Quantitative estimates of recent environmental changes in the Canadian High Arctic inferred from diatoms in lake and pond sediments

Diatoms were examined in three lacustrine sediment records from Alert, northern Ellesmere Island, and from Isachsen, Ellef Ringnes Island. Diatom assemblages changed markedly since the mid-19th century following relatively stable community composition that spanned centuries to millennia. Three different assemblages, primarily composed of Fragilaria pinnata, Diadesmis spp., or Pinnularia spp., dominated the pre-1850 period at the three sites, but were replaced with different, more diverse assemblages in recent sediments. These species shifts occurred in the mid- to late-19th century in the Isachsen sites, and in the mid- to late-20th century in our Alert site. This difference in timing appears to be a result of the different sensitivities of lakes and ponds to environmental change, rather than of site-specific chemical properties. Reconstructions of pH using diatom inference models indicated increases from 0.5 to 0.8 pH units at these sites over this period of assemblage change. The diatom-inferred pH record from Alert showed agreement with measured climate data from Alert over the last 30 years. These marked community changes suggest that these sensitive high arctic sites have recently crossed important ecological thresholds due to environmental change, most likely related to recent warming.     

Five thousand years of sediment transfer in a high arctic watershed recorded in annually laminated sediments from Lower Murray Lake,Ellesmere Island,Nunavut, Canada

Sediments in Lower Murray Lake, northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut Canada (81°21′ N, 69°32′ W) contain annual laminations (varves) that provide a record of sediment accumulation through the past 5000+ years. Annual mass accumulation was estimated based on measurements of varve thickness and sediment bulk density. Comparison of Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation with instrumental climate data, long-term records of climatic forcing mechanisms and other regional paleoclimate records suggests that lake sedimentation is positively correlated with regional melt season temperatures driven by radiative forcing. The temperature reconstruction suggests that recent temperatures are ~2.6°C higher than minimum temperatures observed during the Little Ice Age, maximum temperatures during the past 5200 years exceeded modern values by ~0.6°C, and that minimum temperatures observed approximately 2900 varve years BC were ~3.5°C colder than recent conditions. Recent temperatures were the warmest since the fourteenth century, but similar conditions existed intermittently during the period spanning ~4000–1000 varve years ago. A highly stable pattern of sedimentation throughout the period of record supports the use of annual mass accumulation in Lower Murray Lake as a reliable proxy indicator of local climatic conditions in the past.

Sedimentary pellets as an ice-cover proxy in a High Arctic ice-covered lake

Sediment aggregates (“sedimentary pellets”) within the sedimentary record of Lake A (83°00′ N, 75°30′ W), Ellesmere Island, Canada, are used to construct a 1000 year proxy record of ice-cover extent and dynamics on this perennially ice-covered, High Arctic lake. These pellets are interpreted to form during fall or early winter when littoral sediment adheres to ice forming around the lake’s periphery or during summer through the development of anchor ice. The sediment likely collects in ice interstices and is concentrated in the upper ice layers through summer surface ice melt and winter basal ice growth. The pellets remain frozen in the ice until a summer or series of summers with reduced ice cover allows for their deposition across the lake basin. Sedimentary pellet frequency within multiple sediment cores is used to develop a chronology of ice-cover fluctuations. This proxy ice-cover record is largely corroborated by a record of unusual sedimentation in Lake A involving iron-rich, dark-orange to red laminae overlying more diffuse laminae with a lighter hue. This sediment sequence is hypothesized to represent years with reduced ice cover through increased chemocline ventilation and iron deposition. During the past millennium, the most notable period of inferred reduced ice cover is ca. 1891 AD to present. Another period of ice cover mobility is suggested ca. 1582–1774 AD, while persistent ice cover is inferred during the 1800s and prior to 1582 AD. The proxy ice-cover record corresponds well with most regional melt-season proxy temperature and paleoecological records, especially during the 1800s and 1900s.

