@article{AlonsoBookhagenCarrapaetal.2006,
  author    = {Alonso, Ricardo N. and Bookhagen, Bodo and Carrapa, Barbara and Coutand, Isabelle and Haschke, Michael and Hilley, George E. and Schoenbohm, Lindsay M. and Sobel, Edward and Strecker, Manfred and Trauth, Martin H. and Villanueva, Arturo},
  title     = {Tectonics, climate and landscape evolution of the Southern Central Andes : the Argentine Puna Plateau and adjacent regions between 22 and 30°S},
  isbn      = {978-3-540- 24329-8},
  year      = {2006},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TrauthMaslinDeinoetal.2005,
  author    = {Trauth, Martin H. and Maslin, Mark A. and Deino, Alan and Strecker, Manfred},
  title     = {Late Cenozoic Moisture History of East Africa},
  year      = {2005},
  abstract  = {Lake sediments in 10 Ethiopian, Kenyan, and Tanzanian rift basins suggest that there were three humid periods at 2.7 to 2.5 million years ago (Ma), 1.9 to 1.7 Ma, and 1.1 to 0.9 Ma, superimposed on the longer-term aridification of East Africa. These humid periods correlate with increased aridity in northwest and northeast Africa and with substantial global climate transitions. These episodes could have had important impacts on the speciation and dispersal of mammals and hominins, because a number of key events, such as the origin of the genus Homo and the evolution of the species Homo erectus, took place in this region during that time.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HermannsTrauthMcWilliamsetal.2000,
  author    = {Hermanns, Reginald L. and Trauth, Martin H. and McWilliams, Michael O. and Strecker, Manfred},
  title     = {Tephrochronologic Constraints on temporal Distribution of large Landslides in NW-Argentina},
  year      = {2000},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TrauthAlonsoHaseltonetal.2000,
  author    = {Trauth, Martin H. and Alonso, Ricardo N. and Haselton, Kirk R. and Hermanns, Reginald L. and Strecker, Manfred},
  title     = {Climate change and mass movements in the NW Argentine Andes},
  year      = {2000},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BergnerStreckerTrauthetal.2009,
  author    = {Bergner, Andreas G. N. and Strecker, Manfred and Trauth, Martin H. and Deino, Alan L. and Gasse, Francoise and Blisniuk, Peter Michael and Duehnforth, Miriam},
  title     = {Tectonic and climatic control on evolution of rift lakes in the Central Kenya Rift, East Africa},
  issn      = {0277-3791},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.07.008},
  year      = {2009},
  abstract  = {The long-term histories of the neighboring Nakuru-Elmenteita and Naivasha lake basins in the Central Kenya Rift illustrate the relative importance of tectonic versus climatic effects on rift-lake evolution and the formation of disparate sedimentary environments. Although modem climate conditions in the Central Kenya Rift are very similar for these basins, hydrology and hydrochemistry of present-day lakes Nakuru, Elmenteita and Naivasha contrast dramatically due to tectonically controlled differences in basin geometries, catchment size, and fluvial processes. In this study, we use eighteen C-14 and Ar-40/Ar-39 dated fluvio-lacustrine sedimentary sections to unravel the spatiotemporal evolution of the lake basins in response to tectonic and climatic influences. We reconstruct paleoclimatic and ecological trends recorded in these basins based on fossil diatom assemblages and geologic field mapping. Our study shows a tendency towards increasing alkalinity and shrinkage of water bodies in both lake basins during the last million years. Ongoing volcano-tectonic segmentation of the lake basins, as well as reorganization of upstream drainage networks have led to contrasting hydrologic regimes with adjacent alkaline and freshwater conditions. During extreme wet periods in the past, such as during the early Holocene climate optimum, lake levels were high and all basins evolved toward freshwater systems. During drier periods some of these lakes revert back to alkaline conditions, while others maintain freshwater characteristics. Our results have important implications for the use and interpretation of lake sediment as climate archives in tectonically active regions and emphasize the need to deconvolve lacustrine records with respect to tectonics versus climatic forcing mechanisms.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TrauthMaslinDeinoetal.2010,
  author    = {Trauth, Martin H. and Maslin, Mark A. and Deino, Alan L. and Junginger, Annett and Lesoloyia, Moses and Odada, Eric O. and Olago, Daniel O. and Olaka, Lydia A. and Strecker, Manfred and Tiedemann, Ralph},
  title     = {Human evolution in a variable environment : the amplifier lakes of Eastern Africa},
  issn      = {0277-3791},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.07.007},
  year      = {2010},
