Late Pleistocene Palehydrologic Reconstructions and Radiocarbon Dating in the Southeastern Basin and Range, USA Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Kowler, Andrew Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 02/10/2021 10:48:34 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/347134 LATE PLEISTOCENE PALEOHYDROLOGIC RECONSTRUCTIONS AND RADIOCARBON DATING IN THE SOUTHEASTERN BASIN AND RANGE, USA by Andrew L. Kowler ____________________________ Copyright © Andrew L. Kowler 2015 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2015 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Andrew L. Kowler, titled “Late Pleistocene Paleohydrologic Reconstructions and Radiocarbon Dating in the Southeastern Basin and Range, USA” and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. _______________________________________________________________________ Date: (10/28/14) Vance T. Holliday _______________________________________________________________________ Date: (10/28/14) Jay Quade _______________________________________________________________________ Date: (10/28/14) Andrew S. Cohen _______________________________________________________________________ Date: (10/28/14) Owen K. Davis Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. ________________________________________________ Date: (10/28/14) Dissertation Director: Vance T. Holliday 2 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: Andrew L. Kowler 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to my amazing wife Astrid and wonderful mother and father for their unconditional love and support. Eileen Kowler and Roberta and Ava Shaffer—thanks for all the encouragement. I am grateful to Martin Rabenhorst for introducing me to soils; to Bruce James for teaching me why they have been important to society for millennia; to my advisor, Vance Holliday, for enabling me to pursue exciting research questions at the intersection of soils, geology, and archaeology by including me in his projects and writing dozens of letters on my behalf; to Jay Quade for recruiting me into the department and teaching me that I am capable of answering most of my own questions. He and Wally Broecker heavily influenced the direction of my doctoral research and helped me to get the paleolakes project off the ground. I express sincere gratitude to Vance Haynes, John Hawley, and Joseph Schreiber, who not only serve as mentors and role models but, in retirement, helped me as committee members would. Mark Aldenderfer and John Olsen brought me to places that I never dreamt of seeing. Andy Cohen brought me into his paleolimnology family. I have benefitted tremendously from the tutelage of scientists who often go unnoticed: Chris Eastoe, David Dettman, and George Burr. At the Arizona AMS facility, Tim Jull made it possible for me to afford radiocarbon dates, and Todd Lange, Rich Cruz, and Lori Hewitt carried out my every odd request—essential for the success of my projects. Darrell Kaufman and Aradhna Tripati provided me with opportunities to work beyond the scope of what was locally available. Rolfe Mandel and Kathleen Nicoll made sure I knew that I was doing a good job. David Killick, David Miller, Greg Hodgins, Jeff Pigati, Julio Betancourt, Owen Davis, Paul Fish, Richard Hereford, Tim Jull, and Warren Beck maintained an active interest in my work and left their doors open to me. Phil Pearthree, Joe Cook, Anne Youberg, and Larry Fellows helped me in my quest to integrate soils into geologic research by including me in fieldwork. Manuel Palacios-Fest took me under his wing and is a mentor and collaborator par excellence; he and Jordon Bright have gone over the top to help me unlock the paleohydrologic secrets of Willcox basin. Bill Reitze, Christine Gans, Jesse Ballenger, Josh Reuther, Michael McGlue, Patricio DeSouza, Shane Miller, and Randy Haas exemplify teamwork. Years of stimulating research discussions with Alex Pullen, Chris Roos, Fumie Iizuka, James Girardi, James Mayer, Majie Fan, Martin Pepper, Preston Smith, Sarah Ivory, Steph McAfee, and Dana Rosenstein kept me stimulated. Art Vokes and Jeff Nekola confirmed my inkling that even the best-trained geologist needs to rely on specialists to identify snails correctly. Ben McElhaney was there to repair antique equipment that should not have been permitted on a 21st century campus, and because of him and Bill Reitze I learned to shop for used equipment and grew a lab of my own. Ben Beshaw, Catherine Lehman, Cathy Snider, Sharon Bouck, Heather Alvarez, Denise Galindo, Gail Zizzo, and Sylvia Quintero helped me to realize my funding vision by greasing the accounting wheels. Owen Davis, thank you for sitting on my defense committee without hesitation. Eneida Guerra de Lima and Dirk Jensen took care of my IT needs. Without fail, Kiriyaki Xiluri came through for me each and every time I needed to plot a poster—and she made sure that I could afford it. Finally, Anne Chase champions the student’s cause, and I cannot overstate my gratitude for her assistance from day one of my existence in the department. 4 DEDICATION To Astrid and Sam, the lights of my life. And to special people who are not here to witness my accomplishment: my grandparents Sam and Miriam, Mike and Rose; my aunts Muriel, Lillian, and Florence; and Isabel Chicquor. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT................................................................................................................10 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................12 REFERENCES.............................................................................................................15 PRESENT STUDY.......................................................................................................17 APPENDIX A: PALEOHYDROLOGY OF PLAYAS VALLEY, SOUTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO (32ON) AND CLIMATIC IMPLICATIONS FOR WESTERN NORTH AMERICA DURING THE FINAL PLEISTOCENE GLACIATION.........................................................18 Abstract.................................................................................................................18 Introduction...........................................................................................................19 Site Description.....................................................................................................21 Methods................................................................................................................23 Mapping and Stratigraphy..................................................................................23 Stable Isotope Analysis......................................................................................23 Radiocarbon Dating...........................................................................................24 Results...................................................................................................................24 Gastropod Fauna...............................................................................................24 Radiocarbon-Dating Considerations...................................................................25 Sedimentology/Stratigraphy, Fauna, and Chronology..........................................26 Depositional Environments................................................................................27 Stable Isotope Data ...........................................................................................29 Results.........................................................................................................29 Paleoenvironmental and Geochronologic Implications....................................29 Paleohydrologic Reconstruction.........................................................................30 Synthesis...............................................................................................................30 Summary of Nearby Paleo-Lake Records ...........................................................31 Comparison with Paleohydrologic Records from the Western U.S. .....................32 Temporal Correlation with H1 and Changes in the North Atlantic........................34 Response of Atmospheric Circulation