Climate variability during the Holocene based on data from speleothems from Cold Air Cave, Northern Province, South Africa.
by
S.D. Gear
Climate Research Group , Private Bag 3, Witwatersrand, 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa
Coauthors: T.C.Partridge (Witwatersrand University, Forest Town 12 Cluny Road, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa)

Speleothems provide the best Holocene rainfall and temperature proxies available in southern Africa. The oxygen isotope, carbon isotope and grey scale data from two speleothems collected in northeastern South Africa are analysed. The coefficient of variation within these datasets has been subjected to wavelet transform analysis in order to determine changes in amplitude and frequency of variation. Results are compared to other mid-latitude Holocene data series, most notably ice cores from South America. Particular patterns of variability are associated with the Little Ice Age and the Medieval Warm Period. Changes in variability during the rapid onset and gradual terminations of glacial events are also discussed.

Date received: April 3, 2001

Copyright © 2001 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # cagc-96.