Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T15:11:37.011Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A 40,000-yr Pollen and Diatom Record from Lake Tritrivakely, Madagascar, in the Southern Tropics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Françoise Gasse  and
Elise Van Campo
Françoise Gasse
Affiliation:
CEREGE, UMR 6635, BP 80, 13545, Aix-en Provence Cedex 4, France; and CNRS-GDR 970, BP 80, 13545, Aix-en Provence Cedex 4, France
Elise Van Campo
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Ecologie Terrestre, UMR 5552 CNRS-Université Paul Sabatier, 13 Avenue du Colonel Roche, BP 4403, 31405, Toulouse Cedex 4, France; and CNRS-GDR 970, BP 80, 13545, Aix-en Provence Cedex 4, France
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Links between southern and northern hemisphere climates during the Late Quaternary are poorly known, partly due to the scarcity of continuous climatic records in the southern tropics. Pollen and diatom evidence from Lake Tritrivakely (19°47′S) provides information on vegetational and hydrological changes in the central highlands of Madagascar over the past 40,000 yr. Most of the record reflects natural environmental variability since humans arrived on the island ca. 2000 yr B.P. During glacial times, the migration of mountain plants toward lower altitudes is consistent with a temperature decrease and with reduced atmospheric CO2 levels. In the lake, a positive mean annual hydrologic balance, from 38,000 to 36,000 and from 17,500 to 9800 cal yr B.P., coincided with periods of decreasing summer insolation and preceded by several millennia lake rises in the northern tropics. A negative hydrologic budget during periods of maximum seasonal contrast in solar radiation is partly attributed to high summer evaporation rate. The last glacial maximum was cool and dry. The deglacial warming occurred in two steps. The first step, accompanied by an increase in wetness, occurred abruptly at ca. 17,000 cal yr B.P., about two millennia earlier than in the northern hemisphere. It is abundantly documented in southern terrestrial data. The second step, at 15,000 cal yr B.P., was in phase with the first major temperature change in the northern hemisphere.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 49 , Issue 3 , May 1998 , pp. 299 - 311
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Argollo, J., Mourguiart, P., 1995. Paleohidrologia de los ultimos 25 000 anos en los Andes bolivianos. Bulletin de l'Institut Français des Etudes Andines. 24 551–562.Google Scholar
Ashworth, A.C., Hoganson, J.W., 1993. The magnitude and rapidity of the climate change marking the end of the Pleistocene in the mid-latitudes of South America. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology. 101 263–270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bard, E., Arnold, M., Fairbanks, R.G., Hamelin, B., 1993. 230 234 14 . Radiocarbon. 35 191–199.Google Scholar
Bard, E., Rostek, F., Sonzogni, C., 1997. Interhemispheric synchrony of the last deglaciation inferred from alkenone palaeothermometry. Nature. 385 707–710.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, J.W., Récy, J., Taylor, F., Edwards, R.L., Cabioch, G., 1997. Abrupt changes in early Holocene tropical sea surface temperature derived from coral records. Nature. 385 705–707.Google Scholar
Benson, L., Currey, D., Lao, Y., Hostetler, S., 1992. Lake-size variations in the Lahontan and Bonneville basins between 13,000 and 900014 . Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology. 95 19–32.Google Scholar
Bergonzini, L., Chalié, F., Gasse, F., 1997. Paleoevaporation and paleoprecipitation in the Tanganyika Basin at 18,000 years B.P. inferred from hydrologic and vegetation proxies. Quaternary Research. 47 295–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonnefille, R., Chalié, F., Guiot, J., Vincens, A., 1992. Quantitative estimates of full glacial temperatures in equatorial Africa from palynological data. Climate Dynamics. 6 251–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broecker, W.S., 1994. Massive iceberg discharges as triggers for global climate change. Nature. 372 421–424.Google Scholar
