The late Quaternary sedimentary infill of Lake Annecy (northwestern Alps): an overview from two seismic-reflection surveys

The sedimentary fill of Lake Annecy (northwestern Alps) - related to the last glacial/post-glacial episode - was investigated through high resolution (sparker) and very high resolution (2.5 kHz) seismic-reflection surveys. A seismostratigraphic approach led to subdivision of a 150 m-thick pile (maximum thickness in axial part) into five units. Basal units (1 and 2) represent an imbrication of subglacial and glacio-lacustrine deposits, close to the grounding line of the glaciers' fronts (respectively at the northern and southern terminations of the lake). The first acoustically well-stratified unit (3) developed during a fast retreat of the glaciers fronts far from the lake basin, and a progradational alluvial regime, with abundant underflows, in a lake larger than the present one. Unit 4 represents the progressive decrease of this clastic input mixed with the progressive development of in situ bio-induced production. As in many other alpine lakes, a topmost unit (5), relatively thin (about 8-10 m) and with a conspicuous drape configuration, is the signature of the Holocene interglacial climatic conditions with a sedimentation rate of about 1 mm/yr. On the lacustrine basin slopes, slumps and debris flow occurred mainly within Unit 3; they may be due to, either climate-induced high rate terrigenous sedimentation, or/and to a period of increased seismo-tectonic activity.     

Palyno- and chronostratigraphy of a long sequence from Lac d'Annecy (northern outer Alps, France)

Pollen analysis (absolute and relative frequencies) of a 44 m sedimentary sequence from Lac d'Annecy provides a record of vegetation history since deglaciation in the northern part of the French alpine foreland. Sixteen pollen zones are described and compared with those obtained from sites in adjacent areas, and 17 AMS radiocarbon dates provide a chronology which enables a minimum age for the termination of the last glaciation to be inferred. The pollen assemblages reflect the influence of a number of depositional processes, including selective sorting and sediment reworking, and thus illustrate some of the limitations inherent in the AMS radiocarbon dating of macroscopic plant remains. For instance, the basal Picea pollen assemblage zone corresponds to a lithological unit that contains reworked material, attributed to deposits older than St Germain II, which makes the ¹⁴C AMS radiocarbon date of 25 Ka BP obtained for this zone rather questionable. The existence of two climatic events prior to the Younger Dryas is confirmed. An influx of pollen from the nearby river inlet may explain why these events are well expressed in the pollen stratigraphy.     

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.     

Holocene sedimentation in Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: implications of compositional and textural variations

Two seismic facies were recognized in the sedimentary sequence overlying acoustic basement in Lake Winnipeg. The upper facies, which overlies a regional unconformity, is termed the Lake Winnipeg Sequence. Based on the seismostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, and radiocarbon dates of approximately 4000 and 7000 yr BP from material collected directly over the unconformity in the southern and northern parts of the lake, respectively, this facies has been interpreted as representing Holocene sedimentation. Results of compositional and textural analyses of the Holocene sediment (Winnipeg sediment) from thirteen long (>2 m) cores indicate a transgressional sequence throughout the basin. In the South Basin, the generally fining upward sequence is characterized at the base by silt-sized detrital carbonate minerals, quartz and feldspar which decrease in concentration upward. In this basin, the high carbonate content and V/Al and Zn/Al ratios are indicative of a Paleozoic and Cretaceous provenance for sediment derived from glacial deposits through shoreline erosion and fluvial transport, via the Red River. Sedimentation in the central part of the lake and the North Basin is attributed to shoreline erosion of sand and gravel beaches. Consequently, the texture of these sediments is generally coarser than in the South Basin, and the composition primarily reflects a Paleozoic and Precambrian provenance. The basin-wide decrease in Ca, total carbonate minerals, dolomite and calcite concentrations upward in the cores is reflected by a decrease in the detrital carbonate component in all but the most northern cores. Other basin-wide trends show an upward increase in organic content in all cores. An increase in grain size near the top of most cores suggests a major, basin-wide change in sedimentation within the last, approximately 900 years in the South Basin.     

