a càrrec del Dr. Martin H. Trauth (Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Potsdam, Alemanya)
SEMINARIS DE LA FACULTAT DE GEOLOGIA I L'INSTITUT DE CIÈNCIES DE LA TERRA JAUME ALMERA

Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Consell Superior d'Investigacions Científiques (CSIC)

Dia: dimecres 06 de maig
Hora: 12.00 h
Lloc: sala d'actes de l'Institut Jaume Almera

Resum:
Drivers of environmental changes that are active on long time scales (106 to 104 years) have the larger amplitudes compared to processes that act on short time scales (103 to 100 years). On the other hand, short term fluctuations have a more direct influence on the habitats of hominins and mammals via availability of food and water, and the diets of Plio-Pleistocene hominins and mammals. Here we show how long-term processes can have an effect on the amplitude of short-term environmental fluctuations. Furthermore, we show that this link between long-term, high-amplitude processes with short-term environmental fluctuations is exceptionally strong in East Africa. The tectonically-driven formation of the East African Rift System and the associated plateaus therefore makes the area more sensitive to climate changes. It is tempting to speculate that the East Africa became the cradle of humankind because of this strong link between endogenic and exogenic processes across length