{"NOAAStudyId":"20506","contactInfo":{"address":"325 Broadway, E/NE31","city":"Boulder","constraints":"Please cite original publication, online resource, dataset and publication DOIs (where available), and date accessed when using downloaded data. If there is no publication information, please cite investigator, title, online resource, and date accessed. The appearance of external links associated with a dataset does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of external Web sites or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities, the Department of Commerce/NOAA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. These links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this Department of Commerce/NOAA Web site.","country":"USA","dataCenterUrl":"https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data","email":"paleo@noaa.gov","fax":"303-497-6513","longName":"National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce ","phone":"303-497-6280","postalCode":"80305-3328","shortName":"DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI","state":"CO","type":"CONTACT INFORMATION"},"contributionDate":"2016-09-12","dataPublisher":"NOAA","dataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","dataTypeInformation":"https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data/datasets/speleothem","difMetadataLink":"http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/metadata/published/paleo/dif/xml/noaa-cave-20506.xml","doi":null,"earliestYearBP":5245,"earliestYearCE":-3295,"entryId":"noaa-cave-20506","funding":[{"fundingAgency":"Alphawood Foundation","fundingGrant":null}],"investigators":"Akers, P.D.; Brook, G.A.; Railsback, L.B.; Liang, F.; Iannone, G.; Webster, J.W.; Reeder, P.P.; Cheng, H.; Edwards, R.L.","mostRecentYearBP":-42,"mostRecentYearCE":1992,"onlineResourceLink":"https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/20506","originalSource":null,"publication":[{"abstract":"The stalagmite MC01 was recovered from Macal Chasm cave on the Vaca Plateau of Belize in 1995, and an initial paleoclimate interpretation was published in 2007. Additional uranium-thorium ages have extended the paleoenvironmental record back from 3250 to 5250 cal yr BP, and the stable isotope (d18O and d13C) record is dramatically improved by 660 new values. A series of major dry events (MDEs) evident in stable isotopes, ultraviolet-stimulated luminescence, and petrography began ~ 3100 cal yr BP, and the initiation of these events coincides with an increase in El Nino dominance and southern shift in the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Three MDEs, centered at 1750 cal yr BP (200 CE), 1100 cal yr BP (850 CE), and 850 cal yr BP (1100 CE) and found in other regional climate records, coincide with Maya sociopolitical changes. Residuals from regression of d13C versus d18O are interpreted as a proxy for maize cultivation and land clearing, with residual values gradually increasing at the start of Preclassic Period settlement (3950 cal yr BP/2000 BCE), peaking after 2250 cal yr BP (300 BCE) during major Maya development in the Late Preclassic and Classic Periods, and dropping to pre-Preclassic values after regional land abandonment (~ 850 cal yr BP/1100 CE). Regional Maya population growth and cultural expansion may have been aided by abnormally low precipitation variability, as stable isotope variability suggests the Late Preclassic through the Late Classic was the most stable precipitation regime of the past 4000 years. This additional research on MC01 complements other regional paleoenvironmental records that suggest that MDEs coincided with disruptions in Maya society from the Preclassic through the Postclassic Periods. Although it is clear that not all significant sociopolitical changes can be attributed to the MDEs, these events likely played an antagonistic role in social stability.","author":{"name":"Pete D. Akers, George A. Brook, L. Bruce Railsback, Fuyuan Liang, Gyles Iannone, James W. Webster, Philip P. Reeder, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards"},"citation":"Pete D. Akers, George A. Brook, L. Bruce Railsback, Fuyuan Liang, Gyles Iannone, James W. Webster, Philip P. Reeder, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards. 2016. An extended and higher-resolution record of climate and land use from stalagmite MC01 from Macal Chasm, Belize, revealing connections between major dry events, overall climate variability, and Maya sociopolitical changes. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 459, 268-288. