New light on the age of the White Nile

Williams, Martin; Adamson, Donald; Prescott, J.R.; Williams, Frances

doi:10.1130/g19801.1

Cited by 80 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This corresponds to a major drainage inversion and the creation of the Lake Victoria local base level (Pickford et al, 1993;Talbot and Williams, 2009;Taylor and Howard, 1998;Williams et al, 2003). This could be the growth period for the present-day Ugandan escarpment of the Albert Rift with reactivation of the Toro-Bunyoro and Tonya bounding faults, as suggested by the perched incised valleys observed at the top of the scarp.…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deformation and sedimentary evolution of the Lake Albert Rift (Uganda, East African Rift System)

Simon

Guillocheau

Robin

et al. 2017

Marine and Petroleum Geology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study proposed a new reconstruction of the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Lake Albert Rift based on a biostratigraphical, sedimentological and structural re-evaluation of the outcropping data and on an exceptional subsurface dataset.The infilling of the rift consists of lacustrine deposits wherein two major unconformities dated at 6.2 Ma and 2.7 Ma were characterized, coeval with major subsidence and climatic changes.Combined with the fault analysis, the evolution and distribution of the subsidence highlights a foursteps evolution of the rift after its initiation dated at 17.0 Ma.The first phase (17.0 -6.2 Ma) consists of low and diffuse extension associated with low accommodation rates ranging from 150 to 200 m/Ma. Restricted in the southern part of the basin, the depocenter location is poorly controlled by faults, meaning that the basin extension was potentially larger at this time.The second time interval (6.2 -2.7 Ma) shows an increase of accommodation rates with values reaching more than 800 m/Ma. These high rates combined with the location of the major depocenters down the bounding faults argue for a first true rifting phase.Between 2.7 Ma and 0.4 Ma, the accommodation rates decreases to reach less than 400 m/Ma and the individualization of major depocenters continue down the major fault in the southern, and northwestern parts of the basin.

show abstract

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deformation and sedimentary evolution of the Lake Albert Rift (Uganda, East African Rift System)

Simon

Guillocheau

Robin

et al. 2017

Marine and Petroleum Geology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…First, considerable research efforts have failed to uncover evidence for its consistent use and the movement of its inhabitants into the Levant (2). Second, the chronology of the evolution of the modern Nile drainage, which is essential to create a functional corridor, is controversial (3,4). Finally, although many ancient fluvial deposits have been recognized in the Nile Valley, some with lithics that confirm the presence of hominins, their stratigraphic relationships and ages are poorly understood (5).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient watercourses and biogeography of the Sahara explain the peopling of the desert

Drake

Blench

Armitage

et al. 2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

410

327

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Evidence increasingly suggests that sub-Saharan Africa is at the center of human evolution and understanding routes of dispersal “out of Africa” is thus becoming increasingly important. The Sahara Desert is considered by many to be an obstacle to these dispersals and a Nile corridor route has been proposed to cross it. Here we provide evidence that the Sahara was not an effective barrier and indicate how both animals and humans populated it during past humid phases. Analysis of the zoogeography of the Sahara shows that more animals crossed via this route than used the Nile corridor. Furthermore, many of these species are aquatic. This dispersal was possible because during the Holocene humid period the region contained a series of linked lakes, rivers, and inland deltas comprising a large interlinked waterway, channeling water and animals into and across the Sahara, thus facilitating these dispersals. This system was last active in the early Holocene when many species appear to have occupied the entire Sahara. However, species that require deep water did not reach northern regions because of weak hydrological connections. Human dispersals were influenced by this distribution; Nilo-Saharan speakers hunting aquatic fauna with barbed bone points occupied the southern Sahara, while people hunting Savannah fauna with the bow and arrow spread southward. The dating of lacustrine sediments show that the “green Sahara” also existed during the last interglacial (∼125 ka) and provided green corridors that could have formed dispersal routes at a likely time for the migration of modern humans out of Africa.

show abstract

“…The shoreline lies ~20 m above the modern Nile River at ~400 m at 80 12.6 °N. An original survey used the old Alexandria datum and gave an elevation of 386 m for 81 the break in slope at the edge of the shoreline (Williams et al, 2003). The gravel and coarse sand 82 constituting the shoreline is locally derived from weathering of granite inselbergs adjacent to the 83 Nile River, subsequently transported by longshore drift.…”

Section: Exposure Dating and Optically Stimulated Luminescence 75mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Above the Holocene flood level, the presence of a prominent shoreline led Williams et al 69 (2003) to propose the presence of an even larger lake. In order to maintain a large lake in Sudan, 70 major shifts in regional atmospheric circulation are required (Williams et al, 2003 …”

Section: Introduction 56mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Modern evaporation rates on a lake 167 of 45,000 km 2 would amount to a total of 63,-95,000 km 3 /yr on a lake with a volume of only 270 168 km 3 . Modern day flow is only ~27 km 3 /yr at the southern end of the lake (Williams et al, 2003) 169 and modern precipitation on the lake would be ~ 21 km 3 /yr, indicating that it would not be 170 possible to form the lake under conditions similar to the present. Ignoring lake outflow, flow 171 would need to triple or have a major contribution from the Blue Nile flood pulse, and on-lake 172 precipitation increase by 50% just to start filling the lake, provided increased cloudiness and 173 humidity led to a concomitant drop in evaporation to levels characteristic of the humid south of 174…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A White Nile megalake during the last interglacial period

Barrows

Williams

Mills

et al. 2014

Geology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The eastern Sahara Desert is one of the most climatically sensitive areas on Earth, varying from 41 lake-studded savanna woodland to hyper-arid desert over the course of a glacial-interglacial 42 cycle. In presently arid Sudan there is widespread evidence that a very large freshwater lake once 43 filled the White Nile River valley. Here we present the first quantitative estimate for the 44 dimensions of the lake and a direct age for the emplacement of one of the shorelines. Using a 45 profile dating approach with the cosmogenic nuclide 10

show abstract

New light on the age of the White Nile

Cited by 80 publications

References 14 publications

Deformation and sedimentary evolution of the Lake Albert Rift (Uganda, East African Rift System)

Deformation and sedimentary evolution of the Lake Albert Rift (Uganda, East African Rift System)

Ancient watercourses and biogeography of the Sahara explain the peopling of the desert

A White Nile megalake during the last interglacial period

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About