Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T01:21:13.910Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Late Quaternary glacial chronology on Nevado Illimani, Bolivia, and the implications for paleoclimatic reconstructions across the Andes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Colby A. Smith ,
Thomas V. Lowell ,
Lewis A. Owen  and
Marc W. Caffee
Colby A. Smith*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Thomas V. Lowell
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Lewis A. Owen
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Marc W. Caffee
Affiliation:
PRIME Lab, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
*
⁎Corresponding author.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

10Be terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure ages from moraines on Nevado Illimani, Cordillera Real, Bolivia suggest that glaciers retreated from moraines during the periods 15.5–13.0 ka, 10.0–8.5 ka, and 3.5–2.0 ka. Late glacial moraines at Illimani are associated with an ELA depression of 400–600 m, which is consistent with other local reconstructions of late glacial ELAs in the Eastern Cordillera of the central Andes. A comparison of late glacial ELAs between the Eastern Cordillera and Western Cordillera indicates a marked change toward flattening of the east-to-west regional ELA gradient. This flattening is consistent with increased precipitation from the Pacific during the late glacial period.

Keywords

Glacial geologyTropical AndesGlacial chronologyBoliviaNevado IllimaniCordillera RealEquilibrium line altitude
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 75 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 1 - 10
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

Ammann, C., Jenny, B., Kammer, K., and Messerli, B. Late Quaternary glacier response to humidity changes in the arid Andes of Chile (18–29° S). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 172, (2001). 313–326.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arnaud, Y., Muller, F., Vuille, M., and Ribstein, P. El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence on a Sajama volcano glacier (Bolivia) from 1963 to 1998 as seen from Landsat data and aerial photography. Journal of Geophysical Research 106, No. D16 (2001). 17,773–17,784.Google Scholar
Baker, P.A., Seltzer, G.O., Fritz, S.C., Dunbar, R.B., Grove, M.J., Tapia, P.M., Cross, S.L., Rowe, H.D., and Broda, J.P. The history of South American tropical precipitation for the past 25,000 yrs. Science 291, (2001). 640–643.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, P.A., Rigsby, C.A., Seltzer, G.O., Fritz, S.C., Lowenstein, T.K., Niklas, B.P., and Veliz, C. Tropical climate changes at millenial and orbital timescales on the Bolivian Altiplano. Nature 409, (2001). 698–701.Google Scholar
Balco, G., Stone, J.O., Lifton, N.A., and Dunai, T.J. A complete and easily accessible means of calculating surface exposure ages or erosion rates from 10Be and 26Al measurements. Quaternary Geochronology 8, (2008). 174–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benn, D.I., Owen, L.A., Osmaston, H.A., Seltzer, G.O., Porter, S.C., and Mark, B. Reconstruction of equilibrium-line altitudes for tropical and sub-tropical glaciers. Quaternary International 138–139, (2005). 8–21.Google Scholar
Blard, P.H., Lavé, J., Farley, K.A., Fornari, M., Jiménez, N., and Ramirez, V. Late local glacial maximum in the Central Altiplano triggered by cold and locally-wet conditions during the paleolake Tauca episode (17–15 ka, Heinrich 1). Quaternary Science Reviews 28, (2009). 3414–3427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Briner, J.P., Kaufman, D.S., Manley, W.F., Finkel, R.C., and Caffee, M.W. Cosmogenic exposure dating of late Pleistocene moraine stabilization in Alaska. Geological Society of America Bulletin 117, (2005). 1108–1120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clayton, J.D., and Clapperton, C.M. Broad synchrony of a Late-glacial glacier advance and the highstand of palaeolake Tauca in the Bolivian Altiplano. Journal of Quaternary Science 12, (1997). 169–182.3.0.CO;2-S>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dansgaard, W. Stable isotopes in precipitation. Tellus 16, (1964). 436–468.Google Scholar
Desilets, D., and Zreda, M. Spatial and temporal distribution of secondary cosmic-ray nucleon intensities and applications to in situ cosmogenic dating. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 206, (2003). 21–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Desilets, D., Zreda, M., and Prabu, T. Extended scaling factors for in situ cosmogenic nuclides: new measurements at low latitude. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 246, (2006). 265–276.Google Scholar
