Marine radiocarbon reservoir age variation in Donax obesulus shells from northern Peru: Late Holocene evidence for extended El Nino

Research Article| May 01, 2013 Marine radiocarbon reservoir age variation in Donax obesulus shells from northern Peru: Late Holocene evidence for extended El Niño Miguel F. Etayo-Cadavid; Miguel F. Etayo-Cadavid 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, USA *Current address: BP America Inc., Houston, Texas 77079, USA; E-mail: Miguel.Etayo@bp.com. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar C. Fred T. Andrus; C. Fred T. Andrus † 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, USA †E-mails: fandrus@as.ua.edu; kevinjones@usgs.gov; ghodgins@physics.arizona.edu; daniels@maine.edu; santiago_uceda@hotmail.com; quilter@fas.harvard.edu. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Kevin B. Jones; Kevin B. Jones † 2U.S. Geological Survey, National Center, Reston, Virginia 20192, USA †E-mails: fandrus@as.ua.edu; kevinjones@usgs.gov; ghodgins@physics.arizona.edu; daniels@maine.edu; santiago_uceda@hotmail.com; quilter@fas.harvard.edu. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Gregory W.L. Hodgins; Gregory W.L. Hodgins † 3National Science Foundation–Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility, Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA †E-mails: fandrus@as.ua.edu; kevinjones@usgs.gov; ghodgins@physics.arizona.edu; daniels@maine.edu; santiago_uceda@hotmail.com; quilter@fas.harvard.edu. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Daniel H. Sandweiss; Daniel H. Sandweiss † 4Climate Change Institute, Department of Anthropology, University of Maine, Stodder Hall, Orono, Maine 04469, USA †E-mails: fandrus@as.ua.edu; kevinjones@usgs.gov; ghodgins@physics.arizona.edu; daniels@maine.edu; santiago_uceda@hotmail.com; quilter@fas.harvard.edu. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Santiago Uceda-Castillo; Santiago Uceda-Castillo † 5Departamento de Arqueología y Antropología, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Trujillo, Peru †E-mails: fandrus@as.ua.edu; kevinjones@usgs.gov; ghodgins@physics.arizona.edu; daniels@maine.edu; santiago_uceda@hotmail.com; quilter@fas.harvard.edu. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jeffrey Quilter Jeffrey Quilter † 6Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA †E-mails: fandrus@as.ua.edu; kevinjones@usgs.gov; ghodgins@physics.arizona.edu; daniels@maine.edu; santiago_uceda@hotmail.com; quilter@fas.harvard.edu. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Miguel F. Etayo-Cadavid *Current address: BP America Inc., Houston, Texas 77079, USA; E-mail: Miguel.Etayo@bp.com. 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, USA C. Fred T. Andrus † 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, USA Kevin B. Jones † 2U.S. Geological Survey, National Center, Reston, Virginia 20192, USA Gregory W.L. Hodgins † 3National Science Foundation–Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility, Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA Daniel H. Sandweiss † 4Climate Change Institute, Department of Anthropology, University of Maine, Stodder Hall, Orono, Maine 04469, USA Santiago Uceda-Castillo † 5Departamento de Arqueología y Antropología, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Trujillo, Peru Jeffrey Quilter † 6Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA †E-mails: fandrus@as.ua.edu; kevinjones@usgs.gov; ghodgins@physics.arizona.edu; daniels@maine.edu; santiago_uceda@hotmail.com; quilter@fas.harvard.edu. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 24 Sep 2012 Revision Received: 18 Dec 2012 Accepted: 19 Dec 2012 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2013 Geological Society of America Geology (2013) 41 (5): 599–602. https://doi.org/10.1130/G34065.1 Article history Received: 24 Sep 2012 Revision Received: 18 Dec 2012 Accepted: 19 Dec 2012 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Miguel F. Etayo-Cadavid, C. Fred T. Andrus, Kevin B. Jones, Gregory W.L. Hodgins, Daniel H. Sandweiss, Santiago Uceda-Castillo, Jeffrey Quilter; Marine radiocarbon reservoir age variation in Donax obesulus shells from northern Peru: Late Holocene evidence for extended El Niño. Geology 2013;; 41 (5): 599–602. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G34065.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract For at least 6 m.y., El Niño events have posed the greatest environmental risk on the Peruvian coast. A better understanding of El Niño is essential for predicting future risk and growth in this tropical desert. To achieve this we analyzed archaeological and modern pre-bomb shells from the surf clam Donax for the radiocarbon reservoir effect (ΔR) to characterize late Holocene coastal upwelling conditions in northern Peru (8°14′S). Mean ΔR values from these shells suggest that modern upwelling conditions in this region were likely established between A.D. 539 and A.D. 1578. Our radiocarbon data suggest that upwelling conditions ca. A.D. 539 were less intense than those in modern times. The observed coastal water enrichment in 14C may be consequence of frequent strong El Niño events or extended El Niño–like conditions. These ΔR-inferred marine conditions are in agreement with proposed extended El Niño activity in proxy and archaeological records of ca. A.D. 475–530. Extended El Niño conditions have been linked to political destabilization, societal transformation, and collapse of the Moche civilization in northern Peru. A return to such conditions would have significant impacts on the dense population of this region today and in the near future. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.