CLIMATIC AND HYDROLOGIC OSCILLATIONS IN THE OWENS LAKE BASIN AND ADJACENT SIERRA-NEVADA, CALIFORNIA

Oxygen isotope and total inorganic carbon values of cored sediments fr om the Owens Lake basin, California, indicate that Owens Lake overflow ed most of the time between 52,500 and 12,500 carbon-14 (C-14) years b efore present (B.P.). Owens Lake desiccated during or after Heinrich e vent H1 and was hydrologically closed during Heinrich event H2. The ma gnetic susceptibility and organic carbon content of cored sediments in dicate that about 19 Sierra Nevada glaciations occurred between 52,500 and 23,500 C-14 years B.P. Most of the glacial advances were accompan ied by decreases in the amount of discharge reaching Owens Lake. Compa rison of the timing of glaciation with the lithic record of North Atla ntic core V23-81 indicates that the number of mountain glacial cycles and the number of North Atlantic lithic events were about equal betwee n 39,000 and 23,500 C-14 years B.P.