The magnetic properties of the recent sediments of Brothers Water, N W England

The magnetic properties of recent sediments from five short cores from Brothers Water in the English Lake District are compared with those from a set of catchment soil samples. From the comparison, it is concluded that bacterial magnetosomes have made a significant contribution to the magnetic properties of the sediments of the last five decades. This contribution is superimposed on a continuing erosive input of haematite-rich sediment from the parent materials of the catchment and may obscure any possible increase in surface soil input during recent times. The results highlight the difficulty of making sediment-source linkages where biogenic contributions to the magnetic properties of the sediment are important relative to the input of magnetic minerals from catchment erosion.     

Human impact and soil erosion during the last 5000 yrs as recorded in lacustrine sedimentary organic matter at Lac d'Annecy, the French Alps

Sedimentary organic matter has been systematically studied in an eight-metre long core from the centre of the Petit Lac (Annecy, French Alps). The palynofacies composition identifies different terrestrial organic sources including forest floors, soil-horizons and geological substratum. The amount of recycled organic matter derived from the geological substratum is estimated and subtracted from the other contributions from the catchment area. The palynological record indicates that the relative variations in organic sources are directly dependent on human land-use. From ca. 5000 to 1700 BP, the human impact on soil cohesion is very low and organic matter is mainly exported from the surficial forest floor. The Roman invasion (ca. 1700 BP) marks the most important ecological and hydrological change. From 1700 to 900 BP, the clearing of forests released deeper-soil components. This trend is increased after 900 BP with agriculture intensification, which resulted in a higher sedimentation rate. In all the periods, extreme events such as flood or intensive run-off are characterised by notable increases of organic matter from surface (5000 to 1700 BP) and deep (1700 BP to now) soils.     

The environmental significance of magnetic measurements of Late Pleistocene and Holocene sediments from the Grand Lac d'Annecy, eastern France

The results of a series of magnetic measurements on sediment samples are illustrated by means of examples selected from a more specialized parallel publication (Hu & Oldfield, submitted). They are interpreted in terms of magnetic components, notably, 'magnetite' of varying grain size/domain state, haematite, goethite and greigite. Wherever possible, some indication is given of changes in the relative importance of the various magnetic grain size and mineral phases through time. The main components of the magnetic assemblage are described for each of the main lithological units identified in the long core which is considered elsewhere in this volume. These assemblages are related to source areas and to depositional processes, especially in the pre-Holocene parts of the core. In the Holocene sediments, the magnetic properties cannot be interpreted solely in terms of shifts in detrital mineral sources. Evidence is presented for the presence of both biogenic magnetite and authigenic greigite. The most recent sediments point to renewed catchment erosion, probably as a result of human activity during historical times.     

Secondary ferrimagnetic minerals in Welsh soils: a comparison of mineral magnetic detection methods and implications for mineral formation

A study of mineral magnetic parameters was carried out on a Late Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentary sequence (of nearly 18 m) from Lake Bledowo (central Poland). Sediments of Lake Bledowo have already been analysed for bulk sediment mineralogy and biogenic materials. The mineral magnetic stratigraphy confirms the major changes in palaeo-environmental conditions that have been deduced from other methods. The most important mineral magnetic change results from the authigenetic formation of ferrimagnetic greigite, Fe₃S₄, during the beginning of lacustrine conditions (± 12 000 yr BP). Our data also indicate a detrital origin of overlying ferrimagnetic iron oxides. It is suggested that they originate from brown soils developed on the boulder clay constituting the west side of the lake shore. Variations of ferrimagnetic iron oxide size are related to the early diagenetic processes in the sediment. Larger particles are present in periods with early diagenesis of organic matter in anoxic conditions. This indicates the dissolution of fine magnetic particles by iron-oxide-reducing bacteria and results in homogeneous magnetic grain sizes, despite their origin from soils, characterized by a multimodal grain-size distribution.     

