TY - JOUR T1 - Recently exposed vegetation reveals Holocene changes in the extent of the Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru JF - QUATERNARY RESEARCH Y1 - 2009 A1 - Buffen, Aron M. A1 - Thompson, Lonnie G. A1 - Mosley-Thompson, Ellen A1 - Huh, Kyung In KW - 14C dating KW - Andes KW - Climate change KW - Glacier retreat KW - Holocene KW - Peru KW - Quelccaya Ice Cap KW - South America KW - Tropical glaciers AB - Radiocarbon dating of well-preserved, in-place vegetation exposed by the retreating Quelccaya Ice Cap of southeastern Peru constrains the last time the ice cap's extent was smaller than at present. Seventeen plant samples from two sites along the central western margin collectively date to 4700 and 5100 cal yr BP and strongly indicate that current ice cap retreat is unprecedented over the past similar to 5 millennia. Seventeen vegetation samples interbedded in a nearby clastic sedimentary sequence suggest ice-free conditions at this site from similar to 5200 to at least similar to 7000 cal yr BP, and place minimum constraint on early- to mid-Holocene ice cap extent. (C) 2009 University of Washington. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. VL - 72 ER -