Abstract
Several lines of geomorphological and stratigraphical evidence suggest that the widespread early post-glacial wet phase in tropical Africa between 12,500 and 5,000 yr BP (refs 1, 2) was interrupted by severe dry episodes during the intervals 11,000–10,000, 8,500–6,500 and 6,200–5,800 yr BP (refs 3–9). The magnitude of the second event has recently been questioned10. We present new stratigraphical and dating evidence from the Ziway-Shala lake basin, Ethiopia, indicating the severity and timing of dry phases during the interval 12,000–5,000 yr BP. Our findings have important implications for predictions of the climatic impact of increasing atmospheric levels of CO2.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Grove, A. T. & Goudie, A. S. Nature 234, 403–405 (1971).
Butzer, K. W., Isaac, G. L., Richardson, J. L. & Washbourn-Kamau, C. Science 175, 1069–1076 (1972).
Servant, M. & Servant, S. Rev. Géogr. phys. Géol. dyn. 12, 63–76 (1970).
Michel, P. Mém. Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Outre-Mer No. 63 (1973).
Gasse, F. thesis, Univ. Paris-VI (1975).
Rognon, P. Rev. Géogr. phys. Géol. dyn. 18, 251–282 (1976).
Butzer, K. W. Phys. Geogr. 1, 42–58 (1980).
Talbot, M. R. & Delibrias, G. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 47, 336–344 (1980).
Haynes, C. V. Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. Progr. 14, 511 (1982).
Owen, R. B., Barthelme, J. W., Renaut, R. W. & Vincens, A. Nature 298, 523–529 (1982).
Grove, A. T., Street, F. A. & Goudie, A. S. Geogr. J. 141, 177–202 (1975).
Street, F. A. thesis, Univ. Cambridge (1979).
Lézine, A.-M. & Bonnefille, R. Pollen Spores 24, 463–480 (1982).
Descourtieux-Coqueugniot, C. thesis, Univ. Paris-VI (1979).
Hamilton, A. Abstr. X INQUA Congr., Birmingham, 193 (1977).
Street, F. A. Palaeoecol. Afr. 11, 135–143 (1979).
Kutzbach, J. Quat. Res. 14, 210–223 (1980).
Kutzbach, J. in Variations in the Global Water Budget (eds Street-Perrott, F. A., Beran, M. & Ratcliffe, R. A. S.) 371–389 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1983).
Kellogg, W. W. & Schware, R. Climate Change and Society (Westview, Boulder, 1981).
Butzer, K. W. Prof. Geogr. 32, 269–278 (1980).
Kutzbach, J. Science 214, 59–61 (1981).
Delmas, R. J., Ascencio, J-M. & Legrand, M. Nature 284, 155–157 (1980).
Neftel, A., Oeschger, H., Schwander, J., Stauffer, B. & Zumbrunn, R. Nature 295, 220–222 (1982).
Eddy, J. A. Climat. Change 1, 173–190 (1977).
Flohn, H. Quat. Res. 12, 135–149 (1979).
Flohn, H. & Nicholson, S. Palaeoecol. Afr. 12, 3–21 (1980).
Flohn, H. in Variations in the Global Water Budget (eds Street-Perrott, F. A., Beran, M. & Ratcliffe, R. A. S.) 403–418 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1983).
Street-Perrott, F. A. & Roberts, N. in Variations in the Global Water Budget (eds Street-Perrott, F. A., Beran, M. & Ratcliffe, R. A. S.) 331–345 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1983).
Street, F. A. Proc. VIII Panafr. Congr. Prehist. Quat. Studs. 143 –146 (International Louis Leakey Memorial Institute for African Prehistory, Nairobi, 1980).
Gasse, F. & Street, F. A. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 24, 279–325 (1978).
Géze, F. Bull. geophys. Obs. Addis Ababa 15, 119–124 (1975).
Haynes, V. & Haas, H. Radiocarbon 16, 368–380 (1974).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gillespie, R., Street-Perrott, F. & Switsur, R. Post-glacial arid episodes in Ethiopia have implications for climate prediction. Nature 306, 680–683 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/306680a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/306680a0
This article is cited by
-
Revisiting afro-alpine Lake Garba Guracha in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia: rationale, chronology, geochemistry, and paleoenvironmental implications
Journal of Paleolimnology (2020)
-
New insights into the termination of the African Humid Period (5.5 ka BP) in central Ethiopia from detailed analysis of a diatom record
Journal of Paleolimnology (2019)
-
Rapid termination of the African Humid Period triggered by northern high-latitude cooling
Nature Communications (2017)
-
Lakeside View: Sociocultural Responses to Changing Water Levels of Lake Turkana, Kenya
African Archaeological Review (2015)
-
Rediscovery of a long-lost lark reveals the conspecificity of endangered Heteromirafra populations in the Horn of Africa
Journal of Ornithology (2013)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
