Nile Delta vegetation response to Holocene climate variability

Abstract

Research Article| July 01, 2012 Nile Delta vegetation response to Holocene climate variability Christopher E. Bernhardt; Christopher E. Bernhardt * 1U.S. Geological Survey, 926A National Center, Reston, Virginia 20192, USA2Sea Level Research, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, 240 South 33rd Street, Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA *E-mail: [e-mail]. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Benjamin P. Horton; Benjamin P. Horton 2Sea Level Research, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, 240 South 33rd Street, Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jean-Daniel Stanley Jean-Daniel Stanley 3Geoarchaeology Program, Department of Paleobiology, E-205 NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Christopher E. Bernhardt * 1U.S. Geological Survey, 926A National Center, Reston, Virginia 20192, USA2Sea Level Research, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, 240 South 33rd Street, Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA Benjamin P. Horton 2Sea Level Research, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, 240 South 33rd Street, Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA Jean-Daniel Stanley 3Geoarchaeology Program, Department of Paleobiology, E-205 NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012, USA *E-mail: [e-mail]. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 10 Nov 2011 Revision Received: 16 Jan 2012 Accepted: 03 Feb 2012 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2012 Geological Society of America Geology (2012) 40 (7): 615–618. https://doi.org/10.1130/G33012.1 Article history Received: 10 Nov 2011 Revision Received: 16 Jan 2012 Accepted: 03 Feb 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 Christopher E. Bernhardt, Benjamin P. Horton, Jean-Daniel Stanley; Nile Delta vegetation response to Holocene climate variability. Geology 2012;; 40 (7): 615–618. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G33012.1 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 A 7000 yr palynologic record from Burullus Lagoon, Nile Delta, Egypt, is assessed to investigate changes in terrestrial vegetation in response to Nile flow. Previous studies in this region have shown that sea-level rise in the early to mid-Holocene, and markedly increased human land use during the past several centuries, altered vegetation in and around the lagoon. The pollen record from this study documents changes in delta vegetation that likely reflect variations in Nile flow. We suggest that Cyperaceae pollen is a sensitive marker of precipitation over the Nile headwaters and the resultant Nile flow. Decreases in Cyperaceae pollen, interpreted as a marker for diminished Nile flow, as well as the increase in relative abundance of microscopic charcoal, occurred at ca. 6000–5500, ca. 5000, ca. 4200, and ca. 3000 cal. yr B.P. (calibrated years before present). These correspond to extreme regional and global aridity events associated with a more southerly mean position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. These changes, also recorded by other proxy studies, indicate that several marked regional drought events affected the Nile Delta region and impacted ancient Egyptian and Middle Eastern civilizations. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.