C. Kuzucuoglu et al., Reconstruction of climatic changes during the Late Pleistocene, based on sediment records from the Konya Basin (Central Anatolia, Turkey), GEOL J, 34(1-2), 1999, pp. 175-198
Climatic changes during the last climatic cycle have been studied using thr
ee sediment cores from the Konya plain, a now dry, closed and semi-arid lac
ustrine basin at 1000 m altitude in central Anatolia, Turkey. The reconstru
ction of regional climatic characteristics and evolution is based on minera
l, diatom, pollen and molluscan content of sediments. Correlations are made
between cores using C-14 and U-Th ages, stratigraphy and drought levels sh
own by changes in mineral contents. Environmental responses to local and re
gional climatic changes are traced by trends in authigenic carbonates, evap
orites, detrital mineral content and by diatom-inferred salinity levels.
Our data have shown that, during the period covering the end of the previou
s Glacial (Termination II) and the last Interglacial (between c. 150 and 11
7 ka), pear and freshwater shallow lakes expanded. From 117 to 66 ka, the p
lain was occupied by lakes, the salinity and existence of which varied in t
ime and space. Specific events are marked by mineralogic and stratigraphic
signals at (i) c. 101 ka and (ii) 66 ka. From 66 ka to 30 ka, desiccation o
f the lake is marked by a hiatus. At c. 27 ka, milder climatic conditions l
ed to the extension of Freshwater marshes and lakes in the central depressi
ons while palaeosols developed on the emerged parts-of the plain. From 25 t
o 20.5 ka C-14 cal., the sediments of a freshwater to brackish lake are pre
sent in one core only. From 20.5 ka C-14 cal. onwards, strong evaporitic co
nditions occurred, the lake edges being transformed into playas. Upper part
s of the sequences registered other lacustrine short phases. both before th
e Younger Dryas and during the Holocene. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & So
ns, Ltd.