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Back to Undergraduate Research Talks
The Great Mayan Drought:
A GK-12 Activity Utilizing ODP Core 1002D
By Jeri Rodgers, J. Cano, and K.K. Ellins
Abstract:
DP Site 1002D core data benefits the study of Holocene climatic conditions, and provides
the basis for a fascinating high school level earth sciences activity linking core studies
with the collapse of the Mayan civilization. In this activity a subset of Ti concentration/core
depth data obtained from the Cariaco Basin (offshore Venezuela) by previous workers
(Haug et al., 2001) is plotted as a proxy for rainfall/time. During 2000 years BP -
present, the plotted data indicate multiyear droughts at approximately 1720, 1620, and
1200 years BP, with the last drought lasting approximately 200 years. When the students
superimpose times of Mayan population collapse they find a correlation with core data
for drought occurrences - approximately 280 and 380 AD (Pre-Classic Abandonment) and a
major drought from approximately 750-950 AD (Terminal Classic Collapse). Additional activity
information includes seismic profiling of the Cariaco Basin, the importance of an anoxic
basin in this type of analysis, Ti mineralogy, information on the ODP, and Mayan culture
and history. This activity package fulfills many of the TEKS and NSES requirements for GMO courses.
To be presented at the ASLO meeting in Salt Lake City, Feb. 2005
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