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Reconstruction of Paleoenvironmental Conditions During Late Glacial and Holocene Times in Isla de los Estados and Their Correlation with the Beagle Channel and Southern Patagonia

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Climatic and Environmental History of Isla de los Estados, Argentina

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Earth System Sciences ((BRIEFSEARTHSYST))

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Abstract

Late Glacial-Holocene environmental conditions were interpreted in Isla de los Estados from palynological and diatomological analysis and linked also with geoquimical studies. The deglaciation started after 16,000 cal. years B.P. followed by a rapid glacial retreat under gradually warmer conditions, with alternation of drier and wetter periods until ca. 12,800 cal. years B.P. Between ca. 12,600 and 10,300 cal. years B.P. the plant communities indicated moderately cold to mild and arid climatic conditions. During the Early Holocene the expansion of Nothofagus forests is interpreted as a signal of increasing temperature and precipitation in spite of the humidity levels being then lower than today. Around 8,000–6,000 cal. years B.P. the marine diatom assemblages and geoquimical analysis indicates the Middle Holocene marine transgression. An abrupt rise of arboreal taxa occurred between ca. 8,300 and 5,500 cal. yr BP related to increased effective precipitation that culminated with the establishment and persistence of closed-canopy forest communities of Sub-Antarctic Evergreen Forest. The diatoms assemblages suggest wetter conditions, and a greater development of aquatic vegetation from ca. 4,800 cal. years B.P. From ca. 2,700 cal. years B.P. an important vegetation change in the area can be seen, probably as a consequence of warmer and drier conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Ushuaia, Argentina

    Juan Federico Ponce & Marilén Fernández

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  1. Juan Federico Ponce
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  2. Marilén Fernández
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Correspondence to Juan Federico Ponce .

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Ponce, J.F., Fernández, M. (2014). Reconstruction of Paleoenvironmental Conditions During Late Glacial and Holocene Times in Isla de los Estados and Their Correlation with the Beagle Channel and Southern Patagonia. In: Climatic and Environmental History of Isla de los Estados, Argentina. SpringerBriefs in Earth System Sciences. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4363-2_9

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