Hydro-climatic fluctuations and their impact on Lake Abhe environments (Ethiopia & Djibouti): a lesson from the past 10,000 years

Throughout the last 14 ka, tropical Africa experienced significant hydrological changes that were mainly driven by the orbital precession cycle, which controls the intensity of the African monsoon. Recent studies conducted in lake and deltaic sedimentary records suggest that long-term monsoon humid oscillations (African Humid Period / AHP ~14 – ~6 ka) were punctuated by centennial-scale episodes of hyperaridity. However, the abrupt or gradual aridification modalities since the end of the AHP and the modalities of the centennial-scale episodes, as well as their impacts on past and current environments are still debated.

The Lake Abhe basin in the Central Afar region (Ethiopia & Djibouti) is the endorheic receptacle of freshwater originating in the Ethiopian Highlands, and represents a hydro-sedimentary system sensitive to hydro-climatic changes in East Africa. Today it is characterized by residual lakes (Gamari and Afambo lakes) and a hyper-arid climate, while during the AHP, the Abhe basin was occupied by a Mega-lake and by humid environmental conditions. Holocene climatic disruptions drastically changed the landscapes and ways of life along this basin.  

The aim of this study is to describe, interpret and estimate the impact of hydro-climatic oscillations on the evolution of Lake Abhe’s littoral lacustrine environments and palaeolandscapes since the AHP from different viewpoints.

Indeed, this research combines paleoclimatological and geomorphological studies based on a new set of ¹⁴C ages on two lacustrine cores and on several morpho-sedimentary outcrops spanning the Early to Late Holocene. Our results allow us to: a) refine the temporal occurrence and the hydrological modalities of the AHP including short-term arid episodes linked to Younger Dryas and 8.2 ka North Atlantic events; b) recognise some paleo-shoreline geomorphic features linked to lake level fluctuations, as well as the development littoral pedological horizons and the activation/shutdown of the perilacustrine fluvial network during humid and arid events; c) track these changes until the present day, and discuss their evolution scenario in the near future.

Comparing with other regional climatic records, we show how Lake Abhe basin was highly reactive to East African monsoonal regimes, and how current hydrological changes could impact its environments.