Paleoclimate of the subtropical Andes during the l... - BV FAPESP
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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Paleoclimate of the subtropical Andes during the latest Miocene, Lauca Basin, Chile

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Author(s):
Feitl, Melina [1] ; Kern, Andrea K. [2] ; Jones, Amanda [1] ; Fritz, Sherilyn C. [3] ; Baker, Paul A. [4] ; Joeckel, R. M. [5, 6] ; Salenbien, Wout [4] ; Willard, Debra [7]
Total Authors: 8
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Nebraska, Dept Earth & Atmospher Sci, Lincoln, NE 68588 - USA
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Sedimentary & Environm Geol, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
[3] Univ Nebraska, Sch Biol Sci, Dept Earth & Atmospher Sci, Lincoln, NE 68588 - USA
[4] Duke Univ, Div Earth & Ocean Sci, Durham, NC 27708 - USA
[5] Univ Nebraska, Dept Earth & Atmospher Sci, Sch Nat Resources, Conservat & Survey Div, Lincoln, NE 68588 - USA
[6] Univ Nebraska, State Museum, Lincoln, NE 68588 - USA
[7] USGS, Climate Res & Dev, Reston, VA 20192 - USA
Total Affiliations: 7
Document type: Journal article
Source: PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY; v. 534, NOV 15 2019.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Uplift of the Andean Cordillera during the Miocene and Pliocene produced large-scale changes in regional atmospheric circulation that impacted local ecosystems. The Lauca Basin (northern Chilean Altiplano) contains variably fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary sequences spanning the interval from 8.7 to 2.3 Ma. Field samples were collected from paleo-lacustrine sediments in the basin. Sediments were dated using detrital zircon geochronology on volcanic tuffs, yielding an age range between similar to 5.57 and 5.44 Ma. These new age constraints provided an opportunity to evaluate changes in the Lauca Basin ecosystem across this dynamic Miocene-Pliocene transition. We employed multiple proxies (lithofacies analysis, diatoms, pollen, and oxygen stable isotopes of authigenic carbonates) to interpret ancient lacustrine and terrestrial paleoenvironments. Alternations among mudstone, carbonate, and evaporitic facies indicate lake-level variability through time. The diatom assemblage is characterized by meso- to hypersaline and alkaline-tolerant taxa typical of shallow lakes. The delta O-18 values ranged from -8.96 to -2.22 parts per thousand indicating fluctuations in water balance. Pollen taxa in the outcrop are typical of a transitional stage between seasonal cloud forest and open grassland. Together, these proxies indicate that the Lauca paleolake sediments were deposited under a wetter-than-modem climate with high temporal variability. Our results refine previous studies in the Lauca Basin and are consistent with other regional studies suggesting that the South American summer monsoon at the Miocene-Pliocene transition was more intense than it is at present. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 12/50260-6 - Structure and evolution of the Amazonian biota and its environment: an integrative approach
Grantee:Lúcia Garcez Lohmann
Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
FAPESP's process: 14/05582-0 - The Amazonian biota structure and evolution and its environment: Amazon Basin paleobotany and palynology
Grantee:Andrea Kern
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral