HYDRACENE strives for a better understanding of the hydrologic evolution of the North-West African monsoon system over the Holocene, in particular during abrupt climate changes, and resolve causal factors, such as atmosphere-vegetation feedback and shifts in the monsoonal rainbelt due to sea surface temperature gradients. As a new scientific approach, we propose to quantitatively calibrate the hydrological signal based on compound-specific hydrogen isotope changes of plant lipids and apply this new proxy to conduct paleo-hydrologic reconstructions at North-West African key sites in high temporal resolution. These isotope analyses will be complemented by detailed climate modeling studies using a state-of-the-art Earth System model equipped to simulate isotopic fractionations in the hydrological cycle. For this project, the model will be further enhanced by a leaf-water module, allowing a direct proxy- model comparison. Different time-slice simulations will be performed to adequately cover the hydrologic evolution of the North African monsoon over the Holocene. Additionally, the sensitivity of continental hydrology to bio- geophysical feedbacks, variable sea surface temperatures and atmospheric CO2 changes will be evaluated.

Quantitative and semi-quantitative paleo-hydrology reconstructions, calibration of compound-specific hydrogen isotope changes, coupled climate modelling (including oxygen isotopes)

 

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