A continuous, high-resolution record of late Pleistocene climate variability from the Estancia basin, New Mexico

Research Article| September 01, 2000 A continuous, high-resolution record of late Pleistocene climate variability from the Estancia basin, New Mexico Bruce D. Allen; Bruce D. Allen 1New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Roger Y. Anderson Roger Y. Anderson 2Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Bruce D. Allen 1New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA Roger Y. Anderson 2Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 05 Oct 1998 Revision Received: 01 Jul 1999 Accepted: 11 Oct 1999 First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2000) 112 (9): 1444–1458. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(2000)112<1444:ACHRRO>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 05 Oct 1998 Revision Received: 01 Jul 1999 Accepted: 11 Oct 1999 First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Bruce D. Allen, Roger Y. Anderson; A continuous, high-resolution record of late Pleistocene climate variability from the Estancia basin, New Mexico. GSA Bulletin 2000;; 112 (9): 1444–1458. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(2000)112<1444:ACHRRO>2.0.CO;2 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 SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Lake sediments that accumulated in the Estancia basin, central New Mexico, provide a detailed record of submillennial latest Pleistocene climatic oscillations. Sedimentologic, biologic, and geochemical proxies for changes in salinity and lake level were used to identify episodes of wet and dry climate that occurred between 24 and 12 k.y. B.P., as dated by 14C by means of accelerator mass spectrometry from shoreline and basin-center deposits. These dates determine the timing and duration of the episodes of wet and dry climate. The lake expanded and contracted repeatedly during the last glacial maximum and fluctuated near its highest elevation several times during the interval ca. 20 to 15 k.y. B.P. A pronounced lowstand lasting ∼1 k.y. occurred between ca. 15 and 14 k.y. B.P., followed by two more highstands of the lake between ca. 14 and 12.5 k.y. B.P. Desiccation of the perennial lake after 12 k.y. B.P. was followed by a final, poorly dated highstand at ca. 10 k.y. B.P. The record of lake-level fluctuations from the Estancia basin provides a high-resolution record of changes in water budget in a basin, the comparatively simple physiography and hydrogeology of which ensured a direct response to the strong climatic fluctuations that occurred during the last glacial maximum and termination. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.