Title :

African humid periods triggered the reactivation of a large river system in Western Sahara

Author(s) :

Skonieczny, C. [Auteur]
Unité Géosciences Marines [GM]
Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences (LOG) - UMR 8187 [LOG]
Paillou, Philippe [Auteur]
Bory, A. [Auteur]
Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences (LOG) - UMR 8187 [LOG]
Bayon, G. [Auteur]
Unité Géosciences Marines [GM]
Royal Museum for Central Africa [Tervuren] [RMCA]
Biscara, L. [Auteur]
Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine [SHOM]
Crosta, X. [Auteur]
Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques [EPOC]
Eynaud, F. [Auteur]
Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques [EPOC]
Malaizé, B. [Auteur]
Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques [EPOC]
Revel, Michel [Auteur]
Géoazur [GEOAZUR 6526]
Aleman, N. [Auteur]
Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditérranéens [CEFREM]
Barusseau, J. -P. [Auteur]
Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditérranéens [CEFREM]
Vernet, R. [Auteur]
Institut mauritanien de la recherche scientifique [IMRS]
Lopez, S. [Auteur]
Grousset, F. [Auteur]
Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques [EPOC]

Journal title :

Nature Communications

Pages :

8751

Publisher :

Nature Publishing Group

Publication date :

2015-11-10

ISSN :

2041-1723

English keyword(s) :

Geology and geophysics
Climate science
Earth sciences

HAL domain(s) :

Planète et Univers [physics]/Sciences de la Terre
Planète et Univers [physics]/Astrophysique [astro-ph]/Planétologie et astrophysique de la terre [astro-ph.EP]

English abstract : [en]

The Sahara experienced several humid episodes during the late Quaternary, associated with the development of vast fluvial networks and enhanced freshwater delivery to the surrounding ocean margins. In particular, marine ...
Show more >The Sahara experienced several humid episodes during the late Quaternary, associated with the development of vast fluvial networks and enhanced freshwater delivery to the surrounding ocean margins. In particular, marine sediment records off Western Sahara indicate deposition of river-borne material at those times, implying sustained fluvial discharges along the West African margin. Today, however, no major river exists in this area; therefore, the origin of these sediments remains unclear. Here, using orbital radar satellite imagery, we present geomorphological data that reveal the existence of a large buried paleodrainage network on the Mauritanian coast. On the basis of evidence from the literature, we propose that reactivation of this major paleoriver during past humid periods contributed to the delivery of sediments to the Tropical Atlantic margin. This finding provides new insights for the interpretation of terrigenous sediment records off Western Africa, with important implications for our understanding of the paleohydrological history of the Sahara.Show less >

Language :

Anglais

Peer reviewed article :

Oui

Audience :

Internationale

Popular science :

Non

Collections :

• Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences (LOG) - UMR 8187

Source :

Harvested from HAL