Articles | Volume 16, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-117-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-117-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
15 Jan 2020
Research article |
| 15 Jan 2020
| 15 Jan 2020
The end of the African humid period as seen by a transient comprehensive Earth system model simulation of the last 8000 years
Anne Dallmeyer
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
The Land in the Earth System, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Bundesstrasse 53, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
Martin Claussen
The Land in the Earth System, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Bundesstrasse 53, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
Meteorological Institute, Centrum für Erdsystemforschung und
Nachhaltigkeit (CEN), Universität Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 55, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
Stephan J. Lorenz
The Ocean in the Earth System, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Bundesstrasse 53, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
Timothy Shanahan
The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Geological Sciences, 1 University Station C9000, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
Viewed
Total article views: 8,318 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Cumulative views and downloads
(calculated since 30 Jul 2019)
| HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,630 | 1,586 | 102 | 8,318 | 354 | 124 | 138 |
- HTML: 6,630
- PDF: 1,586
- XML: 102
- Total: 8,318
- Supplement: 354
- BibTeX: 124
- EndNote: 138
Total article views: 6,914 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Cumulative views and downloads
(calculated since 15 Jan 2020)
| HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,827 | 1,001 | 86 | 6,914 | 227 | 110 | 119 |
- HTML: 5,827
- PDF: 1,001
- XML: 86
- Total: 6,914
- Supplement: 227
- BibTeX: 110
- EndNote: 119
Total article views: 1,404 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Cumulative views and downloads
(calculated since 30 Jul 2019)
| HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 803 | 585 | 16 | 1,404 | 127 | 14 | 19 |
- HTML: 803
- PDF: 585
- XML: 16
- Total: 1,404
- Supplement: 127
- BibTeX: 14
- EndNote: 19
Viewed (geographical distribution)
Total article views: 8,318 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Thereof 7,366 with geography defined
and 952 with unknown origin.
Total article views: 6,914 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Thereof 6,190 with geography defined
and 724 with unknown origin.
Total article views: 1,404 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Thereof 1,176 with geography defined
and 228 with unknown origin.
| Country | # | Views | % |
|---|
| Country | # | Views | % |
|---|
| Country | # | Views | % |
|---|
| Total: | 0 |
| HTML: | 0 |
| PDF: | 0 |
| XML: | 0 |
- 1
1
| Total: | 0 |
| HTML: | 0 |
| PDF: | 0 |
| XML: | 0 |
- 1
1
| Total: | 0 |
| HTML: | 0 |
| PDF: | 0 |
| XML: | 0 |
- 1
1
Cited
54 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Mid-Holocene West African monsoon rainfall enhanced in EC-Earth simulation with dynamic vegetation feedback E. Berntell & Q. Zhang 10.1007/s00382-024-07262-7
- Sensitivity to climate and vegetation dynamics of a peatland record from central Cameroon during the African Humid Period V. Schaaff et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109307
- Extreme Events Contributing to Tipping Elements and Tipping Points A. Romanou et al. 10.1007/s10712-024-09863-7
- Green Sahara tipping points in transient climate model simulations of the Holocene P. Hopcroft & P. Valdes 10.1088/1748-9326/ac7c2b
- Evidence for the role of tropical plumes in driving mid-Holocene north-west Sahara rainfall H. Couper et al. 10.1016/j.epsl.2024.119195
- Alluvial records of the African Humid Period from the NW African highlands (Moulouya basin, NE Morocco) B. Depreux et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.106807
- Spatial and temporal variability in sea surface temperatures and monsoon dynamics in the northwestern Arabian Sea during the last 43 kyr J. Maier et al. 10.5194/cp-21-279-2025
