Lake Bosumtwi 3,000 Year Laminated Sediment d18O and XRF Data Shanahan, T.; Overpeck, J.T.; Anchukaitis, K.J.; Beck, J.W.; Cole, J.E.; Dettman, D.L.; Peck, J.A.; Scholz, C.A.; King, J.W. Shanahan, T. Overpeck, J.T. Anchukaitis, K.J. Beck, J.W. Cole, J.E. Dettman, D.L. Peck, J.A. Scholz, C.A. King, J.W. earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (manganese,sediment,null,count per second,null,paleolimnology,null,x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (iron,sediment,null,count per second,null,paleolimnology,null,x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (aluminum,sediment,null,count per second,null,paleolimnology,null,x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (principal component,null,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,principal component #2 of element concentration) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|paleolimnology (silicon,sediment,null,count per second,null,climate reconstructions|paleolimnology,smoothed,x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy,N,smoothed 10 year average) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (principal component,null,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,detrended,null,N,PC#1 of element concentration; detrended using 600 year 50% spline) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (delta 18O,carbonate,null,per mil VPDB,null,paleolimnology,smoothed,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,smoothed 5 year average) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (calcium,sediment,null,count per second,null,paleolimnology,null,x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (age,null,null,year Common Era,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (potassium,sediment,null,count per second,null,paleolimnology,null,x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (principal component,null,null,dimensionless,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,principal component #1 of element concentration) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (titanium,sediment,null,count per second,null,paleolimnology,null,x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (age,null,null,calendar year before present,null,paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (delta 18O,carbonate,null,per mil VPDB,null,paleolimnology,null,isotope ratio mass spectrometry,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (silicon,sediment,null,count per second,null,paleolimnology,null,x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/paleolimnology (Lake Bosumtwi>LATITUDE 6.5>LONGITUDE -1.4167) Although persistent drought in West Africa is well documented from the instrumental record and has been primarily attributed to changing Atlantic sea surface temperatures, little is known about the length, severity, and origin of drought before the 20th century. We combinedgeomorphic, isotopic, and geochemical evidence from the sediments of Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana, to reconstruct natural variability in the African monsoon over the past three millennia. We find that intervals of severe drought lasting for periods ranging from decades to centuries are characteristic of the monsoon and are linked to natural variations in Atlantic temperatures. Thus the severe drought of recent decades is not anomalous in the context of the past three millennia, indicating that the monsoon is capable of longer and more severe future droughts. STUDY NOTES: Oxygen isotopes of authigenic lake carbonate, and micro-x-ray fluorescence (m-XRF) scanning of major element concentrations (Al, Si, K, Ti, Fe, and Ca) in laminated sediments from Lake Bosumtwi. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Shanahan, T. Investigator : Overpeck, J.T. Investigator : Anchukaitis, K.J. Investigator : Beck, J.W. Investigator : Cole, J.E. Investigator : Dettman, D.L. Investigator : Peck, J.A. Investigator : Scholz, C.A. Investigator : King, J.W. 2009-08-01 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/8657 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/africa/bosumtwi2009.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/africa/bosumtwi2009.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/africa/bosumtwi2009.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/africa/bosumtwi2009.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/8657 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/africa/bosumtwi2009.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/paleolimnology/africa/bosumtwi2009.txt Shanahan, T., Overpeck, J.T., Anchukaitis, K.J., Beck, J.W., Cole, J.E., Dettman, D.L., Peck, J.A., Scholz, C.A., King, J.W. 2009. Atlantic Forcing of Persistent Drought in West Africa. Science, 324. START YEAR: 2559 cal yr BP * END YEAR: -53 cal yr BP -1.4167 6.5 -1.4167 6.5