Holocene environmental change in the West African Sahel: Sedimentological and mineral-magnetic analyses of lake sediments from Jikariya Lake, northeastern Nigeria

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated long-term changes in effective moisture in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we reconstruct Holocene environments using a ∼7 m lake-sediment sequence recovered from the northeastern Nigerian Sahel and attempt to distinguish basin-specific changes from regional climatic variations. The sequence was analysed for sedimentological properties, mineral magnetism and pollen, and dated by 137Cs, 210Pb excess and 14C. Extremely arid conditions of the terminal Pleistocene ended ca. 11 500 cal. BP (calendar years) when climate ameliorated and a lake developed until the occurrence of an arid event leading to lake desiccation at ∼11 200 cal. BP. Following this, climate ameliorated and a water body re-emerged. Very wet conditions predominated 11 200-5600 cal. BP, followed by drought between 5600 and 5500 cal. BP and a return to moderate humidity from 5500 to 4000 cal. BP. After 4000 cal. BP, a marked deterioration occurred, culminating in lake desiccation at ca. 800 cal. BP. After this time the climate remained generally dry and the re-emerging lake was shallow. Comparison of these results with other well-dated sequences in the region demonstrates the importance of basin-specific influences on the palaeolimnological records in addition to regional climatic controls. Disentangling these different controls, as well as the reconstruction of Holocene climate, therefore requires a multiple-basin approach. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.