Ja. Lee-thorp et al., Rapid climate shifts in the southern African interior throughout the mid to late Holocene, GEOPHYS R L, 28(23), 2001, pp. 4507-4510
A detailed climate proxy record based on delta O-18, delta C-13, and grey i
ndex of a well-dated stalagmite from Cold Air Cave in the Makapansgat Valle
y of north-eastern South Africa suggests that regional precipitation, tempe
ratures and vegetation oscillated markedly and rapidly over the last simila
r to 6500 years on centennial and multi-decadal scales. The mid-Holocene pr
ior to 5200 years ago was humid and warm. A fundamental transition occurred
3200 years ago, leading to drier and cooler conditions that culminated at
1750 AD, Comparisons with ice core records suggest synchronous changes impl
icating rapid global teleconnections.