Suspended sediment transport and deposition in a high arctic meromictic lake

A study of sedimentary processes and sediment yields in a high arctic meromictic lake (Lake C2, Taconite Inlet, Northern Ellesemere Island, Canada) was undertaken from May 1990 through August 1992 to understand the links between climatic controls, hydrology, and the laminated sediment record preserved in the lake. Understanding the relationships between processes and the sediment record is critical for interpreting the climatic significance of the laminated sediments in a region where high resolution climate proxy records are quite limited.Sediment transport to Lake C2 is dominated by fluvial processes. During the early part of the melt season slushflows transport sediment to the lake surface. Subsequently, suspended sediment is delivered to the lake by the main inlet stream and distributed lakeward by a plume emanating the main inlet channel. Due to the strong density stratification of the water column the plume distributes sediment downlake by overflows and interflows in the epilimnion. In general, overflows are generated by lower discharge events whereas interflows penetrate to the halocline during high discharge with increased suspended sediment concentration.Sediment trap analysis demonstrates that suspended sediment transport and deposition responds to diurnal through annual changes in stream discharge. Seasonal and annual sediment trap yields agree with average accumulation rates determined from varve thickness measurements and cumulative suspended sediment discharge from the main inlet stream indicating a close link between climatological, hydrological, and sedimentological controls and varve deposition.This is the fourth in a series of papers published in this issue on the Taconite Inlet Lakes Project. These papers were collected by Dr R. S. Bradley.     

Multi-component carbon isotope evidence of early Holocene environmental change and carbon-flow pathways from a hard-water lake in northern Sweden

A 9000-year carbonate-rich sediment sequence from a small hard-water lake in northernmost Sweden was studied by means of multi-component stable carbon isotope analysis. Radiocarbon dating of different sediment fractions provides chronologic control and reveals a rather constant hard-water effect through time, suggesting that the lake has remained hydrologically open throughout the Holocene. Successive depletion of ¹³C in fine-grained calcite and carbonate shells during the early Holocene correlate with a change in catchment vegetation from pioneer herb communities to boreal forest. The vegetational change and associated soil development likely gave rise to an increased supply of ¹³C-depleted carbon dioxide in groundwater recharging the lake. This process is therefore believed to be the main cause of decreasing values of ¹³C in dissolved inorganic carbon of the lake and thereby in limnic carbonates. Strongly ¹³C-depleted sedimentary organic matter may be related to enhanced kinetic fractionation during photosynthetic assimilation by means of proton pumping in Characean algae. This interpretation is supported by a substantial offset between ¹³C of DIC as recorded by mollusc shells and ¹³C of fine-grained calcite.     

Palaeoclimatic studies in South Shetland Islands,Antarctica, based on numerous stratigraphic variables in lake sediments

The hitherto longest found lake sediment sequence on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, was analysed with respect to lithology, chronology, diatoms, Pediastrum, pollen and spores, mosses, mineralogy, and sediment chemistry. During the ca. 5000 year long development the sediments were influenced by frequent tephra fall-outs. This volcanic impact played a major role in the lake's history during two periods, 4700–4600 and 2800–2500 BP, but was of importance during the lake's entire history with considerable influence on many of the palaeoenvironmentally significant indicators. The large and complex data set was analysed and zonated with different types of multivariate analysis. This resulted in a subdivision of the sequence into 8 time periods and 21 variables. Redundancy analysis (RDA) of this data set, both without and with the tephra periods, and with 4–6 of the variables as explanatory environmental variables, reveal that climatic/environmental signals are detectable. The palaeoclimatic picture that emerged out of the tephra noise suggests that the first 100 years were characterized by mild, humid conditions. This was followed by a less mild and humid climate until ca. 4000 BP when a gradual warming seems to have started, coupled with increased humidity. These mild and humid conditions seem to have reached an optimum slightly after 3000 BP. At ca. 2500 BP a distinct climatic deterioration occurred with colder and drier conditions and long seasons with ice cover. This arid, cold phase probably reached its optimum conditions at ca. 1500 BP, when slightly warmer conditions might have prevailed for a while. Except for the modern sample with rather mild climate, the last 1400 years seem to have been fairly arid and cold, and the effects of the frequent volcanic activity during this period is only vaguely seen in the records.     

