TY - JOUR A1 - Walter, Marius J. A1 - Trauth, Martin H. T1 - A MATLAB based orientation analysis of Acheulean handaxe accumulations in Olorgesailie and Kariandusi, Kenya Rift JF - Journal of human evolution N2 - The Pleistocene archeological record in East Africa has revealed unusual accumulations of Acheulean handaxes at prehistoric sites. In particular, there has been intensive debate concerning whether the artifact accumulation at the Middle Pleistocene Olorgesailie (Southern Kenya Rift) and Kariandusi (Central Kenya Rift) sites were a result of fluvial reworking or of in situ deposition by hominids. We used a two-step approach to test the hypothesis of fluvial reworking. Firstly, the behavior of handaxes in water currents was investigated in a current flume and the flow threshold required to reorientate the handaxes was determined. The results of these experiments suggested that, in relatively high energy and non-steady flow conditions, handaxes will reorientate themselves perpendicular to the current direction. Secondly, an automated image analysis routine was developed and applied to archeological plans from three Acheulean sites, two at Olorgesailie and one at Kariandusi, in order to determine the orientations of the handaxes. A Rayleigh test was then applied to the orientation data to test for a preferred orientation. The results revealed that the handaxes at the Upper Kariandusi Site and the Olorgesailie Main Site Mid Trench had a preferential orientation, suggesting reworking by a paleocurrent. The handaxes from the Olorgesailie Main Site H/6A, however, appeared to be randomly oriented and in situ deposition by the producers therefore remains a possibility. KW - Excavation plan KW - Artifact KW - Flume channel KW - Shape detection KW - Rayleigh test Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.02.011 SN - 0047-2484 VL - 64 IS - 6 SP - 569 EP - 581 PB - Elsevier CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Trauth, Martin H. T1 - TURBO2 - a MATLAB simulation to study the effects of bioturbation on paleoceanographic time series JF - Computers & geosciences : an international journal devoted to the publication of papers on all aspects of geocomputation and to the distribution of computer programs and test data sets ; an official journal of the International Association for Mathematical Geology N2 - Bioturbation (or benthic mixing) causes significant distortions in marine stable isotope signals and other palaeoceanographic records. Although the influence of bioturbation on these records is well known it has rarely been dealt systematically. The MATLAB program called TURBO2 can be used to simulate the effect of bioturbation on individual sediment particles. It can therefore be used to model the distortion of all physical, chemical, and biological signals in deep-sea sediments, such as Mg/Ca ratios and UK37-based sea-surface temperature (SST) variations. In particular, it can be used to study the distortions in paleoceanographic records that are based on individual sediment particles, such as SST records based on foraminifera assemblages. Furthermore. TURBO2 provides a tool to study the effect of benthic mixing of isotope signals such as C-14, delta O-18, and delta C-13, measured in a stratigraphic carrier such as foraminifera shells. KW - Bioturbation KW - Modeling KW - MATLAB KW - Deep-sea records KW - Foraminifera KW - Stable oxygen isotopes Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2013.05.003 SN - 0098-3004 SN - 1873-7803 VL - 61 IS - 12 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Junginger, Annett A1 - Trauth, Martin H. T1 - Hydrological constraints of paleo-Lake Suguta in the Northern Kenya Rift during the African Humid Period (15-5 ka BP) JF - Global and planetary change N2 - During the African Humid Period (AHP, 15-5 ka BP) an almost 300 m deep paleo-lake covering 2200 km(2) developed in the Suguta Valley, in the Northern Kenya Rift Data from lacustrine sediments and paleo-shorelines indicate that a large paleo-lake already existed by 13.9 ka BP, and record rapid water level fluctuations of up to 100 m within periods of 100 years or less, and a final lowstand at the end of the AHP (5 ka BP). We used a hydro-balance model to assess the abruptness of these water level fluctuations and identify their causes. We observed that fluctuations within the AHP were caused by abrupt changes in precipitation of 26-40%. Despite the absence of continuous lacustrine data documenting the onset of the AHP in the Suguta Valley, we conclude from the hydro-balance model that only an abrupt onset to the AHP, prior to 14.8 ka BP, could have led to high water levels recorded. The modeling results suggest that the sudden increase in rainfall was the direct consequence of an eastward migration of the Congo Air Boundary (CAB), caused by an enhanced atmospheric pressure gradient between East Africa and southern Asia during a northern hemisphere (NH) summer insolation maximum. In contrast the end of the AHP must have been gradual despite an abrupt change in the source of precipitation when a decreasing pressure gradient between Asia and Africa prevented the CAB from reaching the study area. This abruptness was probably buffered by a contemporaneous change in precession producing an insolation maximum at the equator during September-October. This change would have meant that the only rain source was the Intertropical Convergence Zone (IT CZ), which would have carried a greater amount of moisture during the short rainy season thus slowing the fall in water level over a period of about 1000 years in association with the reduction in insolation. The results of this study provide an indication of the amount of time available for humans in north-eastern Africa to adapt in response to a changing climate, from hunting and gathering to farming and herding. KW - East African Rift System KW - Suguta Valley KW - African Humid Period KW - Congo Air Boundary Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2013.09.005 SN - 0921-8181 SN - 1872-6364 VL - 111 IS - 12 SP - 174 EP - 188 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dulanya, Zuze A1 - Reed, Jane M. A1 - Trauth, Martin H. T1 - Mapping changing shorelines in the Malombe and Chiuta lakes of Malawi-environmental effects of recent climatic variations JF - Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science, hydrology, geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution N2 - This study examines patterns of climate variability by mapping shoreline changes between 1973 and 2008 for two shallow lakes in Malawi, East Africa. Multi-temporal LANDSAT data covering eight different years within the period of investigation were utilised for lake-area mapping, using image classification techniques. The approach was verified using simple comparisons with local rainfall data and satellite altimetry data. Results indicated that the lake areas varied between the different years investigated and that, although the lakes were affected by the same climate-forcing mechanisms, the individual basin characteristics had a critical effect on their responses. The most likely drivers for the climate-related shoreline variations are the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), causing synchronous changes to the water levels in both lakes, albeit showing differences in climate signal amplification. KW - Lake Malombe KW - Lake Chiuta KW - Lake-area KW - ENSO/IOD Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2012.10.016 SN - 0341-8162 VL - 104 IS - 10 SP - 111 EP - 119 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -