Lake Malawi 1.3MYr Geochemical Data and Principal Components Analysis Lyons, R.P.; Scholz, C.A.; Cohen, A.S.; King, J.W.; Brown, E.T.; Ivory, S.J.; Johnson, T.C.; Deino, A.L.; Reinthal, P.N.; McGlue, M.M.; Blome, M.W. Lyons, R.P. Scholz, C.A. Cohen, A.S. King, J.W. Brown, E.T. Ivory, S.J. Johnson, T.C. Deino, A.L. Reinthal, P.N. McGlue, M.M. Blome, M.W. earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (principal component,null,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,PC#1) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (calcium,sediment,null,count per second,null,paleolimnology,null,x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy,N,kcounts/sec) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (lightness,sediment,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,null,image analysis,N,CIE scale) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (organic carbon,sediment,null,percent,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (density,wet sediment,null,gram per cubic centimeter,null,paleolimnology,null,gamma ray attenuation porosity evaluation,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (depth,null,null,meter,null,paleolimnology,composited,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (delta 13C,organic matter,null,per mil VPDB,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (age,null,null,calendar year before present,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (Lake Malawi, core GLAD7-MAL05-1>LATITUDE -11.29389>LONGITUDE 34.43722) The transport of moisture in the tropics is a critical process for the global energy budget and on geologic timescales, has markedly influenced continental landscapes, migratory pathways, and biological evolution. Here we present a continuous, first-of-its-kind 1.3-My record of continental hydroclimate and lake-level variability derived from drill core data from Lake Malawi, East Africa (9-15S). Over the Quaternary, we observe dramatic shifts in effective moisture, resulting in large-scale changes in one of the world's largest lakes and most diverse freshwater ecosystems. Results show evidence for 24 lake level drops of more than 200 m during the Late Quaternary, including 15 lowstands when water levels were more than 400 m lower than modern. A dramatic shift is observed at the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), consistent with far-field climate forcing, which separates vastly different hydroclimate regimes before and after ~800,000 years ago. Before 800 ka, lake levels were lower, indicating a climate drier than today, and water levels changed frequently. Following the MPT high-amplitude lake level variations dominate the record. From 800 to 100 ka, a deep, often overfilled lake occupied the basin, indicating a wetter climate, but these highstands were interrupted by prolonged intervals of extreme drought. Periods of high lake level are observed during times of high eccentricity. The extreme hydroclimate variability exerted a profound influence on the Lake Malawi endemic cichlid fish species flock; the geographically extensive habitat reconfiguration provided novel ecological opportunities, enabling new populations to differentiate rapidly to distinct species. STUDY NOTES: Continuous geochemical data and principal components analysis for sediments collectd in Lake Malawi, East Africa, for the past 1.3 million years. PCA was performed on total organic carbon (TOC), d13C of organic matter, saturated bulk density, carbonate abundance, and lightness of color (L*). NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Lyons, R.P. Investigator : Scholz, C.A. Investigator : Cohen, A.S. Investigator : King, J.W. Investigator : Brown, E.T. Investigator : Ivory, S.J. Investigator : Johnson, T.C. Investigator : Deino, A.L. Investigator : Reinthal, P.N. Investigator : McGlue, M.M. Investigator : Blome, M.W. 2015-12-07 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/19424 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015pca.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015carb.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015color.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015density.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015ca.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015.xlsx https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015pca.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015carb.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015color.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015density.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015ca.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015.xlsx English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/19424 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015pca.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015carb.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015color.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015density.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015ca.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/eastafrica/malawi2015.xlsx Robert P. Lyons, Christopher A. Scholz, Andrew S Cohen, John W. King, Erik T. Brown, Sarah J. Ivory, Thomas C. Johnson, Alan L. Deino, Peter N. Reinthal, Michael M. McGlue, and Margaret W. Blome2015Continuous 1.3 million-year record of East African hydroclimate, and implications for patterns of evolution and biodiversityProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences10.1073/pnas.1512864112http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/12/01/1512864112.abstract START YEAR: 1277697 cal yr BP * END YEAR: 10694 cal yr BP 34.43722 -11.29389 34.43722 -11.29389