- High-resolution marine data and transient simulations support orbital forcing of ENSO amplitude since the mid-Holocene M. Carré et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107125
- Simulated range of mid-Holocene precipitation changes from extended lakes and wetlands over North Africa N. Specht et al. 10.5194/cp-18-1035-2022
- Historical biogeography of the Saharan horned viper enlightens past dynamics of hyperarid desert habitats A. Liz et al. 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105171
- Pattern scaling of simulated vegetation change in northern Africa during glacial cycles M. Duque-Villegas et al. 10.5194/cp-21-773-2025
- Agroclimatic landscapes of pergamon: Modeling agricultural suitability of an ancient city and its environs R. Busch et al. 10.1371/journal.pone.0325779
- Transient climate simulations of the Holocene (version 1) – experimental design and boundary conditions Z. Tian et al. 10.5194/gmd-15-4469-2022
- Speleothem records of monsoon interannual-interdecadal variability through the Holocene S. Parker et al. 10.1088/2515-7620/ac3eaa
- Monsoon-driven changes in aeolian and fluvial sediment input to the central Red Sea recorded throughout the last 200 000 years W. Ehrmann et al. 10.5194/cp-20-37-2024
- Controls of aeolian and fluvial sediment influx to the northern Red Sea over the last 220 000 years W. Ehrmann et al. 10.5194/cp-21-1025-2025
- Climate variability along the margin of the southern African monsoon region at the end of the African Humid Period B. Chase et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107663
- Environmental and Social Risks to Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health—A Bottom-Up, Resource-Focused Assessment Framework R. Pielke et al. 10.3390/earth2030026
- Mid‐Holocene Sahara‐Sahel Precipitation From the Vantage of Present‐Day Climate P. Molnar & B. Rajagopalan 10.1029/2020GL088171
- Past abrupt changes, tipping points and cascading impacts in the Earth system V. Brovkin et al. 10.1038/s41561-021-00790-5
- Holocene climates of the Iberian Peninsula: pollen-based reconstructions of changes in the west–east gradient of temperature and moisture M. Liu et al. 10.5194/cp-19-803-2023
- Tracing the range shifts of African tree ferns: Insights from the last glacial maximum and beyond M. Karichu et al. 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102896
- Multi-centennial Holocene climate variability in proxy records and transient model simulations T. Askjær et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107801
- Comparison of the green-to-desert Sahara transitions between the Holocene and the last interglacial H. Li et al. 10.5194/cp-18-2303-2022
- Reconstruction of the holocene climate and environmental changes of Niayes peat bog in northern coast of Senegal (NW Africa) based on stable isotopes and charcoals analysis A. Ndiaye et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107609
- The challenge of comparing pollen-based quantitative vegetation reconstructions with outputs from vegetation models – a European perspective A. Dallmeyer et al. 10.5194/cp-19-1531-2023
- Long-term ecological successions of vegetation around Lake Victoria (East Africa) in response to latest Pleistocene and Early Holocene climatic changes Y. Temoltzin-Loranca et al. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111839
- Paleoclimate-conditioning reveals a North Africa land–atmosphere tipping point P. Hopcroft & P. Valdes 10.1073/pnas.2108783118
- Water isotopic constraints on the enhancement of the mid-Holocene West African monsoon A. Thompson et al. 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116677
- How does the explicit treatment of convection alter the precipitation–soil hydrology interaction in the mid-Holocene African humid period? L. Jungandreas et al. 10.5194/cp-19-637-2023
- Pollen-based reconstructions of Holocene climate trends in the eastern Mediterranean region E. Cruz-Silva et al. 10.5194/cp-19-2093-2023
- Applying habitat suitability modelling to establish the species identity of ambiguous animal depictions in archaeology: new insights into the wild bovids of ancient Egypt J. Bro-Jørgensen et al. 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106239
- Evolution of winter precipitation in the Nile river watershed since the last glacial V. Meyer et al. 10.5194/cp-20-523-2024
