A continuous, high-resolution record of late Pleistocene climate variability from the Estancia basin, New Mexico

Lake sediments that accumulated in the Estancia basin, central New Mexico, provide a detailed record of submillennial latest Pleistocene climatic osci llations, Sedimentologic, biologic, and geochemical proxies for changes in salinity and lake level mere used to identify episodes of wet and dry clima te that occurred between 24 and 12 k,g, B,P,, as dated by C-14 by means of accelerator mass spectrometry from shoreline and basin-center deposits. The se dates determine the timing and duration of the episodes of wet and dry c limate. The lake expanded and contracted repeatedly during the last glacial maximum and fluctuated near ifs highest elevation several times during the interval ca, 20 to 15 k,y, B,P. A pronounced lowstand lasting similar to 1 k,g, occurred between ca. 15 and 14 k.y, B,P,, followed by two more highst ands of the Lake between ca, 14 and 12.5 k,y, B,P, Desiccation of the peren nial lake after 12 k,y, B.P. was followed by a final, poorly dated highstan d at ca, 10 k,y, B,P, The record of lake-level fluctuations from the Estanc ia basin provides a high-resolution record of changes in water budget in a basin, the comparatively simple physiography and hydrogeology of which ensu red a direct response to the strong climatic fluctuations that occurred dur ing the last glacial maximum and termination.