Preliminary evidence of environmental changes at Lake Bambili (Cameroon, West Africa) since 24,000 BP

J. Curt Stager, Rebecca Anfang-Sutter

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Scopus citations

Abstract

Preliminary analyses of diatoms, phytoliths, and siliceous protozoan plate records in a 16 m sediment core from Lake Bambili (cameroon, West Africa; 2264 m AMSL) provide evidence of pronounced climatic changes in the West Cameroon Highlands since ~24,000 14C yrs BP. Percentages of planktonic diatoms rose with increased precipitation:evaporation ratios around 24,000 BP, ~15,000-9500 BP, and ~2400-2000 BP. Since 15,000 BP, Bambili appears to have experienced climatic changes of comparable tinting and magnitude, but with signs in opposition to those registered in the West African lowlands. Much of this pattern may be attributable to variability in montane stratiform cloud formation; which in turn is related to paleo-wind regimes and upwelling dynamics in the Gulf of Guinea.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)319-330
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Paleolimnology
Volume22
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1999

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank George Kling for assistance in the field, Ian Frost for the use of his unpublished LOI data, Jean Maley for providing pollen data and valuable discussions, Greg Fortin for assistance in the laboratory, and Paul Smith's College for financial and technical support. The National Science Foundation supported the field work. Special thanks to Dan Livingstone, who made this study possible.

Copyright:
Copyright 2004 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Africa
  • Bantu
  • Cameroon
  • Diatom
  • ENSO
  • Paleoclimate
  • Paleolimnology
  • Phytolith

Continental Scientific Drilling Facility tags

  • LIAF

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