Burney, D.A., 1987. Presettlement changes at Lake Tritrivakely, Madagascar. Palaeoecology of Africa. 18 350–381.Google Scholar
Burney, D.A., 1987. Late Holocene vegetational change in central Madagascar. Quaternary Research. 28 130–143.Google Scholar
Burney, D.A., 1987. Late Quaternary stratigraphic charcoal records from Madagascar. Quaternary Research. 28 274–280.Google Scholar
Burney, D.A., 1988. Modern pollen spectra from Madagascar. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology. 66 63–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Camburn, K.E., Kingston, J.C., 1986. The genus Melosira . Diatoms and Lake Acidity. Junk, Dordrecht, p. 17–34.Google Scholar
Chalié, F., 1995. Paléoclimats du bassin Tanganyika Sud au cours des 25 derniers mille ans. Reconstruction quantitative par le traitement statistique des données polliniques. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences (Paris) Series 2. 320 205–208.Google Scholar
Chaperon, P., Danioux, J., Ferry, L., 1993. Fleuves et Rivières de Madagascar. Monographies Hydrologiques. 10 874.Google Scholar
Charles, C., Fairbanks, R., 1992. Evidence from Southern Ocean sediments for the effect of North Atlantic deep-water flux on climate. Nature. 355 416–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
CLIMAP Members 1981, Seasonal Reconstruction of the Earth's Surface at the Last Glacial Maximum.Google Scholar
deMenocal, P.B., 1995. Plio-Pleistocene African climate. Science. 270 53–59.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donque, G., 1972. The climatology of Madagascar. Richard-Vindard, G., Battistini, R., Biogeography and Ecology of Madagascar. Junk, The Hague, 87–144.Google Scholar
Finney, B.P., Sholtz, C.A., Johnson, T.C., Trumbore, S., 1996. Late Quaternary lake-level changes of Lake Malawi. Johnson, T.J., Odada, E.O., The Limnology, Climatology and Paleoclimatology of the East African Lakes. Gordon and Breach 495–508.Google Scholar
Florin, B. B, 1981, The Taxonomy of Some Melosira, 43, 73.Google Scholar
Ganopolski, A., Rahmstorf, S., Petoukhov, V., Claussen, M., 1998. Simulation of modern and glacial climates with a coupled global model of intermediate complexity. Nature. 391 351–356.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasse, F., 1986. East African diatoms. Taxonomy, ecological distribution. Bibliotheca Diatomologica. 11.Google Scholar
Gasse, F., Lédée, V., Massault, M., Fontes, J.Ch., 1989. Water-level fluctuations of Lake Tanganyika in phase with oceanic changes during the last glaciation and deglaciation. Nature. 342 57–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasse, F., Téhet, R., Durand, A., Gibert, E., Fontes, J.Ch., 1990. The arid–humid transition in the Sahara and the Sahel during the last deglaciation. Nature. 346 141–156.Google Scholar
Gasse, F., Cortijo, E., Disnar, J.R., Ferry, L., Gibert, E., Kissel, C., Laggoun-Défarge, F., Lallier-Vergès, E., Miskovsky, J.C., Ratsimbazafy, B., Ranaivo, F., Tucholka, P., Saos, J.L., Siffedine, A., Taieb, M., Van Campo, E., Williamson, D., 1994. A 36 kyr environmental record in the southern tropics: Lake Tritrivakely. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences (Paris) Série 2. 318 1513–1519.Google Scholar
Gasse, F., Juggins, S., Ben Khelifa, L., 1995. Diatom-based tranfer-functions for inferring past hydrochemical characteristics of African lakes. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology. 117 31–54.Google Scholar
Gasse, F., Van Campo, E., 1994. Abrupt post-glacial climate events in West Asia and North Africa monsoon domains. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 126 435–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasse, F., Lin, R., 1997. Lacustrine isotope archives of past climate and environmental changes in the tropics and subtropics. Some examples from Africa. Isotope Techniques in Studying Past and Current Environmental Changes in the Hydrosphere and the Atmosphere. Google Scholar
Guilderson, T.P., Fairbanks, R.G., Rubenstone, J.L., 1994. Tropical temperature variations since 20,000 years ago: Modulating inter-hemispheric climate change. Science. 263 663–665.Google Scholar