Early and late Holocene water-level fluctuations of Lake Annecy, France: sediment and pollen evidence and climatic implications

Early and late Holocene water-level changes in Lake Annecy, France, were reconstructed from a sediment sequence from Annecy. Two early Holocene successive rises in lake level at ca. 8900-8700 BP are recorded. Another increase in lake level, beginning at ca. 780 BP, is documented. The higher lake-level conditions in Lake Annecy during the 9th millennium BP, i.e. between the Preboreal oscillation and the 8200 yr event, appear to coincide with a more widespread cooling period which has been recorded in western Europe, in the Greenland ice-sheet and the North Atlantic ocean. The rise in lake level at ca. 780 BP can be related to the early Little Ice Age.     

Lacustrine organic matter and the Holocene paleoenvironmental record of Lake Albano (central Italy)

A combined bulk and detailed geochemical study of the sedimentary organic matter in Lake Albano, central Italy, provides critical data to track the response of this aquatic system to the environmental changes of variable amplitude that occurred during the Holocene. RockEval pyrolysis of this predominantly laminated, organic carbonrich sedimentary sequence shows changes in hydrogen and oxygen indices that are related to variations in the dominance of the primary producers. These variations are further confirmed by the pigments and the carbon isotopic composition of bulk organic matter showing that cyanobacteria dominated the lake waters during the early and late Holocene whereas diatoms have been the main producers during the middle Holocene. Sharp decreases in productivity, 2–3 centuries long, are identified at ca. 8.2, 6.4 and 3.8 ka. B.P. Changes in temperature and/or effective moisture are suggested as the most probable causes, although human impact cannot be ruled out for the latest part of the Holocene.     

Holocene Lake Evolution in the Elmali Basin,Southwest Turkey

The spatial coverage of paleoecological research from southwestern Turkey is expanded by reporting on a ca. 12,690 ¹⁴C yr BP (14,935 cal yr BP) proxy record recovered from the Elmali basin. Four AMS radiocarbon age determinations, the litho-stratigraphic analysis of a lake bed core, and the analysis of subsurface sediment samples from 15 shallow auger holes across the basin document sedimentation patterns during the Holocene. Based on the widespread occurrence of Chara gyrogonite, and several species of ostracoda and gastropoda, the Elmali basin was dominated by lacustrine and palustrine environments but was continually influenced by alluvial fan sedimentation. Contrasting stratigraphy in the Kara Göl and Avlan Gölü sub-basins is a result of basin morphology, and possibly hydrologic control by karst features, and sub-basin isolation due to alluvial fan development. The cyclical deposition of marl/lime mud, gyttja, and peat in the Kara Göl core is indicative of periodic fluctuations in water level across a broad shallow basin, whereas the continuous clay record observed at Avlan Gölü implies deep-water sedimentation within a plugged former karst collapse feature. Calcareous clay deposited between 14,935 and 11,180 cal yr BP signals the growth and expansion of paleo Lake Elmali, which at its peak during the late Pleistocene, may have inundated over half of the of the 180 km² Elmali basin.     

Evolution of the trophic state of Lake Annecy (eastern France) since the last glaciation as indicated by iron, manganese and phosphorus speciation

Lake Annecy sediments have been studied to provide an insight into the evolution of the lake trophic state in response to climate changes during the Holocene. Determination of the concentration of carbonate, Fe, Mn, and different forms of P in conjunction with total sediment fluxes derived from ¹⁴C ages allows an estimation of yearly fluxes of these sediment components. High fluxes of endogenic carbonate occur during the early to middle Holocene. Non apatitic inorganic phosphorus flux is variable but shows some higher-than-present values during this period. These observations are interpreted as being a result of enhanced productivity by favourable conditions for phytoplankton development. In addition, the low Mn/Fe ratio of the redox-sensitive forms of these elements recorded during this period suggests low oxygen concentrations in the bottom waters. Therefore it appears that the lake may have undergone oxygen depletion in the bottom water during the warmer-than-present periods, due to increased productivity and subsequent oxygen consumption from the decay of organic matter. With future climate changes, this suggests that lake water quality may likely degrade under global warming.     