Paleoclimate changes inferred from stable isotopes and magnetic properties of organic-rich lake sediments in Arctic Norway

Stable isotope measures in organic matter are frequently used as indicators of past climate change. Although such analyses can provide valuable information, there is considerable uncertainty associated with studies of organic-rich sediments, especially those from Arctic lakes and bogs. We studied stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen, and magnetic properties in a sediment core from a small alkaline lake with a high sedimentation rate, Lake Nattmålsvatn, Norway. There is good correspondence among the different sediment variables during the late glacial, and they seemingly reflect major climate variations such as the Allerød Interstade and the Younger Dryas, as well as the transition into the current interglacial. During the early Holocene, however, these relationships are more complex and δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values do not stabilize until ~7,500 cal year BP. A significant excursion in all variables occurs between 6,850 and 6,500 cal year BP and is interpreted to represent climate deterioration. Holocene δ¹³C values vary little and indicate that isotopically-depleted dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the lake, possibly influenced by methanotrophy and high pCO₂, dominated the lake’s carbon cycle. Holocene δ¹⁵N is similarly muted, likely due to the availability of abundant dissolved nitrogen. Bulk organic matter is probably dominated by phytoplankton remains produced beneath the ice cover in late spring and during ice breakup when isotopically-depleted DIC, pCO₂ and ammonium availability were maximal. Thus, use of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N as indicators of Holocene paleoclimate and paleoproductivity variation can be challenging in a lake such as Nattmålsvatn, where ice cover isolates the basin for large parts of the year, allowing dissolved respiratory gases to accumulate in the water column. In contrast, magnetic variables appear to better track climate variations. In particular, runoff-driven influx of minerogenic sediments shows high variability that can be attributed to regional changes in Holocene winter precipitation. The most striking shifts occur between 4,000 and 2,300 cal year BP.     

Spatial and interannual variations in sedimentation patterns recorded in nonglacial varved sediments from the Canadian High Arctic

Multiple cores taken throughout Nicolay Lake in the Canadian High Arctic contain laminated sediments that are interpreted as varved. Annual sediment accumulation during the last 197 years reveals three major patterns that have important implications for hydroclimatic reconstruction. Widespread sediment dispersal is evident during most years and contrasts with years when anomalous localized and bifurcating patterns of deposition occur. Localized deposition is limited to the centre of the lake and is attributed to turbidity currents that originate on the delta foreslope. In contrast, a bifurcating pattern is produced when the river supplying the delta switches from one to two delta distributaries, resulting in altered proximal accumulation. Principal component analysis reveals additional accumulation anomalies that are sedimentologically indistinct, but constitute important sources of localized variance. The recognition and removal of anomalous deposition patterns is critical for accurate reconstruction of sediment flux from the catchment, particularly in long records where geomorphic conditions may have changed. This study identifies potentially misleading depositional artifacts and a methodology to recognize similar depositional controls in other lakes.     

Four thousand years of atmospheric lead pollution in northern Europe: a summary from Swedish lake sediments

This paper presents a large palaeolimnological study of the pre-industrial and industrial history of atmospheric lead pollution deposition in Sweden. Both lead concentrations and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios have been analysed in 31 lakes covering most of Sweden, plus one lake in north-west Russia. Four of the lakes have varved (annually-laminated) sediments. Isotope analysis is a sensitive and effective method to distinguish pollution lead from natural catchment lead and to detect early pollution influence, because the ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratio in unpolluted background sediments in Sweden was > 1.3, while that of lead from pollution, derived from ores and coal, was < 1.2. The sediments show a consistent picture of past temporal changes in atmospheric lead pollution. These changes include: the first traces of pollution 3,500-3,000 yrs ago; a pollution peak in Greek-Roman Times (about 0 AD); lower lead fall-out between 400 and 900 AD; a significant and permanent increase in atmospheric lead fall-out from about 1000 AD; an increase with the Industrial revolution; a major increase following World War II; the maximum peak in the 1970s; and decreasing fall-out over the last decades. The four varved sediments provide high-resolution records of atmospheric pollution. They reveal pollution peaks about 1200 and 1530 AD which match the history of metal production in Europe. According to the varve records the lead pollution level in the late 1990s had decreased beneath the level of the 1530s. The pollution level 1200 AD was about 35% of the 1980s, when lead pollution was still near its all time high. About 50% of the total accumulated atmospheric lead pollution deposition through time was deposited in the pre-industrial period. The sediments also show a consistent picture of the geographic distribution of atmospheric lead deposition over time, with higher deposition in south Sweden and declining levels to the north, which supports the hypothesis that the main sources of pre-industrial atmospheric lead pollution in Sweden were cultural areas in mainland Europe and Great Britain.     