Dunai, T.J. Influence of secular variation of the geomagnetic field on production rates of in situ produced cosmogenic nuclides. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 193, (2001). 197–212.Google Scholar
Francou, B., Ribstein, P., Saravia, R., and Tiriau, E. Monthly balance and water discharge of an inter-tropical glacier: Zongo Glacier, Cordillera Real, Bolivia, 16°S. Journal of Glaciology 42, (1995). 61–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
German Alpine Club, Alpenvereinskarte. (1990). Cordillera Real Süd, Illimani.Google Scholar
Gosse, J.C., and Phillips, F.M. Terrestrial in situ cosmogenic nuclides: theory and application. Quaternary Science Reviews 20, (2001). 1475–1560.Google Scholar
Hardy, D.R., Vuille, M., and Bradley, R.S. Variability of snow accumulation and isotopic composition on Nevado Sajama, Bolivia. Journal of Geophysical Research 108, NO. D22 (2003). 4693 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2003JD003623, 2003CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harrison, S.D. Snowlines at the last glacial maximum and tropical cooling. Quaternary International 138–138, (2005). 5–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hastenrath, S.L. On the Pleistocene snow-line depression in the arid regions of the South American Andes. Journal of Glaciology 59, (1971). 255–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haug, G.H., Hughen, K.A., Sigman, D.M., Peterson, L.C., and Röhl, U. Southward migration of the intertropical convergence zone through the Holocene. Science 293, (2001). 1304–1308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heusser, C.J. Palynology of the last interglacial-glacial cycle in midlatitudes of southern Chile. Quaternary Research 16, (1981). 293–321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoffmann, G., Ramirez, E., Taupin, J.D., Francou, B., Ribstein, P., Delmas, R., Durr, H., Gallaire, R., Simoes, J., Schotterer, U., Stievenard, M., and Werner, M. Coherent isotope history of Andean ice cores over the last century. Geophysical Research Letters 30, No. 4 (2003). 1179 Google Scholar
Jordan, E. Glaciers of Bolivia. Williams, R.S., and Ferrigno, J.G. Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World: South America. (1999). United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386-I, United States Government Printing Office, Washington D.C.Google Scholar
Kaser, G., and Osmaston, H. Tropical Glaciers. (2002). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 207 pp.Google Scholar
Klein, A.G., Seltzer, G.O., and Isacks, B.L. Modern and last local glacial maximum snowlines in the Central Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and Northern Chile. Quaternary Science Reviews 18, (1999). 63–84.Google Scholar
Kull, C. Late Pleistocene glaciation in the Central Andes: temperature versus humidity control — a case study from the eastern Bolvian Andes (17°S) and regional synthesis. Global and Planetary Change 60, (2008). 148–164.Google Scholar
Kull, C., and Grosjean, M. Late Pleistocene climate conditions in the north Chilean Andes drawn from a climate-glacier model. Journal of Glaciology 46, (2000). 622–632.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lal, D. Cosmic ray labeling of erosion surfaces: in situ nuclide production rates and erosion models. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 104, (1991). 424–439.Google Scholar
Licciardi, J.M., Schaefer, J.M., Taggart, J.R., and Lund, C.D. Holocene glacier fluctuations in the Peruvian Andes indicate northern climate linkages. Science 325, (2009). 1677–1679.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lie, Ø., Dahl, S.O., and Nesje, A. A theoretical approach to glacier equilibrium-line altitudes using meterological data and glacier mass-balance records from southern Norway. Holocene 13, (2003). 365–372.Google Scholar
Lifton, N.A., Bieber, J.W., Clem, J.M., Evenson, P., Humble, J.E., and Pyle, R. Addressing solar modulation and long-term uncertainties in scaling secondary cosmic rays for in situ cosmogenic nuclide applications. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 239, (2005). 140–161.Google Scholar
Maldonado, A., Betancourt, J.L., Latorre, C., and Villagran, C. Pollen analyses from a 50,000-yr rodent midden series in the southern Atacama Desert (25° 30′ S). Journal of Quaternary Science 20, (2005). 493–507.Google Scholar
Mark, B.G., Seltzer, G.O., Rodbell, D.T., and Goodman, A.Y. Rates of deglaciation during the last glaciation and Holocene in the Cordillera Vilcanota–Quelccaya Ice Cap region, southeastern Peru. Quaternary Research 57, (2002). 287–298.Google Scholar
Meierding, T. Late Pleistocene glacial equilibrium-line altitudes in the Colorado Front Range: a comparison of methods. Quaternary Research 18, (1982). 289–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mercer, J.H., and Palacios, O.M. Radiocarbon dating of the last glaciation in Peru. Geology 5, (1977). 600–604.Google Scholar