Holocene sediments of Sägistalsee, a small lake at the present-day tree-line in the Swiss Alps

Sägistalsee is a small lake located at the modern tree-line in the Swiss Alps. A 13.5 m long core taken in the central part of the 9.5 m deep basin consists of clayey silts and sands and dates back to about 9000 cal. BP. These sediments have a low organic content that steadily increases from 4–8% loss-on-ignition at 550 °C towards the top of the core, whereas the carbonate content decreases from 20 to about 10% loss-on-ignition at 950 %C. We outline the aims of an interdisciplinary research project centred on the Holocene sediments of Sägistalsee. We also present information about the lake, its sediments, and its catchment that forms the basis for different biotic and abiotic multi-proxy studies carried out on the sediments of Sägistalsee.     

Morphometric Analysis on the Size, Shape and Areal Distribution of Glacial Cirques in the Maritime Alps (Western French-Italian Alps)

The morphometry of 432 glacial cirques in the Maritime Alps (Western French‐Italian Alps), studied over several years of fieldwork, was analysed with the use of a geographical information system. Some of the parameters automatically evaluated from digital elevation models required an objective and relatively new definition. In particular, cirque length was measured along a line that, from the threshold midpoint, splits the cirque into two equivalent surfaces; cirque width was automatically drawn as the longest line inscribed in the cirque and perpendicular to the length line. Significant correlations were found among the different factors and parameters analysed. In particular, cirque shape analysis showed that cirques develop allometrically in the three dimensions, i.e. more in length and width than in altitudinal range. Nevertheless cirques of the Maritime Alps have a regular, almost circular shape (mean L/W value = 1.07). The correlations among length, width and area are all very high (r²= 0.8–0.9). In terms of size, cirques show a wide range in area from 0.06 to 5.2 km² with a mean value of 0.4 km². The largest cirques are found on SSW‐facing slopes and at high elevations. Small cirques can be found at all altitudes but all those at high elevation are part of compound cirques at the main head valleys. Most cirques (37%) are characterized by a northern aspect; NE and SW are also frequent directions.     

The role of climate and vegetation in weathering and clay mineral formation in late Quaternary soils of the Swiss and Italian Alps

Interactions between climate and soil remain ambiguous, particularly when silicate weathering and clay mineral formation and transformation rates are considered in relation to global climate changes. Recent studies suggest that climate affects weathering rates much less than previously thought. Here we show that the climate in the central European Alps has a significant, but indirect, influence on the weathering of soils through vegetation. The pattern of element leaching and mineral transformations is not only due to precipitation and temperature. Element leaching was greatest in subalpine forests near the timberline; weathering is lessened at higher and lower altitudes. Vegetation, therefore, contributes significantly to weathering processes. The highest accumulation of organic matter was found in climatically cooler sites (subalpine range) where the production of organic ligands, which enhance weathering, is greatest. Patterns of smectite formation and distribution had strong similarities to that of the elemental losses of Fe and Al (R = 0.69; P < 0.01) or base cations (R = 0.58; P < 0.05). Higher precipitation rates and the production of organic chelating compounds in the soil promoted the appearance of smectites. The relationship between climate, element leaching (Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, K, Na), and smectite formation is strongly nonlinear and driven by the podzolisation process, which is more pronounced near the timberline because of the bioclimatic constellation. Climate warming will probably, in the future, lead to a decrease in SOM stocks in the subalpine to alpine range because of more favourable conditions for biodegradation that would also affect weathering processes.     

