Marine evidence for episodic Holocene megafloods in North America and the northern Gulf of Mexico

Brown, Paul A.; Kennett, James P.; Ingram, B. Lynn

doi:10.1029/1999pa900017

Cited by 30 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Additionally, the smectite-rich interval observed in the Holocene in the Pigmy Basin was already described in the Orca Basin (Sionneau, 2008) and interpreted as a period of severe megafloods (Brown et al, 1999). The correlations between continental and marine records indicate that these megaflood events represent regional-scale changes in the hydrologic cycle over North America.…”

Section: The Variability Of Mississippi River Runoff During the Holocenementioning

confidence: 93%

“…9b) during the glacial periods (e.g., Licciardi et al, 1999;Flower et al, 2004;Montero-Serrano et al, 2009;Sionneau et al, 2010) whereas successive migrations of the precipitation belt over North America (Fig. 9c-f) resulting from the changing moisture transfer patterns became a dominant process during ice-free intervals, during the Holocene (e.g., Brown et al, 1999;Knox, 2000Knox, , 2003Liu and Fearn, 2000). Kennedy et al, 2006) and Cariaco Basin (offshore northern Venezuela; Haug et al, 2001); (b) oxygen isotope data from Lake Miragoane (Haiti; Hodell et al, 1991).…”

Section: Clay Mineralogy Variations During the Glacial-holocene Transmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in precipitation regimes over North America during the Holocene as recorded by mineralogy and geochemistry of Gulf of Mexico sediments

Montero‐Serrano

Bout-Roumazeilles

Sionneau

et al. 2010

Global and Planetary Change

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Changes in terrigenous-transfer patterns from North America toward the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River during the Holocene were investigated using mineralogical and geochemical records from the northern Gulf of Mexico (Pigmy Basin). Clay mineralogy (smectite/illite + chlorite) and geochemical signatures (K and Ti intensities) indicate fluctuations in the detrital sedimentation during the Holocene in the Pigmy Basin. They likely reflect alternations between at least two dominant terrigenous sources: the smectite-rich NW Mississippi watershed, and the illite-and chlorite-rich Great Lakes province and NE Mississippi watershed. These recurring and rapid modifications of erosional processes over this period suggest changes in the hydrological regime via rainfall patterns. Such a modification during the Holocene is likely linked with the rapid atmospheric reorganization following the final collapse of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Indeed, mineralogical and geochemical proxies indicate east-to-west migrations of the main detrital source (from the Great Lakes and northeastern province toward the northwestern province) associated with Mississippi River megaflood episodes. These modifications of the main detrital sources likely record migrations of the precipitation belt, which are constrained by atmospheric configuration (Jet Stream, Bermuda High and Intertropical Convergence Zone position) and subtropical oceanic hydrological properties (meridional extension of the Atlantic Warm Pool). In the frame of previously published rainfall patterns over the Caribbean and North America, our results highlight some marked modifications of moisture transfer throughout the Holocene. These changes are interpreted as resulting from two atmospheric configurations that have driven alternately the precipitation distribution over North America for the last 10 ka with an apparent cyclicity of~2.5 ka. The coherent common cyclicity between the Gulf of Mexico detrital parameters and Greenland atmospheric proxies over the Holocene suggests that the initial external forcing was rapidly transferred latitudinally through atmospheric processes.

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Section: The Variability Of Mississippi River Runoff During the Holocenementioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Clay Mineralogy Variations During the Glacial-holocene Transmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in precipitation regimes over North America during the Holocene as recorded by mineralogy and geochemistry of Gulf of Mexico sediments

Montero‐Serrano

Bout-Roumazeilles

Sionneau

et al. 2010

Global and Planetary Change

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“…These depositional periods may result from megafloods related to a high incidence of major precipitation events in the upper basin. Mississippi megafloods have been recognized from examination of marine sediments (Brown et al, 1999;Poore and Wright, 1999), but have not been confirmed inland. An examination of data from Poore and Wright (1999) indicates a good correlation between high quartz grain concentrations from the core analysis and dates of depositional events in Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

A revised Holocene geochronology for the Lower Mississippi Valley

Kesel

2008

Geomorphology

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“…The EN 32-PC2 record spans the last 5 ka with sample resolution that varies from a century to several decades. Brown et al [45] identified seven major flood events that occurred every 1.2 and .5 ka. However, data from EN 32-PC2 are difficult to interpret because they are noisy, and considerable variation is seen in the effects of individual flood events on the faunal, isotope, and grain size records.…”

Section: Floods and Droughtsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Brown et al (1999) [45] used faunal, isotopic, and grain-size variations in core EN 32-PC2 from the Orca Basin to develop a record of major Mississippi River flood events. The EN 32-PC2 record spans the last 5 ka with sample resolution that varies from a century to several decades.…”

Section: Floods and Droughtsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene Climate and Climate Variability of the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Adjacent Northern Gulf Coast: A Review

Poore¹

2008

Open Paleontol J

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Marine records from the northern Gulf of Mexico indicate that significant multidecadal-and century-scale variability was common during the Holocene. Mean annual sea-surface temperature (SST) during the last 1,400 years may have varied by 3 o C, and excursions to cold SST coincide with reductions in solar output. Broad trends in Holocene terrestrial climate and environmental change along the eastern portion of the northern Gulf Coast are evident from existing pollen records, but the high-frequency details of climate variability are not well known. Continuous and well-dated records of climate change and climate variability in the western portion of the northern Gulf Coast are essentially lacking.Information on Holocene floods, droughts, and storm frequency along the northern Gulf Coast is limited. Records of floods may be preserved in continental shelf sediments, but establishing continuity and chronologies for sedimentary sequences on the shelf presents challenges due to sediment remobilization and redeposition during storms. Studies of past storm deposits in coastal lakes and marshes show promise for constructing records of past storm frequency. A recent summary of sea-level history of the northern Gulf Coast indicates sea level was higher than modern sea level several times during the last few thousand years.

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Marine evidence for episodic Holocene megafloods in North America and the northern Gulf of Mexico

Cited by 30 publications

References 33 publications

Changes in precipitation regimes over North America during the Holocene as recorded by mineralogy and geochemistry of Gulf of Mexico sediments

Changes in precipitation regimes over North America during the Holocene as recorded by mineralogy and geochemistry of Gulf of Mexico sediments

A revised Holocene geochronology for the Lower Mississippi Valley

Holocene Climate and Climate Variability of the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Adjacent Northern Gulf Coast: A Review

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