- Holocene vegetation transitions and their climatic drivers in MPI-ESM1.2 A. Dallmeyer et al. 10.5194/cp-17-2481-2021
- Late Quaternary Climate Variability and Change from Aotearoa New Zealand Speleothems: Progress in Age Modelling, Oxygen Isotope Master Record Construction and Proxy-Model Comparisons A. Lorrey et al. 10.3390/quat3030024
- Late Holocene morphosedimentary and palaeoenvironmental study of the Middle Drâa river basin (southeastern Morocco) F. Saadi et al. 10.1016/j.quaint.2024.09.003
- African Humid Period Precipitation Sustained by Robust Vegetation, Soil, and Lake Feedbacks D. Chandan & W. Peltier 10.1029/2020GL088728
- Rock varnish record of the African Humid Period in the Lake Turkana basin of East Africa T. Liu et al. 10.1177/09596836211011655
- Northern Hemisphere vegetation change drives a Holocene thermal maximum A. Thompson et al. 10.1126/sciadv.abj6535
- The African Holocene Humid Period in the Tibesti mountains (central Sahara, Chad): Climate reconstruction inferred from fossil diatoms and their oxygen isotope composition A. Yacoub et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108099
- Nature and dynamics of North African humid and dry periods during the last 200,000 years documented in the clay fraction of Eastern Mediterranean deep-sea sediments W. Ehrmann & G. Schmiedl 10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.106925
- Socio-environmental implications of shifting subsistence practices at Diallowali, a Late Stone Age site system in the Middle Senegal Valley J. Doman & P. Coutros 10.1016/j.anthro.2023.103210
- Mid-Holocene climate over the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Middle East simulated using a regional climate model F. Xie et al. 10.1177/09596836251350243
- Influence of the representation of convection on the mid-Holocene West African Monsoon L. Jungandreas et al. 10.5194/cp-17-1665-2021
- Hydroclimatic change and vegetation response in Tropical African alpine environments over the Holocene A. Mason et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108947
- A review of West African monsoon penetration during Green Sahara periods; implications for human evolution and dispersals over the last three million years J. Larrasoaña 10.1093/oxfclm/kgab011
- On the length and intensity of the West African summer monsoon during the last interglacial African humid period X. Shi et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108542
- Contribution of lakes in sustaining the Sahara greening during the mid-Holocene Y. Li et al. 10.5194/cp-19-1891-2023
- Were climatic forcings the main driver for mid-holocene changes in settlement dynamics on the Varamin Plain (Central Iranian Plateau)? F. Kirsten et al. 10.1371/journal.pone.0290181
- Effects of orbital forcing, greenhouse gases and ice sheets on Saharan greening in past and future multi-millennia M. Duque-Villegas et al. 10.5194/cp-18-1897-2022
- نظرة عامة على المواقع السكنية للبليستوسين الأعلى في ليبيا، والصلات البين- ثقافية مع نظيراتها الصحراوية-الساحلية والشرق أبيضية المتوسطية. أ. الضبع 10.59743/jaf.v4i2.170
- Drivers of the evolution and amplitude of African Humid Periods L. Menviel et al. 10.1038/s43247-021-00309-1
- Atmospheric methane since the last glacial maximum was driven by wetland sources T. Kleinen et al. 10.5194/cp-19-1081-2023
- Mid-Holocene to present-day evolution of the Indian monsoon in transient global simulations J. Crétat et al. 10.1007/s00382-020-05418-9
53 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Mid-Holocene West African monsoon rainfall enhanced in EC-Earth simulation with dynamic vegetation feedback E. Berntell & Q. Zhang 10.1007/s00382-024-07262-7
- Sensitivity to climate and vegetation dynamics of a peatland record from central Cameroon during the African Humid Period V. Schaaff et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109307
- Extreme Events Contributing to Tipping Elements and Tipping Points A. Romanou et al. 10.1007/s10712-024-09863-7
- Green Sahara tipping points in transient climate model simulations of the Holocene P. Hopcroft & P. Valdes 10.1088/1748-9326/ac7c2b
- Evidence for the role of tropical plumes in driving mid-Holocene north-west Sahara rainfall H. Couper et al. 10.1016/j.epsl.2024.119195
