Collapse of classic Maya civilization related to modest reduction in precipitation
Collapse of classic Maya civilization related to modest reduction in precipitation
The disintegration of the Classic Maya civilization in the Yucatán Peninsula and Central America was a complex process that occurred over an approximately 200-year interval and involved a catastrophic depopulation of the region. Although it is well established that the civilization collapse coincided with widespread episodes of drought, their nature and severity remain enigmatic. We present a quantitative analysis that offers a coherent interpretation of four of the most detailed paleoclimate records of the event. We conclude that the droughts occurring during the disintegration of the Maya civilization represented up to a 40% reduction in annual precipitation, probably due to a reduction in summer season tropical storm frequency and intensity.
956-959
Medina-Elizalde, M.
e3c33ced-06eb-463b-9835-1f6397213c2f
Rohling, E.J.
a2a27ef2-fcce-4c71-907b-e692b5ecc685
24 February 2012
Medina-Elizalde, M.
e3c33ced-06eb-463b-9835-1f6397213c2f
Rohling, E.J.
a2a27ef2-fcce-4c71-907b-e692b5ecc685
Medina-Elizalde, M. and Rohling, E.J.
(2012)
Collapse of classic Maya civilization related to modest reduction in precipitation.
Science, 335 (6071), .
(doi:10.1126/science.1216629).
Abstract
The disintegration of the Classic Maya civilization in the Yucatán Peninsula and Central America was a complex process that occurred over an approximately 200-year interval and involved a catastrophic depopulation of the region. Although it is well established that the civilization collapse coincided with widespread episodes of drought, their nature and severity remain enigmatic. We present a quantitative analysis that offers a coherent interpretation of four of the most detailed paleoclimate records of the event. We conclude that the droughts occurring during the disintegration of the Maya civilization represented up to a 40% reduction in annual precipitation, probably due to a reduction in summer season tropical storm frequency and intensity.
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Published date: 24 February 2012
Organisations:
Paleooceanography & Palaeoclimate
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Local EPrints ID: 336791
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/336791
ISSN: 0036-8075
PURE UUID: cbb9378a-8008-46f9-bbec-99ef5ef4abbf
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Date deposited: 04 Apr 2012 09:31
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:47
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Author:
M. Medina-Elizalde
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