Organic geochemical records of environmental variability in Lake Malawi during the last 700 years, Part I: The TEX86 temperature record

We have applied the TEX86 paleothermometer to produce a surface water temperature record for Lake Malawi spanning the past 700 years. Over much of the record temperature fluctuates from ~ 24–27 °C with a mean of ~ 25 °C ; however, there has been a substantial increase in temperature of ~ 2.0 °C during the past ~ 100 years. The TEX86 temperature record reveals a strong similarity to the instrumental record; both records demonstrate warming (~ 0.7–1.4 °C) over the past ~ 50 years as well as a cooling anomaly around 1959. Comparison of the TEX86 temperature record with the proxy records of primary productivity suggests that wind induced upwelling and/or precipitation have a strong influence on the surface temperature of Lake Malawi.