Harisoa, F.M., 1988. Etude de la végétation de Madagascar à l'aide des données spatiales. Université de l'Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse. Google Scholar
Holmgren, K., Karléen, W., Shaw, P., 1995. Paleoclimatic significance of the stable isotopic composition and petrology of a late Pleistocene stalagmite from Botswana. Quaternary Research. 43 320–328.Google Scholar
Humbert, H., 1955. Les territoires phytogéographiques de Madagascar. Leur cartographie. Colloque sur les régions écologiques du globe. Paris, 1954. Annals of Biology. 31 439–448.Google Scholar
Humbert, H., Cours-Darne, G., 1965. Carte Internationale du Tapis Végétal et des conditions écologiques à 1/1 000 000 de Madagascar. Notice de la carte. Travaux de la Section Scientifique et Technique Institut Francais de Pondichery. 6 162.Google Scholar
Johnsen, S.J., Clausen, H.B., Dansgaard, W., Fuhrer, K., Gundestrup, N., Hammer, C.U., Iversen, P., Jouzel, J., Stauffer, B., Steffensen, J.P., 1992. Irregular glacial interstadials recorded in a new Greenland ice core. Nature. 359 311–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jolly, D., Haxeltine, , 1997. Effect of low atmospheric CO2 . Science. 276 786–788.Google Scholar
Johnsen, S.J., Dansgaard, W., Clausen, H.B., Langway, C.C. Jr., 1972. Oxygen isotope profiles through Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. Nature. 235 429–434.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jouzel, J., Vaikmae, R., Petit, J.R., Martin, M., Duclos, Y., Stievenard, M., Lorius, C., Toots, M., Mélières, M.A., Burckle, I.H., Barkov, N.I., Kotlyakov, V.M., 1995. The two-step shape and timing of the last deglaciation in Antarctica. Climate Dynamics. 11 151–161.Google Scholar
Jumelle, H., 1936. Flore de Madagascar et des Comores. Google Scholar
Koechlin, J., Guillaumet, J.L., Morat, P., 1974. Flore et végétation de Madagascar. Cramer, Vaduz. Google Scholar
Krammer, K., Lange-Bertalot, H., Bacillariophyceae. 3, 4 1991.Google Scholar
Krammer, K., Lange-Bertalot, H., Bibliotheca Diatomologica. 9 1985.Google Scholar
Lange-Bertalot, H., Krammer, K., Bibliotheca Diatomologica. 15 1987.Google Scholar
Lehman, S.J., Keigwin, L.D., 1992. Sudden changes in North Atlantic circulation duing the last deglaciation. Nature. 356 757–762.Google Scholar
Leroy, J.F., 1952. Flore de Madagascar et des Comores. Google Scholar
Lowe, J. J., Gray, J. M., Robinson, J. E, 1980, Studies in the Late Glacial of Northwest Europe, Pergamon, Oxford. Google Scholar
Lowell, T.V., Heusser, C.J., Andersen, B.G., Moreno, P.I., Hauser, A., Heusser, L.E., Schlüchter, C., Marchant, D.R., Denton, G.H., 1995. Interhemispheic Correlation of Late Pleistocene Glacial events. Science. 269 1541–1549.Google Scholar
Mac Phee, R.D.E., Burney, D.A., 1991. Dating of modified femora of extinct dwarf Hippopotamus from southern Madagascar: Implications for constraining human colonization and vertebrate extinction events. Journal of Archaeological Science. 18 695–706.Google Scholar
Manguin, E., 1941. Contribution à la flore de diatomées d'eau douce de Madagascar. Revue Algologique. 12 153–157.Google Scholar
Manguin, E., 1952. Les diatomées fossiles du bassin d'Antsirabé, Ranomafana II. Mem. Inst. Scient. Madagascar. 4 1–57.Google Scholar
Messerli, B., Grosjean, M., Bonani, G., Burgi, A., Geyh, M.A., Graf, K., Ramseyer, K., Romero, H., Schotterer, U., Schreier, H., Vuille, M., 1993. Climate change and natural resource dynamics of the Atacama Altiplano during the last 18,000 years: a preliminary synthesis. Mountain Research and Development. 13 117–127.Google Scholar
Partridge, T.C., 1997. Cainozoic environmental change in southern Africa, with special emphasis on the last 200 000 years. Progress in Physical Geography. 21 3–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Partridge, T.C., deMenocal, P.B., Lorentz, S.A., Paiker, M.J., Vogel, J.C., 1997. Orbital forcing of climate over South Africa: A 200 000-year rainfall record from the Pretoria Saltpan. Quaternary Science Reviews. 16 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paulian, R., Betsch, J.M., Guillaumet, J.L., Blanc, C., Griveaud, P., 1971. Etude des écosystèmes montagnards dans la région malgache. Le massif de l'Andringitra. Géomorphologie, climatologie et groupements végétaux. Bulletin de la Société Ecologique. 2 189–266.Google Scholar
