Late quaternary paleosol records from sutropical (38°S) to tropical (16°S) South America and palaeoclimatic implications

Loess and palaeosols in the subtropical lowlands of South America (∼23–38°S) have a large potential to serve as archives of Late Quaternary environmental and climate changes. At present, mean annual precipitation generally decreases from N to S and from E to W, though with a complex seasonal pattern...

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Main Authors: Zech, Wolfgang, Zech, MIchael, Zech, Roland, Peinneman, Néstor, Morras, Hector, Moretti, Lucas Martin, Ogle, Neil, Fucks, M., Kalim, R.M., Schad, P., Glaser, B.
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2025
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21038
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040618208000050
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2008.01.005
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author Zech, Wolfgang
Zech, MIchael
Zech, Roland
Peinneman, Néstor
Morras, Hector
Moretti, Lucas Martin
Ogle, Neil
Fucks, M.
Kalim, R.M.
Schad, P.
Glaser, B.
author_browse Fucks, M.
Glaser, B.
Kalim, R.M.
Moretti, Lucas Martin
Morras, Hector
Ogle, Neil
Peinneman, Néstor
Schad, P.
Zech, MIchael
Zech, Roland
Zech, Wolfgang
author_facet Zech, Wolfgang
Zech, MIchael
Zech, Roland
Peinneman, Néstor
Morras, Hector
Moretti, Lucas Martin
Ogle, Neil
Fucks, M.
Kalim, R.M.
Schad, P.
Glaser, B.
author_sort Zech, Wolfgang
collection INTA Digital
description Loess and palaeosols in the subtropical lowlands of South America (∼23–38°S) have a large potential to serve as archives of Late Quaternary environmental and climate changes. At present, mean annual precipitation generally decreases from N to S and from E to W, though with a complex seasonal pattern with austral summer rainfall related to the monsoonal circulation and with austral winter rainfall related to the SE-trades. In this paper, we present results of multiproxy geochemical analyses from three representative eolian/alluvial soil profiles along a S–N transect aiming at the reconstruction of past climate changes: (i) profile “Chasico” at the southern border of the subtropics (38°S), (ii) “D4” in Misiones at the northern border of the subtropics (27°S), and, for comparison, (iii) “Laguna Sucuara” in the savannas of the Bolivian lowlands (16°S). Our results show that before ∼16 ka BP, conditions were likely very cold and dry. Except for in “D4”, loess or soils are not preserved due to rather scarce vegetation cover and resultant deflation. In “Chasico”, accumulation of sands (directly overlying the Tertiary) starts only during the Late Glacial, indicating increasing temperatures and increased monsoonal precipitation (coinciding with the “Tauca” wet phase on the Altiplano). In “D4”, a palaeosol is preserved below the Late Glacial sediments and the deflation hiatus. This palaeosol is dated to ∼40 ka BP and documents an earlier, but less intensive (southward reaching) phase of monsoonal precipitation (“Inca Huasi” on the Altiplano). Whereas the seasonality during the Late Glacial seems to have been very pronounced, conditions for organic matter production and preservation became much more favourable at “Chasico” and “D4” during the Early Holocene. We suggest that extra-tropical winter precipitation played a more important role than before and than today. Between ∼7.5 and 3 ka BP, the expansion of C4 plants along the S–N transect suggests increasing aridity, probably due to a weakening of the extra-tropical circulation in combination with a relatively weak monsoonal circulation. Only after ∼3 ka BP climate became more humid again due to the re-strengthening of the monsoon.
