The role of Southern Hemispheric Westerlies for Holocene hydroclimatic changes in the steppe of Tierra del Fuego (Argentina)

Abstract

The steppe of northern Tierra del Fuego is an important region for studying climate variability in the Southern Hemisphere, due to its position at the southern margin of the Southern Hemisphere Westerly Wind belt. Here we present a multiproxy analysis of a sedimentary sequence from Laguna Carmen (53°S, 68°W) which provides evidence of the progressive aridity and strengthening of the low-level Westerlies during the Late Holocene. We identified three prominent phases in the climatic record from Laguna Carmen: a cold and wet period between ~4000 cal. BP and ~2200 cal. BP, evidenced by a relative high lake level, periodic runoff into the lake, and oligohaline (mean: 2554 μS/cm) salinities; a step-change towards warmer and drier conditions after ~2200 cal. BP, reflected by limited runoff and oligo-mesohaline salinities (mean: 4799 μS/cm); and finally, the establishment of modern semi-arid conditions some time after ~1000 cal. BP, when the lake became a shallow lake that sometimes dried out during the summer. Our results coincide with paleoclimatic numerical models that suggest a progressive aridification of the southern Patagonian steppe since 6000 cal. BP due to stronger Westerlies and higher temperatures associated with changes in solar irradiance.