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Holocene history of the El Nino phenomenon as recorded in flood sediments of northern coastal Peru

Journal Article · · Geology; (USA)
 [1]
  1. Univ. of California, Berkeley (USA)
Significant precipitation along the north-central coast of Peru (lat 5{degree}-10{degree}S) occurs exclusively during El Nino incursions of warm water into the Peruvian littoral. Flood deposits from this region therefore provide a proxy record of extreme El Nino events. The author presents a 3,500 yr chronology of the extreme events based on radiocarbon dating of overbank flood sediments from the Rio Casma (lat 9.2{degree}S). The flood-plain stratigraphy suggests that the El Nino phenomenon has occurred throughout the Holocene and that flood events much larger than that which occurred during 1982-1983 occur here at least once very 1,000 yr.
OSTI ID:
5572646
Journal Information:
Geology; (USA), Journal Name: Geology; (USA) Vol. 18:11; ISSN GLGYB; ISSN 0091-7613
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English