Secret climate history: The Arab desert was once so green!

Secret climate history: The Arab desert was once so green!

New studies on the climate history of the Arabian Peninsula show that the area was wetter over 11 million years ago than today. According to Kleine Zeitung , a study by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, with the geologist Alexander Budsky from the State Museum for Carinthia, participated, uncovered that rainy times on the Arabian Peninsula were registered longer and further north than previously assumed.

The knowledge is based on the examination of dripstones (stalagmites and stalactites) from caves northeast of Riad. These natural archives are essential, since drip stones only grow with precipitation and thin vegetation. An improved uranium blind dating method has been developed that enables precise insights into climatic conditions over the past 600,000 years.

climatic changes in the past million years

The results show that there were five identified moisture phases in the time frame of 8 to 2 million years. Already from 1.5 million years before today, the frequency and duration of moist phases, which have become increasingly drier. These changes are significant because they influenced the migration of mammals and human ancestors.

A significant connection is that 130,000 to 80,000 years ago, wet phases were repeatedly observed in the southern Arabian desert. These phases made it possible to cross the peninsula on their way north. In contrast, the precipitation between 80,000 and 11,000 years was significant, which created a biogeographic barrier.

These climatic changes can be classified in a larger context, as the connection between volcanism and climate change shows. One example is the outbreak of Laacher Vulkan, the effects of which were visible to northern Italy and Scandinavia. These findings, which Archeology online documented that large volcanic eruptions cause climate-sensitive changes can.

volcanic eruptions and climate sequences

Research shows that the influence of such volcanic eruptions on the climate can vary greatly. In particular, outbreaks in the tropics have a significant influence on the global climate by releasing large amounts of gases and particles that can cause temporary climatic changes. In this way, the cooling effect can last for several years in large outbreaks. This was also dealt with in Euronews where the climate change could influence the effects of volcanic eruptions.

However, the interactions between volcanism and climate systems are complex. Geochemical residues in natural archives such as dripstones and ice drilling nuclei help to better understand these relationships. The conclusions from these studies offer valuable perspectives for future climate developments and convey a profound understanding of the climatic procedures of the past.