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.07.007","edition":null,"identifier":{"id":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.07.007","type":"doi","url":"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.07.007"},"issue":null,"journal":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","pages":"268-288","pubRank":"1","pubYear":2016,"reportNumber":null,"title":"An extended and higher-resolution record of climate and land use from stalagmite MC01 from Macal Chasm, Belize, revealing connections between major dry events, overall climate variability, and Maya sociopolitical changes","type":"publication","volume":"459"},{"abstract":null,"author":{"name":"James W. Webster, George A. Brook, L. Bruce Railsback, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards, Clark Alexander, Philip P. Reeder"},"citation":"James W. Webster, George A. Brook, L. Bruce Railsback, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards, Clark Alexander, Philip P. Reeder. 2007. Stalagmite evidence from Belize indicating significant droughts at the time of Preclassic Abandonment, the Maya Hiatus, and the Classic Maya collapse. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 250(1-4), 1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.02.022","edition":null,"identifier":{"id":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.02.022","type":"doi","url":"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.02.022"},"issue":"1-4","journal":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","pages":"1-17","pubRank":"2","pubYear":2007,"reportNumber":null,"title":"Stalagmite evidence from Belize indicating significant droughts at the time of Preclassic Abandonment, the Maya Hiatus, and the Classic Maya collapse","type":"publication","volume":"250"}],"reconstruction":"N","scienceKeywords":["drought"],"site":[{"NOAASiteId":"56859","geo":{"geoType":"Feature","geometry":{"coordinates":["16.883","-89.108"],"type":"POINT"},"properties":{"easternmostLongitude":"-89.108","maxElevationMeters":"530","minElevationMeters":"530","northernmostLatitude":"16.883","southernmostLatitude":"16.883","westernmostLongitude":"-89.108"}},"locationName":"Continent>North America>Central America>Belize","mappable":"Y","paleoData":[{"NOAADataTableId":"31208","coreLengthMeters":null,"dataFile":[{"NOAAKeywords":["earth science>paleoclimate>speleothems>carbon isotopes","earth science>paleoclimate>speleothems>oxygen isotopes"],"fileUrl":"https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/northamerica/belize/macal2016iso.txt","linkText":"Macal Chasm Stable Isotope Data","urlDescription":"Data File","variables":[{"cvAdditionalInfo":null,"cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":null,"cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Character","cvMaterial":null,"cvMethod":null,"cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":null,"cvWhat":"sampling metadata>sample identification"},{"cvAdditionalInfo":"Sample distance from stalagmite apex","cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":null,"cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":null,"cvMethod":null,"cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"centimeter","cvWhat":"depth variable>depth"},{"cvAdditionalInfo":"Bacon age-depth modeling: median age","cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":null,"cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":null,"cvMethod":null,"cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"calendar year before present","cvWhat":"age variable>age"},{"cvAdditionalInfo":null,"cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":"raw","cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":"geological material>identified mineral>carbonate>calcium carbonate","cvMethod":"isotope ratio mass spectrometry","cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"per mil VPDB","cvWhat":"chemical composition>isotope>isotope ratio>delta 18O"},{"cvAdditionalInfo":null,"cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":"raw","cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":"geological material>identified mineral>carbonate>calcium carbonate","cvMethod":"isotope ratio mass spectrometry","cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"per mil VPDB","cvWhat":"chemical composition>isotope>isotope ratio>delta 13C"}]}],"dataTableName":"Macal2016iso","dataTableNotes":null,"earliestYear":5245,"earliestYearBP":5245,"earliestYearCE":-3295,"mostRecentYear":-42,"mostRecentYearBP":-42,"mostRecentYearCE":1992,"species":[],"timeUnit":"cal yr BP"},{"NOAADataTableId":"31209","coreLengthMeters":null,"dataFile":[{"NOAAKeywords":["earth science>paleoclimate>speleothems>age control"],"fileUrl":"https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/northamerica/belize/macal2016age95.txt","linkText":"Macal Chasm Age Model 95% Confidence Interval","urlDescription":"Data File","variables":[{"cvAdditionalInfo":"Sample distance from stalagmite apex; Chosen depths are arbitrary