- Alluvial records of the African Humid Period from the NW African highlands (Moulouya basin, NE Morocco) B. Depreux et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.106807
- Spatial and temporal variability in sea surface temperatures and monsoon dynamics in the northwestern Arabian Sea during the last 43 kyr J. Maier et al. 10.5194/cp-21-279-2025
- High-resolution marine data and transient simulations support orbital forcing of ENSO amplitude since the mid-Holocene M. Carré et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107125
- Simulated range of mid-Holocene precipitation changes from extended lakes and wetlands over North Africa N. Specht et al. 10.5194/cp-18-1035-2022
- Historical biogeography of the Saharan horned viper enlightens past dynamics of hyperarid desert habitats A. Liz et al. 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105171
- Pattern scaling of simulated vegetation change in northern Africa during glacial cycles M. Duque-Villegas et al. 10.5194/cp-21-773-2025
- Agroclimatic landscapes of pergamon: Modeling agricultural suitability of an ancient city and its environs R. Busch et al. 10.1371/journal.pone.0325779
- Transient climate simulations of the Holocene (version 1) – experimental design and boundary conditions Z. Tian et al. 10.5194/gmd-15-4469-2022
- Speleothem records of monsoon interannual-interdecadal variability through the Holocene S. Parker et al. 10.1088/2515-7620/ac3eaa
- Monsoon-driven changes in aeolian and fluvial sediment input to the central Red Sea recorded throughout the last 200 000 years W. Ehrmann et al. 10.5194/cp-20-37-2024
- Controls of aeolian and fluvial sediment influx to the northern Red Sea over the last 220 000 years W. Ehrmann et al. 10.5194/cp-21-1025-2025
- Climate variability along the margin of the southern African monsoon region at the end of the African Humid Period B. Chase et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107663
- Environmental and Social Risks to Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health—A Bottom-Up, Resource-Focused Assessment Framework R. Pielke et al. 10.3390/earth2030026
- Mid‐Holocene Sahara‐Sahel Precipitation From the Vantage of Present‐Day Climate P. Molnar & B. Rajagopalan 10.1029/2020GL088171
- Past abrupt changes, tipping points and cascading impacts in the Earth system V. Brovkin et al. 10.1038/s41561-021-00790-5
- Holocene climates of the Iberian Peninsula: pollen-based reconstructions of changes in the west–east gradient of temperature and moisture M. Liu et al. 10.5194/cp-19-803-2023
- Tracing the range shifts of African tree ferns: Insights from the last glacial maximum and beyond M. Karichu et al. 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102896
- Multi-centennial Holocene climate variability in proxy records and transient model simulations T. Askjær et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107801
- Comparison of the green-to-desert Sahara transitions between the Holocene and the last interglacial H. Li et al. 10.5194/cp-18-2303-2022
- Reconstruction of the holocene climate and environmental changes of Niayes peat bog in northern coast of Senegal (NW Africa) based on stable isotopes and charcoals analysis A. Ndiaye et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107609
- The challenge of comparing pollen-based quantitative vegetation reconstructions with outputs from vegetation models – a European perspective A. Dallmeyer et al. 10.5194/cp-19-1531-2023
- Long-term ecological successions of vegetation around Lake Victoria (East Africa) in response to latest Pleistocene and Early Holocene climatic changes Y. Temoltzin-Loranca et al. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111839
- Paleoclimate-conditioning reveals a North Africa land–atmosphere tipping point P. Hopcroft & P. Valdes 10.1073/pnas.2108783118
- Water isotopic constraints on the enhancement of the mid-Holocene West African monsoon A. Thompson et al. 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116677
- How does the explicit treatment of convection alter the precipitation–soil hydrology interaction in the mid-Holocene African humid period? L. Jungandreas et al. 10.5194/cp-19-637-2023
- Pollen-based reconstructions of Holocene climate trends in the eastern Mediterranean region E. Cruz-Silva et al. 10.5194/cp-19-2093-2023