Perrier de la Bathie, H., 1921. La végétation malgache. Annales du musée colonial de Marseille, 3ème série. 9.Google Scholar
Pichon, J.J., Labeyrie, L.D., Bareille, G., Labracherie, M., Duprat, J., Jouzel, J., 1992. Surface water temperature changes in the high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere over the last glacial-interglacial cycle. Paleoceanography. 7 289–318.Google Scholar
Rajeriarison, C., 1984. Influences des formations végétales malgaches et des principaux facteurs climatiques dans la composition des flux polliniques atmosphériques de la région de Tananarive (Madagascar), au cours de 3 cycles annuels (1979, 1980 et 1981). Université de Montpellier.Google Scholar
Raynal-Roques, A., 1980. Les Plantes Aquatiques. Durand, J.R., Lévêque, C., Flore et Faune aquatiques de l'Afrique sahélo-soudanienne. ORSTOM, Paris, 63–152.Google Scholar
Richard, Y., 1994. Variabilité pluviométrique en Afrique du Sud-Est. La Météorologie série. 8 11–21.Google Scholar
Servant, M., Fournier, M., Argollo, J., Servant-Vildary, S., Sylvestre, F., Wirrmann, D., Ybert, J.P., 1995. La dernière transition glaciaire/interglaciaire des Andes tropicales sud (Bolivie) d'après l'étude des variations des niveaux lacustres et des fluctuations glaciaires. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences (Paris) Série 2. 320 729–736.Google Scholar
Sifeddine, A., Laggoun-Défarge, F., Lallier-Vergès, E., Disnar, J.R., Williamson, D., Gasse, F., Gibert, E., 1995. La sédimentation organique lacustre en zone tropicale sud au cours des 36 000 dernières années (Lac Tritrivakely, Madagascar). Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences (Paris) Série 2. 321 385–391.Google Scholar
Sowers, T., Bender, M., 1995. Climate Records Covering the Last Deglaciation. Science. 269 210–214.Google Scholar
Straka, H., 1991. Palynologia Madagassica et Mascarenica. 2. Echantillons de surface. Tropische und subtropische Pflanzenwelt. 78 5–43.Google Scholar
Straka, H., 1993. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Vegetationsgeschichte von Madagaskar (Vorläufige Mitteilung). Dissertationes Botanicae. 196 439–449.Google Scholar
Street-Perrott, F. A., Marchand, D. S., Roberts, N., Harrison, S. P, 1989, Global Lake-Level Variations from 18,000 to 0 Years Ago: A Palaeoclimatic Analysis, United States Department of Energy, 1, 213, U. S. Dept. Energy, Washington, DC. Google Scholar
Street-Perrott, F.A., Huang, Y., Perrott, R.A., Eglington, G., Barker, P., Ben Khelifa, L., Harkness, D.D., Olago, D.O., 1997. Impact of lower atmospheric CO2 . Science. 278 1422–1426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M., Reimer, P.J., 1993. Extended14 14 . Radiocarbon. 35 215–230.Google Scholar
Stute, M., Talma, S., 1998. Glacial temperatures and moisture transport regimes reconstructed from noble gas and δ18 . Isotope Techniques in Studying Past and Current Environmental Changes in the Hydrosphere and the Atmosphere. Google Scholar
Van Campo, E., Duplessy, J.C., Prell, W.L., Barratt, N., Sabatier, R., 1990. Comparison of terrestrial and marine temperature estimates for the past 135 Kyr off southeast Africa: A test for GCM simulations of paleoclimates. Nature. 348 208–212.Google Scholar
Webb, R.S., Rind, D.H., Lehman, S.J., Healy, R.J., Sigman, D., 1997. Influence of heat transport on the climate of the Last Glacial Maximum. Nature. 385 695–699.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, M. A. J., Faure, H, 1980, The Sahara and the Nile. .Google Scholar
Williamson, D., Jelinowska, A., Kissel, C., Tucholka, P., Gibert, E., Gasse, F., Massault, M., Taieb, M., Van Campo, E., Wieckowski, K., 1998. Rock magnetic proxies of erosion/oxidation cycles in Late Quaternary maar lake sediments (Lake Tritrivakely Madagascar): paleoenvironmental implications. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 155 205–219.Google Scholar
White, F., Moll, E., 1978. The Indian Ocean coastal belt. Werger, M.J.A., Biogeography and ecology of Southern Africa. Junk, The Hague, 563–598.Google Scholar