Chronology of sand ridges and the Late Quaternary evolution of the Etosha Pan, Namibia

Abstract

Etosha Pan, situated at the southern border of tropical Africa, is a vast endorheic plain in Namibia's semi-arid north. The most recent studies agree that the pan was the floor of a former lake with varying water levels. Here we explored this idea further by investigating the link between lake-level change and records of late Pleistocene and Holocene climate change. The varying lake levels were inferred through sediment analysis and optical dating of sand deposits that form ridges parallel to the current shore along the northern and western margins of the pan. Our results support the view that the sand ridges are shoreline deposits of an evaporitic lake. The ridges result from the interplay between intermittent river discharge and riverine sediment supply from the north, prevailing north-easterly wind and shore-parallel waves. Therefore they are a proxy for former levels of a perennial lake. We infer higher levels during the late Pleistocene and a drastic drop shortly after 10ka. Since around 8ka Etosha Pan was covered by a shallow water body. This lake water-level reconstruction is not in line with the histories of ITCZ migration and strength of Benguela current upwelling. We confirm that the linkages between the evolution of the Etosha Pan and the climate mechanisms driving hydrological changes in subtropical southwest Africa are poorly resolved and need further investigation.