  abstract  = {The development of rise Cenozoic East African Rift System (EARS) profoundly re-shaped the landscape and significantly increased the amplitude of short-term environmental response to climate variation. In particular, the development of amplifier lakes in rift basins after three million years ago significantly contributed to this exceptional sensitivity of East Africa to climate change compared to elsewhere on the African continent. Amplifier lakes are characterized by tectonically-formed graben morphologies in combination with an extreme contrast between high precipitation in the elevated parts of the catchment and high evaporation in the lake area. Such amplifier lakes respond rapidly to moderate, precessional-forced climate shifts, and as they do so apply dramatic environmental pressure to the biosphere. Rift basins, when either extremely dry or lake-filled, form important barriers for migration, mixing and competition of different populations of animals and hominins. Amplifier lakes link long-term, high-amplitude tectonic processes and short-term environmental fluctuations. East Africa may have become the place where early humans evolved as a consequence of this strong link between different time scales. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WichuraBousquetOberhaenslietal.2010,
  author    = {Wichura, Henry and Bousquet, Romain and Oberh{\"a}nsli, Roland and Strecker, Manfred and Trauth, Martin H.},
  title     = {Evidence for middleUocene uplift of the East African Plateau},
  issn      = {0091-7613},
  doi       = {10.1130/G31022.1},
  year      = {2010},
  abstract  = {Cenozoic uplift of the East African Plateau has been associated with fundamental climatic and environmental changes in East Africa and adjacent regions. While this influence is widely accepted, the timing and the magnitude of plateau uplift have remained unclear. This uncertainty stems from the lack of datable, geomorphically meaningful reference horizons that could record surface uplift. Here, we document the existence of significant relief along the East African Plateau prior to rifting, as inferred from modeling the emplacement history of one of the longest terrestrial lava flows, the similar to 300-km-long Yatta phonolite flow in Kenya. This 13.5 Ma lava flow originated on the present-day eastern Kenya Rift flank, and utilized a riverbed that once routed runoff from the eastern rim of the plateau. Combining an empirical viscosity model with subsequent cooling and using the Yatta lava flow geometry and underlying paleotopography (slope angle), we found that the prerift slope was at least 0.2 degrees, suggesting that the lava flow originated at a minimum elevation of 1400 m. Hence, high paleotopography in the Kenya Rift region must have existed by at least 13.5 Ma. We infer from this that middle Miocene uplift occurred, which coincides with the two-step expansion of grasslands, as well as important radiation and speciation events in tropical Africa.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GarcinJungingerMelnicketal.2009,
  author    = {Garcin, Yannick and Junginger, Annett and Melnick, Daniel and Olago, Daniel O. and Strecker, Manfred and Trauth, Martin H.},
  title     = {Late Pleistocene-Holocene rise and collapse of the Lake Suguta, northern Kenya Rift},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.12.006},
  year      = {2009},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TrauthStrecker1999,
  author    = {Trauth, Martin H. and Strecker, Manfred},
  title     = {Formation of landslide-dammed lakes during a wet period between 40,000 - 25,000 yr B.P. in northwestern Argentina},
  year      = {1999},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TrauthStrecker1996,
  author    = {Trauth, Martin H. and Strecker, Manfred},
  title     = {Late Pleistocene Lake-Level Fluctuations in the Naivasha Basin, Kenia},
  year      = {1996},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TrauthMaslinDeinoetal.2008,
  author    = {Trauth, Martin H. and Maslin, Mark A. and Deino, Alan L. and Strecker, Manfred and Bergner, Andreas G. N. and D{\"u}hnforth, Miriam},
  title     = {High- and low-latitude forcing of Plio-Pleistocene African climate and human evolution},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.12.009},
  year      = {2008},
  abstract  = {The late Cenozoic climate of East Africa is punctuated by episodes of short, alternating periods of extreme wetness and aridity, superimposed on a regime of subdued moisture availability exhibiting a long-term drying trend. These periods of extreme climate variability appear to correlate with maxima in the 400-thousand-year (kyr) component of the Earth's eccentricity cycle. Prior to 2.7 Ma the wet phases appear every 400 kyrs, whereas after 2.7 Ma, the wet phases appear every 800 kyrs, with periods of precessional-forced extreme climate variability at 2.7-2.5 Ma, 1.9-1.7 Ma, and 1.1-0.9 Ma before present. The last three major lake phases occur at the times of major global climatic transitions, such as the onset of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (2.7-2.5 Ma), intensification of the Walker Circulation (1.9-1.7 Ma), and the Mid-Pleistocene Revolution (1.0-0.7 Ma). High-latitude forcing is required to compress the Intertropical Convergence Zone so that East Africa becomes locally sensitive to precessional forcing, resulting in rapid shifts from wet to dry conditions. These periods of extreme climate variability may have provided a catalyst for evolutionary change and driven key speciation and dispersal events amongst mammals and hominins in East Africa. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TrauthDeinoBergneretal.2003,
