Moisture availability and groundwater recharge paced by orbital forcing over the past 750,000 years in the southwestern USA.

ABSTRACT: Quaternary climate changes are driven in part by variations in the distribution and strength of insolation due to orbital parameters. Continental climate variability is well documented for the most recent glacial-interglacial cycles, yet few records extend further back in time. Such records are critically needed to comprehensively assess the entire spectrum of natural climate variability against the backdrop of anthropogenic warming. Here, we apply uranium isotope geochronology to calcite deposits to date groundwater-table changes in Devils Hole cave, Nevada. The deposits record multi-meter groundwater-table fluctuations over the last 750,000 years, reflecting the long-term evolution of hydroclimate in this presently arid region. During periods between glacial or interglacial extremes, the

SUBMITTER: Steidle SD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11246950 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature