Spatially variable sedimentary responses to orbitally driven pluvial climate during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 5.1, Dakhla Oasis region, Egypt

Pleistocene basinal sediments (PBS) in the Dakhla region of Egypt's hyperarid Western Desert comprise four facies: (A) fluvio-lacustrine, (B) mixed lacustrine/pluvio-eolian, (C) pluvio-eolian, and (D) mixed eolian/pluvio-eolian. Contiguity of basins containing each facies, and their stratigraphic position between two bajada gravel formations, P/B-II and P/B-III, confirm their equivalence. Facies A and B, with lacustrine components, are attributed to orbitally forced poleward incursion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), resulting in increased summer insolation/temperature/precipitation. Facies C and D, comprising pluvio-eolian and eolian sediments, reflect geologic/topographic influences overprinted on regional 'pluvial' conditions, eliminating lacustrine response. A Th/U age of ∼ 62 ka on lacustrine marl within Facies B is minimal, and an OSL age of 110 ± 18 ka on sediments immediately below Facies B is maximal. Since bajada gravels P/B-III are the youngest Pleistocene formation, they must represent the final strong incursion of the ITCZ into the Dakhla region at MIS 5.1, ∼ 80 ka. Because PBS Facies A pass rapidly up into P/B-III bajada gravels, PBS are assigned to the rising limb of the MIS 5.1 insolation/temperature/precipitation curve, slightly younger than 80 ka.