Universitaet Potsdam, Germany

Ocean Drilling Program Site 1085 provides a continuous marine sediment record off southern South West Africa for at least the last three and half million years. The n-alkane delta (super 13) C record from this site records changes in past vegetation and provides an indication of the moisture availability of SW Africa during this time period. Very little variation, and no apparent trend, is observed in the n-alkane delta (super 13) C record, suggesting stable long-term conditions despite significant changes in East African tectonics and global climate. Slightly higher n-alkane delta (super 13) C values occur between 3.5 and 2.7Ma suggesting slightly drier conditions than today. Between 2.5 and 2.7Ma there is a shift to more negative n-alkane delta (super 13) C values suggesting slightly wetter conditions during a approximately 0.2Ma episode that coincides with the intensification of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (iNHG). From 2.5 to 0.4Ma the n-alkane delta (super 13) C values are very consistent, varying by less than + or -0.5 ppm and suggesting little or no long-term change in the moisture availability of South West Africa over the last 2.5 million years. This is in contrast to the long-term drying trend observed further north offshore from the Namib Desert and in East Africa. A comparison of the climate history of these regions suggests that Southern Africa may have been an area of long-term stability over the last 3.5 Myrs. Abstract Copyright (2012) Elsevier, B.V.