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Controls on the southwest USA hydroclimate over the last six glacial-interglacial cycles

Author

Listed:
  • Kathleen A. Wendt

    (Innrain 52
    Corvallis
    University of Toronto)

  • Stacy Carolin

    (Downing St
    University of Oxford)

  • Christo Buizert

    (Corvallis)

  • Simon D. Steidle

    (Innrain 52)

  • R. Lawrence Edwards

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Gina E. Moseley

    (Innrain 52)

  • Yuri Dublyansky

    (Innrain 52)

  • Hai Cheng

    (Xi’an Jiaotong University
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Chengfei He

    (University of Miami)

  • Mellissa S. C. Warner

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Christoph Spötl

    (Innrain 52)

Abstract

The Great Basin in the southwest United States experienced major hydroclimate shifts throughout the Quaternary. Understanding the drivers behind these past changes has become increasingly important for improving future climate projections. Here, we present an absolute-dated δ18O and δ13C record from Devils Hole cave 2 (southern Nevada) that reveals climate and environmental changes in the southern Great Basin over the last 580,000 years. Water isotope-enabled Earth system simulations and phasing analysis show that temperature-related mechanisms are a primary driver of δ18O variability, with additional drivers stemming from processes linked to North American ice sheets. Vegetation density in the highlands of southern Nevada is primarily forced by Northern Hemisphere summer intensity. A rapid decline in primary productivity occurs during warm interglacial periods when local groundwater recharge declines to

Suggested Citation

  • Kathleen A. Wendt & Stacy Carolin & Christo Buizert & Simon D. Steidle & R. Lawrence Edwards & Gina E. Moseley & Yuri Dublyansky & Hai Cheng & Chengfei He & Mellissa S. C. Warner & Christoph Spötl, 2025. "Controls on the southwest USA hydroclimate over the last six glacial-interglacial cycles," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-64963-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64963-1
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