazzan Basin record a very long history of palacohydrological change, ranging from present day and conditions to humidity capable of sustaining a lake with an approximate area of 76,250 km(2). The existence of humid periods in mid oxygen isotope stage 5 and the early Holocene is confirmed. An older lacustrine event, tentatively correlated to oxygen isotope stage 11, is also recognized. In addition, evidence is presented for at least two humid phases beyond the age range over which the conventional OSL dating technique is applicable. This study demonstrates that OSL dating of palaeolake sediments within the Fazzan Basin offers the potential to provide a detailed record of North African humidity spanning several glacial-interglacial cycles. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Item Type:Article
Divisions:Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Geography and Environmental Science
Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Earth Systems Science
ID Code:3202
Uncontrolled Keywords:Libya sahara palaeolake Fazzan optically stimulated luminescence dating
Additional Information: Conference Information: 11th International Conference on Luminescence and Electron Spin Resonance Dating Kardinal Schulte Haus, Cologne, GERMANY, JUL 24-29, 2005

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