Abrupt Shifts in Horn of Africa Hydroclimate Since the Last Glacial Maximum

Abstract

Quick-Dry Region The Sahara Desert is one of the driest places on Earth. However, 11,000 to 5000 years ago, it was a relatively lush region containing savannah grasslands and humid tropical forests. This interval, the Early Holocene African Humid Period, ended, of course, but whether the drying occurred rapidly or gradually is unclear. Tierney and deMenocal (p. 843 , published online 10 October; see the Perspective by Bard ) report results from the Horn of Africa that suggest that the transitions both into and out of the humid period were abrupt—occurring within centuries rather than over millennia.