  author    = {Trauth, Martin H. and Deino, Alan and Bergner, Andreas G. N. and Strecker, Manfred},
  title     = {East African climate change and orbital forcing during the last 175 kyr BP},
  year      = {2003},
  abstract  = {Variations in the temporal and spatial distribution of solar radiation caused by orbital changes provide a partial explanation for the observed long-term fluctuations in African lake levels. The understanding of such relationships is essential for designing climate-prediction models for the tropics. Our assessment of the nature and timing of East African climate change is based on lake-level fluctuations of Lake Naivasha in the Central Kenya Rift (0°55'S 36°20'E), inferred from sediment characteristics, diatoms, authigenic mineral assemblages and 17 single-crystal 40Ar/39Ar age determinations. Assuming that these fluctuations reflect climate changes, the Lake Naivasha record demonstrates that periods of increased humidity in East Africa mainly followed maximum equatorial solar radiation in March or September. Interestingly, the most dramatic change in the Naivasha Basin occurred as early as 146 kyr BP and the highest lake level was recorded at about 139 to 133 kyr BP. This is consistent with other well-dated low-latitude climate records, but does not correspond to peaks in Northern Hemisphere summer insolation as the trigger for the ice- age cycles. The Naivasha record therefore provides evidence for low-latitude forcing of the ice-age climate cycles.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TrauthBookhagenMuelleretal.2003,
  author    = {Trauth, Martin H. and Bookhagen, Bodo and Mueller, Andreas and Strecker, Manfred},
  title     = {Erosion and climate change in the Santa Maria Basin, NW Argentina during the last 40,000 yrs},
  year      = {2003},
  abstract  = {Present erosion and sediment flux in the semi-arid intramontane Santa Maria Basin, NW Argentina are compared with conditions during a period of wetter and more variable climate at about 30,000 14C yrs ago. The results suggest that the influence of climate change on the overall erosional sediment budget is significant, mainly because of a change in the erosion regime coupled with an increase in mass movements. The most effective mechanism to increase landslide activity in this environment is a highly variable climate on inter-annual timescales. In contrast, Quaternary changes in erosional budgets due to variations in moisture regimes is small in the Santa Maria Basin. Since the magnitude of a potential increase in background erosion as well as enhanced landsliding is smaller than typical levels of uncertainty of erosional budgets for such large basins, it is not likely that climate-driven erosional unloading can influence tectonic style and rates in this semi-arid environment on time scales of several 103 to 104 years.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TrauthDeinoStrecker2001,
  author    = {Trauth, Martin H. and Deino, Alan and Strecker, Manfred},
  title     = {Response of the East African climate to orbital forcing during the Last Interglacial (130-117 kyr BP) and the early Last Glacial (117-60 kyr BP)},
  issn      = {0091-7613},
  year      = {2001},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MarwanTrauthSchwarzetal.1999,
  author    = {Marwan, Norbert and Trauth, Martin H. and Schwarz, Udo and Kurths, J{\"u}rgen and Strecker, Manfred},
  title     = {Climate dynamics of varved pleistocene lake sediments in nw Argentina},
  issn      = {1029-7006},
  year      = {1999},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TrauthBookhagenMarwanetal.2003,
  author    = {Trauth, Martin H. and Bookhagen, Bodo and Marwan, Norbert and Strecker, Manfred},
  title     = {Multiple landslide clusters record quaternary climate changes in the northwestern Argentine andes},
  year      = {2003},
  abstract  = {The chronology of multiple landslide deposits and related lake sediments in the semi-arid eastern Argentine Cordillera suggests that major mass movements cluster in two time periods during the Quaternary, i.e. between 40 and 25 and after 5 14C kyr BP. These clusters may correspond to the Minchin (maximum at around 28-27 14C kyr BP) and Titicaca wet periods (after 3.9 14C kyr BP). The more humid conditions apparently caused enhanced landsliding in this environment. In contrast, no landslide-related damming and associated lake sediments occurred during the Coipasa (11.5- 10 14C yr BP) and Tauca wet periods (14.5-11 14C yr BP). The two clusters at 40-25 and after 5 14C kyr BP may correspond to periods where the El Ni{\~n}o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Tropical Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature Variability (TAV) were active. This, however, was not the case during the Coipasa and Tauca wet periods. Lake-balance modelling of a landslide-dammed lake suggests a 10-15\% increase in precipitation and a 3-4 ° C decrease in temperature at ~30 14C kyr BP as compared to the present. In addition, time-series analysis reveals a strong ENSO and TAV during that time. The landslide clusters in northwestern Argentina are therefore best explained by periods of more humid and more variable climates.},
  language  = {en}
}