Holocene aridification in the Atacama
Prosopis tamarugo tree ring paleoclimate project
“Fossil waters” in desert regions globally are being depleted.
Recharge of the Atacama aquifers occurred over the Holocene period (10,000 years to present).
Prosopis sp. trees naturally preserve in the Atacama Desert without fossilization. Isotope analysis of these tree rings shows that high-elevation monsoonal recharge is the source of the Holocene paleo-precipitation.
Prosopis sp. trees naturally preserve in the Atacama Desert without fossilization. Isotope analysis of these tree rings shows that high-elevation monsoonal recharge is the source of the Holocene paleo-precipitation.