Simulation of an abrupt change in Saharan vegetation in the mid-Holocene

Claussen, M.; Kubatzki, C.; Brovkin, V.; Ganopolski, A.; Hoelzmann, P.; Pachur, H.-J.

doi:10.1029/1999GL900494

Item

ITEM ACTIONSEXPORT

Add to Basket

Local TagsRelease HistoryDetailsSummary

Released

Journal Article

Simulation of an abrupt change in Saharan vegetation in the mid-Holocene

MPS-Authors

/persons/resource/persons62413

Hoelzmann, P.
Department Biogeochemical Synthesis, Prof. C. Prentice, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Society;

External Resource

http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/1999GL900494
(Publisher version)

Fulltext (restricted access)

There are currently no full texts shared for your IP range.

Fulltext (public)

There are no public fulltexts stored in PuRe

Supplementary Material (public)

There is no public supplementary material available

Citation

Claussen, M., Kubatzki, C., Brovkin, V., Ganopolski, A., Hoelzmann, P., & Pachur, H.-J. (1999). Simulation of an abrupt change in Saharan vegetation in the mid-Holocene. Geophysical Research Letters, 26(14), 2037-2040. doi:10.1029/1999GL900494.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-000E-CBAC-0

Abstract

Climate variability during the present interglacial, the Holocene, has been rather smooth in comparison with the last glacial. Nevertheless, there were some rather abrupt climate changes. One of these changes, the desertification of the Saharan and Arabian region some 4 - 6 thousand years ago, was presumably quite important for human society. It could have been the stimulus leading to the foundation of civilizations along the Nile, Euphrat and Tigris rivers. Here we argue that Saharan and Arabian desertification was triggered by subtle variations in the Earth's orbit which were strongly amplified by atmosphere- vegetation feedbacks in the subtropics. The timing of this transition, however, was mainly governed by a global interplay between atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, and vegetation. [References: 26]