TY - JOUR ID - TI - HOLOCENE ARIDIFICATION IN CENTRAL IRAQ AU - Rafaa Z. Jassim AU - Yehya T. Al-Rawi AU - Habib R. Habib PY - 2007 VL - 3 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 9 JO - Iraqi Bulletin of Geology and Mining مجلة الجيولوجيا والتعدين العراقية SN - 18114539 AB - Shari Playa is a closed basin located in central Iraq and characterized by the development of clastic and saline sediment facies during the last (6000 ــ6500) years. The present climate in the area is semiarid with a mean annual precipitation of about 150 mm and a mean annual temperature of 22°C. The palynomorph constituents of the Shari Playa sediments revealed climatic changes towards dry periods. These palynomorphs include: Tricolpate, Lycopodium, Artemisia, Armeria martima, Palmaepollenites, Chenopodiacea, Graminae, Caryophyllaceae, Lavigatosporites, Quercus, Alnus-Pollenites, Retitriporites, Polygonium, Convolvollus and Centaurea. Six palaeoecological zones are suggested by the pollen diagram of these sediments. Two wet episodes (Zones 2 and 5) are indicated at (5200  5800) years and (2500  4200) years B.P. The rest zones represent dry and transitional episodes. The predominance of Chenopods in the uppermost zone indicates the climatic deterioration and aridification in the area leading to the present climate.

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