Arid and humid phases in southern Spain during the last 4000 years: the Zoñar Lake record, Córdoba

• Published in: Holocene (Sevenoaks) Vol. 18; no. 6; pp. 907 - 921
• Main Authors: Martín-Puertas, Celia, Valero-Garcés, Blas L., Pilar Mata, M., González-Sampériz, Penélope, Bao, Roberto, Moreno, Ana, Stefanova, Vania
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.09.2008; Turpin; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Aridity; Chronology; Climate; Climate change; Cores; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Evolution; Exact sciences and technology; Geophysics: general, magnetic, electric and thermic methods and properties; Glaciation; High resolution; Holocene; Humidity; Ice; Internal geophysics; Invertebrate paleontology; Lakes; Marine and continental quaternary; Paleoecology; Paleontology; Sediments; Surficial geology; Iberian Peninsula; Southern Europe; Andalusia Spain; Europe; Spain; Cordoba Spain; Argentina, Cordoba; lacustrine sediments; late Holocene; Zoñar Lake; humid periods; arid phases; NAO; Mediterranean climate; Spain; arid environment; upper Quaternary; paleoclimate; ostracods; Crustacea; drill cores; lakes; Cenozoic; upper Holocene; Quaternary; lake level; Ostracoda; lake sediments; Mandibulata; paleohydrology; Arthropoda; magnetic susceptibility; Invertebrata; Phanerozoic; pollen analysis; biostratigraphy; Mediterranean region; Holocene
• ISSN: 0959-6836; 1477-0911
• DOI: 10.1177/0959683608093533

A multiproxy study of sediment cores from Zoñar Lake (37°29′00″N, 4°41′22″W, 300 m a.s.l.) supported by 11 14C AMS dates provides the first high-resolution centennial-scale reconstruction of past humidity changes in southern Spain during the last 4000 years. Arid periods occurred prior to 2.9 cal. kyr BP and during 1.3—0.6 cal. kyr BP (`Mediaeval Climate Anomaly'). The most humid period occurred during 2.6—1.6 cal. kyr BP encompassing the late Iron Age—Iberian and Roman epochs. Two humid periods of lower intensity occurred between 0.8 and 0.6 cal. kyr BP (AD 1200—1400) and about 400 cal. yr BP (around AD 1600) coinciding with the onset of the `Little Ice Age'. Humid conditions are synchronous with a decline in solar output and seem to correspond to atmospheric patterns similar to negative NAO phases. Arid conditions show better correlation with northern Africa climate evolution, suggesting a possible link to subtropical dynamics. The geographic location of Zoñar Lake and the robust chronology provides an opportunity to improve our understanding of the climate evolution in mid latitudes during the late Holocene and to evaluate subtropical and high latitude factors in Mediterranean climate evolution.