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spelling INTA210382025-01-20T21:22:28Z Late quaternary paleosol records from sutropical (38°S) to tropical (16°S) South America and palaeoclimatic implications Zech, Wolfgang Zech, MIchael Zech, Roland Peinneman, Néstor Morras, Hector Moretti, Lucas Martin Ogle, Neil Fucks, M. Kalim, R.M. Schad, P. Glaser, B. América del Sur Cambio Climático Cuaternario South America Climate Change Quaternary Late Quaternary Cuaternario Tardío Loess and palaeosols in the subtropical lowlands of South America (∼23–38°S) have a large potential to serve as archives of Late Quaternary environmental and climate changes. At present, mean annual precipitation generally decreases from N to S and from E to W, though with a complex seasonal pattern with austral summer rainfall related to the monsoonal circulation and with austral winter rainfall related to the SE-trades. In this paper, we present results of multiproxy geochemical analyses from three representative eolian/alluvial soil profiles along a S–N transect aiming at the reconstruction of past climate changes: (i) profile “Chasico” at the southern border of the subtropics (38°S), (ii) “D4” in Misiones at the northern border of the subtropics (27°S), and, for comparison, (iii) “Laguna Sucuara” in the savannas of the Bolivian lowlands (16°S). Our results show that before ∼16 ka BP, conditions were likely very cold and dry. Except for in “D4”, loess or soils are not preserved due to rather scarce vegetation cover and resultant deflation. In “Chasico”, accumulation of sands (directly overlying the Tertiary) starts only during the Late Glacial, indicating increasing temperatures and increased monsoonal precipitation (coinciding with the “Tauca” wet phase on the Altiplano). In “D4”, a palaeosol is preserved below the Late Glacial sediments and the deflation hiatus. This palaeosol is dated to ∼40 ka BP and documents an earlier, but less intensive (southward reaching) phase of monsoonal precipitation (“Inca Huasi” on the Altiplano). Whereas the seasonality during the Late Glacial seems to have been very pronounced, conditions for organic matter production and preservation became much more favourable at “Chasico” and “D4” during the Early Holocene. We suggest that extra-tropical winter precipitation played a more important role than before and than today. Between ∼7.5 and 3 ka BP, the expansion of C4 plants along the S–N transect suggests increasing aridity, probably due to a weakening of the extra-tropical circulation in combination with a relatively weak monsoonal circulation. Only after ∼3 ka BP climate became more humid again due to the re-strengthening of the monsoon. Instituto de Suelos Fil: Zech, Wolfgang. University of Bayreuth, Chair of Geomorphology and Department of Soil Physics, Bayreuth, Germany. Fil: Zech, Michael. University of Bayreuth, Chair of Geomorphology and Department of Soil Physics, Bayreuth, Germany. Fil: Zech, Roland. University of Bern. Institute of Geography; Suiza Fil: Peinneman, Néstor. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Morras, Héctor. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Suelos; Argentina Fil: Moretti, Lucas Martin. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Suelos; Argentina Fil: Moretti, Lucas Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Argentina Fil: Ogle, Neil. The Queen′s University of Belfast. School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering; Irlanda Fil: Kalim, R.M. The Queen′s University of Belfast. School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering; Irlanda Fil: Fucks, M. University of Bayreuth. Institute of Geomorphology; Alemania Fil: Schad, P. Technical University Munich. Institute of Soil Science; Argentina Fil: Glaser, B. University of Bayreuth, Chair of Geomorphology and Department of Soil Physics, Bayreuth, Germany. 2025-01-20T20:11:19Z 2025-01-20T20:11:19Z 2009-03-01 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21038 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040618208000050 1040-6182 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2008.01.005 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Elsevier Quaternary International 196 (1–2) : 107-120 (March 2009)
spellingShingle América del Sur
Cambio Climático
Cuaternario
South America
Climate Change
Quaternary
Late Quaternary
Cuaternario Tardío
Zech, Wolfgang
Zech, MIchael
Zech, Roland
Peinneman, Néstor
Morras, Hector
Moretti, Lucas Martin
Ogle, Neil
Fucks, M.
Kalim, R.M.
Schad, P.
Glaser, B.
Late quaternary paleosol records from sutropical (38°S) to tropical (16°S) South America and palaeoclimatic implications
title Late quaternary paleosol records from sutropical (38°S) to tropical (16°S) South America and palaeoclimatic implications
title_full Late quaternary paleosol records from sutropical (38°S) to tropical (16°S) South America and palaeoclimatic implications
title_fullStr Late quaternary paleosol records from sutropical (38°S) to tropical (16°S) South America and palaeoclimatic implications
title_full_unstemmed Late quaternary paleosol records from sutropical (38°S) to tropical (16°S) South America and palaeoclimatic implications
title_short Late quaternary paleosol records from sutropical (38°S) to tropical (16°S) South America and palaeoclimatic implications
title_sort late quaternary paleosol records from sutropical 38°s to tropical 16°s south america and palaeoclimatic implications
topic América del Sur
Cambio Climático
Cuaternario
South America
Climate Change
Quaternary
Late Quaternary
Cuaternario Tardío
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21038
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040618208000050
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2008.01.005
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