Doctoral Dissertation Research: Late Quaternary Climate Variation Within the Maya Lowlands, Belize, Central America as Evidenced by Variations in Speleothem Deposition

这项建议研究了伯利兹玛雅低地地区第四纪晚期的气候变化，从洞穴沉积的变化中可以看出这一点。目前关于中美洲玛雅低地的古气候记录是不充分的，因为在潮湿的热带地区很难获得详细的古气候替代数据。洞穴被认为是高分辨率古气候数据的来源。这项研究的目的是考察洞穴作为古气候替代数据的来源，并建立一个区域、高分辨率的气候变化替代记录，最长可达2000年。此外，还将试图确定气候变化是否可能是导致玛雅文明衰落的原因。这样的结果可能会对该地区未来的气候波动进行预测。研究区的洞穴将通过岩石学和数字图像分析进行研究。然后将使用光谱方法分析观测到的记录，并将其与现有的气候数据进行比较。这项研究意义重大，因为它是中美洲第一个高分辨率的古气候记录。这些结果将有助于我们对玛雅崩塌的理解，并增加关于气候研究中洞穴问题的越来越多的知识。

Webster, James W U of Georgia This proposal examines late quaternary climatic variation within the Maya Lowlands, Belize as evidenced by variations in speleothem deposition. Currently available paleoclimatic records for the Maya Lowlands of Central America are inadequate because detailed paleoclimate proxy data are difficult to obtain in humid, tropical areas. Speleothems are thought to be a source of high resolution paleoclimate data. The aims of the research are to examine speleothems as a source of paleoclimate proxy data and construct a regional, high resolution proxy record of climatic variation for up to 2000 years B.P. In addition, an attempt will be made to establish whether climate variation may have contributed to the decline of the Mayan civilization. Such results may allow prediction of future climate fluctuations for the region. Speleothems from the study area will examined petrographically and by digital image analysis. Spectral methods will then be used to analyze the observed record and compare it with existing climate data. The research is significant because it is the first high-resolution record of paleoclimate for Central America. The results will contribute to our understanding of the Maya collapse and add to the growing body of knowledge concerning speleothems in climate research.