A HOLOCENE CLIMATIC RECORD FOR THE SONORAN DESERT

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A HOLOCENE CLIMATIC RECORD FOR THE SONORAN DESERT

• OWEN K. DAVIS1 and DAVID S. SHAFER2
• 1Department of Geosciences, University of
  Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
• 2U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
  Ave. SW, Washington D.C. 20585

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Hypotheses

• Human impact is greater than climatic impact in
  the Southwest
• Middle Holocene climate was wetter than today in
  the Southwest
• Global climatic events are not recorded in the
  Montezuma Well record

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Methods

• Sediment core collection
• Sediment processing
• Radiocarbon dates and age model
• Pollen analysis
• Climate reconstruction (modern analogs)

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Results

• The pollen diagram
• Human impact was less than climatic
• Middle Holocene climate was dry
• The 8200-year global climatic events is clearly
  recorded at Montezuma Well

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Suggestions for Future Research

• Need more environmental records from near major
  archeological sites
• Develop network of Mogollon and sub-Mogollon
  Holocene records
• Need more high-resolution late-Glacial
  environmental records.