Phillips, F.M., Zreda, M.G., Gosse, J.C., Klein, J., Evenson, E.B., Hall, R.D., Chadwick, O.A., and Sharma, P. Cosmogenic 36Cl and 10Be ages of Quaternary glacial and fluvial deposits of the Wind River Range, Wyoming. Geological Society of America Bulletin 109, (1997). 1453–1463.Google Scholar
Pierrehumbert, R.T. Thermostats, radiator fins, and the local runaway greenhouse. Journal of Atmospheric Science 52, (1995). 1784–1806.Google Scholar
Placzek, C., Quade, J., and Patchet, P.J. Geochronology and stratigraphy of late Pleistocene lake cycles on the southern Bolivian Altiplano: implications for causes of tropical climate change. Geological Society of America Bulletin 118, (2006). 515–532.Google Scholar
Porter, S.C. Snowline depression in the tropics during the last glaciation. Quaternary Science Reviews 20, (2001). 1067–1091.Google Scholar
Ramirez, E., Hoffmann, G., Taupin, J.D., Francou, B., Ribstein, P., Caillon, N., Ferron, F.A., Landais, A., Petit, J.R., Pouyaud, B., Schotterer, U., Simoes, J.C., and Stievenard, P. A new Andean deep ice core from Nevado Illimani (6350), Bolivia. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 212, (2003). 337–350.Google Scholar
Rodbell, D.T. Lichenometric and radiocarbon dating of Holocene glaciation, Cordillera Blanca, Peru. Holocene 2, (1990). 19–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rowe, H.D., Guilderson, T.P., Dunbar, R.B., Southon, J.R., Seltzer, G.O., Mucciarone, D.A., Fritz, S.C., and Baker, P.A. Lake Quaternary lake-level changes constrained by radiocarbon and stable isotope studies on sediment cores from Lake Titicaca, South America. Global and Planetary Change 38, (2003). 273–290.Google Scholar
Seltzer, G.O. Recent glacial history and paleoclimate of the Peruvian–Bolivian Andes. Quaternary Science Reviews 9, (1990). 137–152.Google Scholar
Seltzer, G.O. Late Quaternary glaciation of the Cordillera Real, Bolivia. Journal of Quaternary Science 7, (1992). 87–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seltzer, G.O. A lacustrine record of late Pleistocene climatic change in the subtropical Andes. Boreas 23, (1994). 105–111.Google Scholar
SENAHAMI website: http://www.senamhi.gov.bo/.Google Scholar
Smith, J.A., Seltzer, G.O., Farber, D.L., Rodbell, D.T., and Finkel, R.C. Early local last glacial maximum in the Tropical Andes. Science 308, (2005). 678–681.Google Scholar
Smith, C.A., Lowell, T.V., and Caffee, M.W. Late glacial and Holocene cosmogenic surface exposure age glacial chronology and geomorphological evidence for the presence of cold-based glaciers at Nevado Sajama, Bolivia. Journal of Quaternary Science 24, (2009). 360–372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stone, J.O. Air pressure and cosmogenic isotope production. Journal of Geophysical Research 105/B10, (2000). 23,753–23,759.Google Scholar
Thompson, L.G. Glaciology of the Peruvian Quelccay ice cap. Boletin de la Sociedad Geologica del Peru 63, (1979). 149–158.Google Scholar
Thompson, L.G., Mosley-Thompson, E., Davis, M.E., Lin, P.N., Henderson, K.A., Cole-Dai, J., Bolzan, J.F., and Liu, K.B. Late Glacial Stage and Holocene tropical ice core records from Huascaran, Peru. Science 269, (1995). 46–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thompson, L.G., Davis, M.E., Mosley-Thompson, E., Sowers, T.A., Henderson, K.A., Zagorodnov, V.S., Lin, P.N., Mikhalenko, V.N., Campen, R.K., Bolzan, J.F., Cole-Dai, J., and Francou, B. A 25,000-year tropical climate history from Bolivian ice cores. Science 282, (1998). 1858–1864.Google Scholar
Vuille, M., and Ammann, C. Regional snowfall patterns in the high, arid Andes. Climatic Change 36, (1997). 413–423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vuille, M., Bradley, R.S., Werner, M., Healy, R., and Keimig, F. Modeling ∂18O in precipitation over the tropical Americas: 1. Interannual variability and climatic controls. Journal of Geophysical Research 108, No. D6 (2003). 4174 Google Scholar
Wagnon, P., Ribstein, P., Kaser, G., and Berton, P. Energy balance and runoff seasonality of a Bolivian glacier. Global and Planetary Change 22, (1999). 49–58.Google Scholar
Zech, R., May, J.H., Kull, C., Ilgner, J., Kubik, P.W., and Veit, H. Timing of late Quaternary glaciation in the Andes form 15 to 40 °S. Journal of Quaternary Science 23, (2008). 635–647.Google Scholar
Zhou, J., and Lau, K.M. Does a monsoon climate exist over South America?. Journal of Climate 11, (1998). 1020–1040.Google Scholar
Zreda, M.G., Phillips, F.M., and Elmore, D. Cosmogenic 36Cl accumulation in unstable landforms 2. Simulations and measurements on eroding moraines. Water Resources Research 30, (1994). 3127–3136.Google Scholar