Work

Insights into the mechanisms behind Late Holocene climate variability in the northern tropics of South America based on modern climatic analyses

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: At the onset of the Meghalayan Age (4,200 yr BP), Earth's global climate underwent significant transformations. Although the effects of these changes in tropical latitudes remain poorly understood, two recent paleoenvironmental reconstructions from high-altitude sites in the Colombian Andes provide new insights into their regional impacts. These records, along with comparisons to other Colombian paleo-archives, reveal a climatic divergence: around 4,150 yr BP, the Eastern Cordillera turned wetter, while the Western Cordillera became drier around 3,700 yr BP. This contrasting pattern—opposite to modern conditions—persisted until approximately ~1,300 yr BP. To explore potential drivers of this divergence, we analyzed modern precipitation data from nearby rain gauges and regional rainfall estimates from the CHIRPS dataset. Our approach included wavelet analyses, identification of moisture sources, and correlation analyses involving sea surface temperatures and various climatic indices. The results suggest that, simultaneous warming of the Tropical Pacific (TP) and the Tropical North Atlantic (TNA) occurred during part of the Meghalayan —likely driven by increased frequency and/or intensity of ENSO- and IPO-like events. The warming of the TNA is likely a result of warming of the TP, a pattern observed in the present day.

Source: Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology

DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2026.113586

Authors: Maria I. Velez, Juan Mauricio Bedoya-Soto, German Poveda

Institutions: University of Regina, Corporación Universitaria Remington, Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Language: English

Topic: Geology and Paleoclimatology Research

Subfield: Atmospheric Science

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,210