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- PP22A-06: Saharan Greening as a Driver of South American Monsoon Drought
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NOLA CC
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Victoria Todd, University of Texas at Austin (First Author, Presenting Author)
Timothy Shanahan, The University of Texas at Austin
Pedro DiNezio, University of Colorado at Boulder
The South American monsoon (SAM) significantly influences rainfall patterns across tropical and subtropical regions of South America, yet predicting its future changes is complicated due to unclear historical drivers. While past studies linked SAM variability primarily to Earth's orbital cycles, recent research suggests that vegetation changes elsewhere, such as the growth of the Sahara Desert’s lush 'Green Sahara' period, could also affect South American rainfall through remote atmospheric connections. In this study, we used climate models and hydrogen isotope data from geological records to investigate this possibility. We found that during a period between 10,000 and 5,000 years ago, increased vegetation across North Africa intensified drought conditions in the SAM region. This drying was directly caused by atmospheric circulation changes triggered by the expanded African vegetation rather than oceanic factors. Specifically, altered wind patterns transported moisture toward the Sahara and away from South America, limiting rainfall there. Our results highlight how vegetation, even on distant continents, can significantly influence regional climate patterns through atmospheric pathways.
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