Understanding past and current climate change and life history across the African continent on different timescales is essential for future projections. Climate change in this region has devastating impacts on agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of people. Moreover, Africa preserves the oldest and richest early pre-human fossil records, as well as a rich and detailed archaeological record, a vital resource for understanding our human origins and how we adapt to climate.
Palaeoclimate reconstructions are limited to only some of the African regions. This hampers our understanding of climate variability temporally and geographically. The lack of benchmark climate records also hinders proxy – model data comparisons. To what extent models may under- or overestimate Africa’s hydroclimate and temperature changes is therefore currently poorly known.
Our session invites contributions covering, but not restricted to, 1) modern day climate using observational data and rainfall isotopes exploring teleconnections with interannual modes like El Niño–Southern Oscillation, Indian Ocean Dipole, 2) palaeoclimate reconstructions using but not limited to: speleothems, and marine or lake sediments, 3) climate model – proxy data comparisons, and 4) the climate impact on mammals, including humans, in Africa. We encourage submissions from early career researchers and African researchers, both on the continent and in the diaspora.
Rieneke Weij