Landslide susceptibility analysis with a heuristic approach in the Eastern Alps (Vorarlberg, Austria)

The aim of the study is landslide hazard assessment carried out on a working scale of 1:25 000. The study area within the Northern Calcareous Alps was geologically and geotechnically mapped in order to identify causes and mechanisms of active mass movements. The field surveys were digitised by a Geographical Information System and divided into data layers. The geological units were classified according to their geotechnical properties. All layers were converted into grids and spatially analysed together with a Digital Elevation Model. Comparing the layers with the inventory of active landslides, the prevailing factors leading to sliding movements were identified. Because of the complex tectonic setting and the small number of active landslides, a statistical method of hazard assessment was not applicable. Using the heuristic approach of an index method, the data layers of geotechnical class, bedding conditions, tectonic layouts, slope angles, slope orientations, vegetation and erosion were analysed. The susceptibility of each layer has been evaluated with help of bivariate statistics. The layers have been weighted with indices due to their importance iteratively and were combined into a landslide susceptibility map.     

Diatom assemblages and water depth in Lake 239 (Experimental Lakes Area,Ontario): implications for paleoclimatic studies

Diatom assemblages in surface sediments were sampled along three transects in Lake 239, from the Experimental Lakes Area (NW Ontario), and analyzed in order to explore the relationship between modern species distributions and water depth. Approximately 170 diatom species were identified in surficial sediments at lake depths from 2 to 30 m. The species composition varied with sample depth but remained highly similar across all three transects. The main patterns of variation in the diatom assemblages across transects, derived from a detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), showed that assemblages were highly correlated (r = 0.97 to 0.98). At depths > 8 m the pattern of predominantly benthic composition changed to a planktonic assemblage dominated by Cyclotella stelligera. This depth currently corresponds to the depth of 1% light penetration as assessed from extinction coefficient measurements. Diatom species diversity increases with the switch to the near-shore benthic taxa in all three transects. Additionally, there is a large decrease in the ratio of chrysophyte scales to diatoms at depths < 8 m. Light transmission data from wet and dry periods over the last 35 years suggests that during dry periods the extent of the littoral zone should change by over 2 m. We suggest that cores along a transect from 8 to 14 m should provide a highly sensitive location for detailed paleoclimatic study.     

Evidence of recent surface faulting and surface rupture in the Fore-Alps of Veneto and Trentino (NE Italy)

The Fore-Alps of western Veneto and Trentino regions belong to the central Southern Alps (NE Italy), in which there is little evidence of very fresh surface ruptures or surface faulting. This does not seem to match historical data about earthquakes, some of which have been very intense. The strong influence of the inherited structures makes it difficult to detect a direct link between morphotectonic features and present-day stress fields.In the present study, four areas (Orsara, Scandole, Naole and Soran) with surface faulting and surface rupture features were examined, and models of morphotectonic evolution are discussed. In the Lessini Mountains, the Orsara graben and Scandole ridge show examples of surface faulting and surface rupture, respectively, reactivating Paleogene normal faults and fractures. Within the Orsara graben, rocky bluffs displace the previous morphological features. The bluffs are some decimetres to some metres high and are practically devoid of evidence of either physical or chemical weathering; on the slopes above them are steep areas which may be interpreted as the remnants of previous strongly weathered bluffs. The Scandole ridge has many trenches, some with rocky walls, which may be the result of several episodes of morphotectonic rupture.In the Giudicarie Belt, the Naole and Mt. Soran surface faulting landforms are details within large frontal culmination walls of Neogene thrusts. The Naole ridge corresponds to the southeastern sector of Monte Baldo. Here, inside a fault angle valley, a sinuous scarp originating from surface faulting marks the base of the fault scarp slope. Ridge splitting is the expression of the backward migration of separation niches due to slope tectonics, also evidenced on the slope by several terrace-like features and by a lower belt of very thick slope breccias. On Mt. Soran, in the Gruppo di Brenta massif, the surface faulting scarp faces uphill, giving rise to a trench-like feature. Downvalley of the scarp, there is the niche of a large landslide dated to 3 kyears B.P.All these landforms are consistent with slope tectonic movements caused by intense earthquakes. Whereas the morphostructures in the Lessini Mountains are the result of responses by sensitive structures, the Naole and Mt. Soran features express the evolution of frontal culmination walls of thrusts, with clear evidence of present-day tectonic activity.On the basis of the weathering of the scarps and associated features, the relative seismotectonic episodes probably occurred between the Bronze and Middle Ages.     

