Reconstruction of paleoclimatic changes in the Sebkha environment: A case study of Sebkha El-Guettiate (Southeast Tunisia)

Abstract

This study investigates climatic variations and natural cyclostratigraphy in Sebkha El-Guettiate (Southeastern Tunisia) through a multidisciplinary approach. Using a 150 cm sediment core, the research combines geological and sedimentological analyses with statistical methods such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), clustering, and spectral analysis, alongside analyses (pH and electrical conductivity) to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental history of the sebkha. Variability in particle-size fractions serves as the primary proxy for deriving cyclostratigraphic information. The results reveal dual climatic cycles with periodicities of approximately 2000, 1600, 1300, 1000, 800, 595, 324, and 166 years, with major cycles linked to solar activity (2000 and 1000 years), Atlantic Ocean internal forcing (1600 years), and oceanic thermohaline circulation (1300 and 800 years). Other periodicities likely reflect additional oceanographic and atmospheric factors. These findings provide valuable insights into past environmental conditions and climate-sedimentation interplay in arid regions, offering a reference point for future paleoenvironmental research in similar settings.