- Applying habitat suitability modelling to establish the species identity of ambiguous animal depictions in archaeology: new insights into the wild bovids of ancient Egypt J. Bro-Jørgensen et al. 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106239
- Evolution of winter precipitation in the Nile river watershed since the last glacial V. Meyer et al. 10.5194/cp-20-523-2024
- Holocene vegetation transitions and their climatic drivers in MPI-ESM1.2 A. Dallmeyer et al. 10.5194/cp-17-2481-2021
- Late Quaternary Climate Variability and Change from Aotearoa New Zealand Speleothems: Progress in Age Modelling, Oxygen Isotope Master Record Construction and Proxy-Model Comparisons A. Lorrey et al. 10.3390/quat3030024
- Late Holocene morphosedimentary and palaeoenvironmental study of the Middle Drâa river basin (southeastern Morocco) F. Saadi et al. 10.1016/j.quaint.2024.09.003
- African Humid Period Precipitation Sustained by Robust Vegetation, Soil, and Lake Feedbacks D. Chandan & W. Peltier 10.1029/2020GL088728
- Rock varnish record of the African Humid Period in the Lake Turkana basin of East Africa T. Liu et al. 10.1177/09596836211011655
- Northern Hemisphere vegetation change drives a Holocene thermal maximum A. Thompson et al. 10.1126/sciadv.abj6535
- The African Holocene Humid Period in the Tibesti mountains (central Sahara, Chad): Climate reconstruction inferred from fossil diatoms and their oxygen isotope composition A. Yacoub et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108099
- Nature and dynamics of North African humid and dry periods during the last 200,000 years documented in the clay fraction of Eastern Mediterranean deep-sea sediments W. Ehrmann & G. Schmiedl 10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.106925
- Socio-environmental implications of shifting subsistence practices at Diallowali, a Late Stone Age site system in the Middle Senegal Valley J. Doman & P. Coutros 10.1016/j.anthro.2023.103210
- Mid-Holocene climate over the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Middle East simulated using a regional climate model F. Xie et al. 10.1177/09596836251350243
- Influence of the representation of convection on the mid-Holocene West African Monsoon L. Jungandreas et al. 10.5194/cp-17-1665-2021
- Hydroclimatic change and vegetation response in Tropical African alpine environments over the Holocene A. Mason et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108947
- A review of West African monsoon penetration during Green Sahara periods; implications for human evolution and dispersals over the last three million years J. Larrasoaña 10.1093/oxfclm/kgab011
- On the length and intensity of the West African summer monsoon during the last interglacial African humid period X. Shi et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108542
- Contribution of lakes in sustaining the Sahara greening during the mid-Holocene Y. Li et al. 10.5194/cp-19-1891-2023
- Were climatic forcings the main driver for mid-holocene changes in settlement dynamics on the Varamin Plain (Central Iranian Plateau)? F. Kirsten et al. 10.1371/journal.pone.0290181
- Effects of orbital forcing, greenhouse gases and ice sheets on Saharan greening in past and future multi-millennia M. Duque-Villegas et al. 10.5194/cp-18-1897-2022
- نظرة عامة على المواقع السكنية للبليستوسين الأعلى في ليبيا، والصلات البين- ثقافية مع نظيراتها الصحراوية-الساحلية والشرق أبيضية المتوسطية. أ. الضبع 10.59743/jaf.v4i2.170
- Drivers of the evolution and amplitude of African Humid Periods L. Menviel et al. 10.1038/s43247-021-00309-1
- Atmospheric methane since the last glacial maximum was driven by wetland sources T. Kleinen et al. 10.5194/cp-19-1081-2023
1 citations as recorded by crossref.
Latest update: 25 Jul 2025
Short summary
We analyse the end of the African humid period (AHP) in a transient Holocene simulation performed with the comprehensive Earth system model MPI-ESM1.2. The model reproduces the time-transgressive end of the AHP evident in proxy data and indicates that changes in moisture can be attributed to the retreat of the summer monsoon and to changes in the extratropical troughs. The spatially varying impact of these systems imposes regionally different responses to the Holocene insolation change.
We analyse the end of the African humid period (AHP) in a transient Holocene simulation...
