Date of Award

8-1-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Geography

First Advisor

Donald Sullivan, Ph.D.

Keywords

Climate, Dust, Holocene, Paleowind, Rocky Mountains

Abstract

Potential indications of long-term trends in paleoclimate, specifically winds, in the Southern Rocky Mountain region of the United States were tested using lacustrine sediment from South Blue Lake in the Wet Mountains of Colorado. This study builds upon existing eolian and lacustrine research, and investigates paleowind in a location not yet studied in this manner. Variability in sediment laminae, particle size, and mineralogy show similar patterns during the mid-Holocene warm period (ca. 5500 cal. yr BP - ca. 6000 cal. yr BP). These patterns indicate a warmer, drier, windier period that is contrasted by a less variable period in the recent Holocene. Windblown sediment dominates the South Blue Lake core and supports long-term, continuous eolian contribution to sediment of a sub-alpine lake. Results from this study support the hypothesis that dust is transported to the Southern Rocky Mountain region from a distal source (>400km ) to the west. Mega-drought conditions in the source region likely provide sediment supply and availability for transport to the Southern Rocky Mountain region.

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

Rights holder

Rebecca L. Brice

File size

104 p.

File format

application/pdf

Language

en

Discipline

Physical geography, Paleoclimate science

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