Reconstructing Quaternary pluvial episodes and paleohydrology using travertines from Egypt's Western Desert

Quaternary climate in North Africa was marked by multiple wet periods overprinting extreme aridity, but pluvial drivers, as well as their timing and geographic extent, are poorly constrained. We address these factors in the first comprehensive analysis of travertine from Egypt's Western Desert, which represents a unique and under-utilized record of paleoclimate and paleohydrology. We infer large-volume travertine mound deposition along faults near the area's central limestone plateau to reflect times of high discharge (high groundwater head) from springs of the Nubian aquifer, likely associated with so-called Green Sahara pluvial episodes. Similarly, we assume that travertine platforms in depressions (oases) represent related marsh and lake deposition, including a widespread late Cenozoic dolostone of probable lacustrine origin in Farafra Oasis, which needs additional mapping. We present the results of uranium-series analysis of travertines from oasis areas spanning a north-south gradient through the Western Desert; we dated the tops and bottoms of inset deposits at different wadi (wash) elevations to resolve the inception and termination of high spring heads/pluvials as well as regional aggradation or incision patterns. Our dates, combined with published literature ages, suggest wet intervals around 100-115, 125-140, 180-200, 350-360, 450, and 600 ka. Heights of inset terrace travertines in wadis are potentially correlative between sites and are seen as approximately 5, 10, and 25 m above the modern wadi levels. Assuming that paleohydrological changes reflect paleoclimate changes, we examine correlations between times of travertine deposition, relative to glacial cycles or to more specific orbital forcings, acting on the North African summer monsoon. Initial comparison of travertine occurrence to glacial cycles shows no obvious correlation, although there are major travertine deposition episodes at important paleoclimate transitions such as MIS 6 to 5, 7 to 6, and 11 to 10. Perhaps the best preliminary association is to orbital forcing, particularly precession, consistent with the hypothesis that orbital forcing is a driver of the North African monsoon and thus pluvials.