贵州石板桥水库沉积物的矿物磁性特征及其土壤侵蚀意义

对取自贵州省关岭县石板桥水库的岩芯做了矿物磁性测量（lχf、ARM、IRM20mT、SIRM、IRM-100mT）并计算了ARM/SIRM、HIRM、IRM-100mT/SIRM。将这些结果与同时完成的137Cs、粒度、TOC和C/N分析结果相结合,推测了过去的42年（1960²002年）中这一水库的汇水流域内的土壤侵蚀状况。在这一时期,尽管存在着若干次一级的波动,土壤侵蚀总体上呈加剧的趋势。将这些结果与收集的降水和土地利用/土地覆被变化资料数据相结合,探讨了土壤侵蚀状况发生变化的原因。土壤侵蚀的总体加剧可能是由1960年以来林地面积的减小和农田面积的增大以及1990年以来因植树而较强翻动地表物质造成的,而土壤侵蚀的次一级的波动可归结为降水的波动。     

The significance of lake sediments geochemistry in environmental reconstruction of south Hongshan Lake, northwestern Tibetan Plateau during the past 150 years

1 IntroductionPast Global Changes (PAGES) is one of the important IGBP (International Geo-Biosphere Program) core programs, of which the objectives are to obtain and interpret all kinds of palaeoclimate records, understand the history of environment and ecological change, and provide basic material and necessary test for the establishment and improvement of climate forecasting models. Because the research of climatic and environmental changes on short time scale is the key connection bet…     

Reconstruction of a climate record for the past 140 kyr based on diatom valve flux data from Lake Biwa, Japan

To reconstruct the pattern of past climate change in central Japan during the last 140 kyr, total planktonic diatom valve concentrations (valves g^–1) and fluxes (valves cm^–2 year^–1) of total planktonic diatoms flux (PVF) and individual species were examined using a 140-m core taken from Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture. Most records had a sample resolution between approximately 150 and 300 yr. Based on characteristics of past and modern diatom responses to possible climate variables, we interpreted changes in Stephanodiscus suzukii flux (SVF) to reflect changes in phosphorus levels, which reflect, in turn, summer precipitation levels; changes in Aulacoseiva nipponica flux (AVF) reflect winter vertical lake-water mixing induced by winter temperatures and snowfall levels. Thus, changes in total planktonic diatom flux reflect a combination of summer precipitation, winter temperature, and snowfall values. During the 140–101 ka interval, changes in S. suzukii productivity at a millennial timescale may correspond to changes in summer rainfall in central Japan. The disappearance of A. nipponica during the same period could indicate weaker vertical mixing, possibly caused by increased temperatures and decreased snowfall levels in winter. During the 101–70 ka interval, the AVF record shows levels near or above those observed in present times, indicating that winter water temperatures fell within the optimal range for A. nipponica to prosper. Generally low AVF values during the 70–7 ka interval indicate weak winter vertical mixing and cold winters. The many intervals with low PVF values during the same period suggest decreased summer precipitation levels. Between 7 and 0 ka, PVF, SVF, and AVF records show levels near or above those of the present, suggesting winter temperatures favorable for A. nipponica growth, and snowfall and summer precipitation levels probably similar to or above those currently recorded.     

Modern diatom, cladocera, chironomid, and chrysophyte cyst assemblages as quantitative indicators for the reconstruction of past environmental conditions in the Alps. II. Nutrients

Surface sediments from 68 small lakes in the Alps and 9 well-dated sediment core samples that cover a gradient of total phosphorus (TP) concentrations of 6 to 520 g TP l^-1 were studied for diatom, chrysophyte cyst, cladocera, and chironomid assemblages. Inference models for mean circulation log₁₀ TP were developed for diatoms, chironomids, and benthic cladocera using weighted-averaging partial least squares. After screening for outliers, the final transfer functions have coefficients of determination (r², as assessed by cross-validation, of 0.79 (diatoms), 0.68 (chironomids), and 0.49 (benthic cladocera). Planktonic cladocera and chrysophytes show very weak relationships to TP and no TP inference models were developed for these biota. Diatoms showed the best relationship with TP, whereas the other biota all have large secondary gradients, suggesting that variables other than TP have a strong influence on their composition and abundance. Comparison with other diatom – TP inference models shows that our model has high predictive power and a low root mean squared error of prediction, as assessed by cross-validation.