Articles | Volume 34, issue 1/2
https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-34-1-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-34-1-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Science report
| 
16 Jul 2025
Science report |
| 16 Jul 2025
| 16 Jul 2025
Unearthing the climate history of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile – deep drilling in two clay pans of the Coastal Cordillera
Volker Wennrich
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Julia Diederich-Leicher
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Bárbara Nataly Blanco-Arrué
Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, 50969 Cologne, Germany
now at: Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics, 30655 Hanover, Germany
Christoph Büttner
Institute of Geophysics and Geoinformatics, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 09596 Freiberg, Germany
Stefan Buske
Institute of Geophysics and Geoinformatics, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 09596 Freiberg, Germany
Eduardo Campos Sepulveda
Department of Geological Sciences, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
Tibor Dunai
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Jacob Feller
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Emma Galego
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Ascelina Hasberg
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Niklas Leicher
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Damián Alejandro López
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Jorge Maldonado
Superex S.A. Diamond and Sonic Drilling Group, Santiago, Chile
Alicia Medialdea
Geographical Institute, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
National Research Centre on Human Evolution (CENIEH), 09002 Burgos, Spain
Lukas Ninnemann
Institute of Geophysics and Geoinformatics, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 09596 Freiberg, Germany
now at: Center for Interdisciplinary Digital Sciences (CIDS), TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01069 Dresden, Germany
Russell Perryman
Comprobe, Borehole Imaging and Orientation Services, Santiago, Chile
Juan Cristóbal Ríos-Contesse
Department of Geological Sciences, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
Benedikt Ritter
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Stephanie Scheidt
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Barbara Vargas-Machuca
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Pritam Yogeshwar
Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, 50969 Cologne, Germany
now at: Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics, 30655 Hanover, Germany
Martin Melles
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
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Short summary
We present the results of comprehensive pre-site surveys and deep drillings in two clay pans in the central Atacama Desert of northern Chile, one of the driest deserts on Earth. The results of the site surveys as well as lithological and downhole-logging data of the deep-drilling operations highlight the potential of the sediment records from the PAG (Playa Adamito Grande) and Paranal clay pans to provide unprecedented information on the Neogene precipitation history of the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert.
We present the results of comprehensive pre-site surveys and deep drillings in two clay pans in...
