The transition of the monsoonal and the N Atlantic climate system off NW Africa during the Holocene

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 31; no. 22; pp. L22204 - n/a
• Main Authors: Kuhlmann, Holger, Meggers, Helge, Freudenthal, Tim, Wefer, Gerold
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Geophysical Union 01.11.2004; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Climate dynamics; Drought; Global Change; Hydrology; Marine; Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics; Oceans; Paleoclimatology; Precipitation
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1029/2004GL021267

The northward extent of the influence of the W African monsoon during humid periods of interglacials is subject to investigations highlighting feedback mechanisms, such as vegetation. To detect this regional variation and the climate system acting farther to the north will be the aim of this paper focussing on the Holocene. We present two very high‐resolution Holocene sediment records off NW Africa located at 31°N and 27°N. The well‐known mid‐Holocene climate change from the “African Humid Period” to present arid conditions is well reflected by the terrigenous input in the southern core. In contrast, in the northern core spectral and wavelet analyses indicate a periodic oscillation of about 900 years of the terrigenous input throughout the last 9000 years B.P. We conclude that the W African monsoonal influence characterized by the abrupt climatic change at 5000 years B.P. can be separated from the influence of the N Atlantic climate system reflected by a periodic oscillation throughout the Holocene.