and were selected for high-resolution tracking of uncertainty; pulled from existing luminescence sample depths","cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":null,"cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":null,"cvMethod":null,"cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"centimeter","cvWhat":"depth variable>depth"},{"cvAdditionalInfo":"Bacon age-depth modeling: median age","cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":null,"cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":null,"cvMethod":null,"cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"calendar year before present","cvWhat":"age variable>age"},{"cvAdditionalInfo":"Bacon age-depth modeling: 95% confidence intervals","cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":null,"cvError":"95% confidence interval margin of error","cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":null,"cvMethod":null,"cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"calendar year","cvWhat":"age variable>age"}]}],"dataTableName":"Macal2016age95","dataTableNotes":null,"earliestYear":5245,"earliestYearBP":5245,"earliestYearCE":-3295,"mostRecentYear":-42,"mostRecentYearBP":-42,"mostRecentYearCE":1992,"species":[],"timeUnit":"cal yr BP"},{"NOAADataTableId":"31210","coreLengthMeters":null,"dataFile":[{"NOAAKeywords":["earth science>paleoclimate>speleothems>other"],"fileUrl":"https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/northamerica/belize/macal2016refl.txt","linkText":"Macal Chasm Natural-light Reflectance Data","urlDescription":"Data File","variables":[{"cvAdditionalInfo":null,"cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":null,"cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":null,"cvMethod":null,"cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"centimeter","cvWhat":"depth variable>depth"},{"cvAdditionalInfo":null,"cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":null,"cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":null,"cvMethod":null,"cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"calendar year before present","cvWhat":"age variable>age"},{"cvAdditionalInfo":"natural light reflectance; grayscale intensity: 0=black 255=white","cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":"raw","cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":"geological material>identified mineral>carbonate>calcium carbonate","cvMethod":"image analysis","cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"dimensionless","cvWhat":"electromagnetic property>reflectance>grayscale"}]}],"dataTableName":"Macal2016refl","dataTableNotes":null,"earliestYear":5245,"earliestYearBP":5245,"earliestYearCE":-3295,"mostRecentYear":-42,"mostRecentYearBP":-42,"mostRecentYearCE":1992,"species":[],"timeUnit":"cal yr BP"},{"NOAADataTableId":"31211","coreLengthMeters":null,"dataFile":[{"NOAAKeywords":["earth science>paleoclimate>speleothems>other"],"fileUrl":"https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/speleothem/northamerica/belize/macal2016uvl.txt","linkText":"Macal Chasm Ultraviolet-stimulated Luminescence Data","urlDescription":"Data File","variables":[{"cvAdditionalInfo":"Sample distance from stalagmite apex","cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":null,"cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":null,"cvMethod":null,"cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"centimeter","cvWhat":"depth variable>depth"},{"cvAdditionalInfo":"Bacon age-depth modeling: median age","cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":null,"cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":null,"cvMethod":null,"cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"calendar year before present","cvWhat":"age variable>age"},{"cvAdditionalInfo":"ultraviolet-stimulated luminescence; grayscale intensity value: 0=black 255=white","cvDataType":"SPELEOTHEMS","cvDetail":"raw","cvError":null,"cvFormat":"Numeric","cvMaterial":"geological material>identified mineral>carbonate>calcium carbonate","cvMethod":"image analysis","cvSeasonality":null,"cvShortName":null,"cvUnit":"dimensionless","cvWhat":"electromagnetic property>luminescence"}]}],"dataTableName":"Macal2016uvl","dataTableNotes":null,"earliestYear":5245,"earliestYearBP":5245,"earliestYearCE":-3295,"mostRecentYear":-42,"mostRecentYearBP":-42,"mostRecentYearCE":1992,"species":[],"timeUnit":"cal yr BP"}],"siteName":"Macal Chasm"}],"studyCode":null,"studyName":"Macal Chasm, Belize 5300 Year Stalagmite Isotope and Luminescence/Reflectance Data","studyNotes":"Paleoenvironmental proxy data (oxygen isotope, carbon isotope, ultraviolet-stimulated luminescence, natural-light reflectance, petrography) from stalagmite MC01 from Macal Chasm, Vaca Plateau, Belize.","version":"1.0","xmlId":"18319"}