Late holocene level fluctuations of the Lake Ilay in Jura,France: sediment and mollusc evidence and climatic implications

The level fluctuations of Lake Ilay, Jura (France) during the last three millennia are reconstructed from sedimentological and malacological analyses of a core that is well-dated by tree-ring, radiocarbon and pollen datings. Changes in sediment facies, in carbonate concretion assemblages and in mollusc assemblages highlight a major lowering phase atc. 1550 BP and minor lowering phases atc. 2800 BP and shortly before AD 1394. Rises in lake level developed during the early Subatlantic and betweenc. 1500 and 1000 BP. These data are in good agreement with other proxy data from higher European and American latitudes. These correlations support the climatic origin of the level fluctuations of the Lake Ilay during the late Holocene. They suggest that the mediaeval climatic optimum is centred rather in the early than the late Middle Age.     

Cosmogenic Be dating of a sackung and its faulted rock glaciers, in the Alps of Savoy (France)

Sackungs are the largest gravitational deformation observed in mountains. They are characterized by the long-term slowness of the movements, but their mechanism is still not well understood. Nowadays cosmic ray exposure (CRE) dating methods allow dating the morphologic structures involved in sackung and can contribute at the understanding of their origin. In the Alps, the 5.3 km long Arcs sackung initiated during the activity of rock glaciers. Three samples from these faulted rock glaciers provide their first CRE ages and show that at 2000 m elevation these block accumulations moved during the Younger Dryas and stopped in early Holocene. Six ¹⁰Be ages of fault scarps show that the Arcs sackung lasted only a few thousand years and stopped at about 8462 ± 432 ¹⁰Be yr. They also reveal that deformation migrated upslope in agreement with a mechanism of flexural toppling of vertical layers. This unique and long gravitational event, characterized by migration of the deformation, does not support earthquake shaking as triggering mechanism for individual faults. It shows that, in the upper Isère valley, slope deformation was delayed of several thousand years after glacial debuttressing, and is not anymore active despite its fresh morphology.     

塔里木盆地东部台特玛湖近25.0ka BP以来气候与环境变化

由南疆罗布泊地区台特玛湖沉积物多种地质记录的综合分析表明,近25．0kaBP以来此地区气候与环境演化的过程和特征与新疆其它地区基本一致。多手段的综合研究,揭示了近25．0kaBP以来台特玛湖气候与环境的变化经历了7次相对暖干、5次相对冷湿和1次相对暖湿变化,而且全新世期间历次的气候变化与具有高分辨率的敦德冰芯记录以及北半球气候变化的过程上基本一致,所记录的气候与环境演化过程呈现出明显的西风型环境演变特征。唯一在7．0～6．0kaBP期间出现的相对暖湿的环境特征应该是真正意义上的全新世大暖期最盛期的体现,可能与此时增强的西南夏季风势力影响到本地区有关。     

Frost weathering and rockwall erosion in the southeastern Swiss Alps: Long-term (1994–2006) observations

Rates and processes of frost weathering in the Alps were investigated by visual observations of intensively shattered rocks, continuous monitoring of frost wedging and rock temperatures in bedrock and measurements of rockfall activity. Rapid frost weathering of hard-intact rocks occurs along lakes and streams where seasonal freezing promotes ice segregation in the rock. Otherwise, rocks require pre-existing weakness or a long exposure period for intensively shattered. Automated monitoring shows that crack opening occurs at three scales, including small opening accompanying short-term frost cycles, slightly larger movements during seasonal freezing and occasional large opening originating from refreezing of snow-melt water during seasonal thawing. The opening events require at least partial water saturation in the crack. The repetition of crack opening (frost wedging) results in permanent opening and finally debris dislocation. Debris collections below fractured rockwalls show that pebble falls occur at an average rate of about 0.1 mm a^− 1 with significant spatial and inter-annual variations. Occasional large boulder falls significantly raise the rockwall erosion rates, controlled by such factors as the joint distribution in the bedrock, repetition of annual freeze–thaw cycles and extraordinary summer thaw.