A first estimate of organic carbon storage in Holocene lake sediments in Alberta, Canada

This paper reports a first estimate of the Holocene lake sediment carbon pool in Alberta, Canada. The organic matter content of lake sediment does not appear to depend strongly on lake size or other limnological parameters, allowing a simple first estimate in which we assume all Alberta lake sediment to have the same organic matter content. Alberta lake sediments sequester about 15 g C m^-2 yr^-1, for a provincial total of 0.23 Tg C yr^-1, or 2.3 Pg C over the Holocene. Alberta lakes may represent as much as 1/1700 of total global, annual permanent carbon sequestration.     

Seasonal trends in the uranium-series istopic signatures of lake waters and sediments: Hawes Water, north-west England

Potential seasonal variation in the U-series radioisotopic signatures of lake and input waters was investigated in Hawes Water, north-west England, and the sedimentary record was examined to establish whether any observed seasonality is preserved in the sediment U and Th radioisotopic activity ratios. U-series disequilibrium in the waters is indicative of both surface and shallow sub-surface origins for the dissolved U, and that this supply is influenced by changes in the prevailing hydrological regime. However, the lake is buffered from this seasonality in that the ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio remains constant during the year, and the U content undergoes only a marginal decrease during summer. The change in the mechanism of lake sedimentation from allochthonous organic input during winter to autochthonous carbonate formation during summer has a more significant influence on the U-series radioisotopic characteristics of sedimentary record in that the proportion of organic and carbonate material both exhibit a strong control on the²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio and U content. In addition, significant proportions of sediment U and Th are associated with ferromanganese oxyhydroxides. Given this seasonality, it is of some significance that the ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios of the bottom sediments preserve a reasonable record of lake U-series disequilibrium and are, therefore, potential indicators of long-term changes in catchment hydrology.     

Hydrogen isotope ratios of individual lipids in lake sediments as novel tracers of climatic and environmental change: a surface sediment test

We determined hydrogen isotope ratios of modern lake-waters and individual lipids from surface sediments of 36 lakes in the eastern North America. The lakes selected lie on two transects (south–north transect from Florida to Ontario and east–west transect from Wisconsin to South Dakota) and encompass large temperature and moisture gradients, and a wide range of lake water δD values (>100‰). The study allows a rigorous test of the applicability of using δD values of sedimentary lipids as paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental proxies. We examined a range of lipids including C₁₇ n-alkane, straight chain fatty acids, phytol and sterols in both free extracts and ester-bound fractions in the solvent extracted sediments. Useful isotopic indicators are expected to show a linear correlation and constant fractionation factor between their δD values in surface sediments and modern lake water. Our results demonstrate that several lipid compounds, free and ester-bound palmitic acid (16:0), C₁₇ n-alkane, and phytol are useful candidates for paleoclimate reconstructions, in addition to two sterols that have been suggested previously (. Compound-specific D/H ratios of lipid biomarkers from sediments as a proxy for environmental and climatic conditons. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 65: 213–222). Authigenic or biogenic carbonate in sediments is conventional material for paleoclimatic study using ocean and lake sediments. However, because majority of lake sediments do not contain suitable carbonate materials for isotopic study, hydrogen isotope ratios of these lipids provide invaluable new sources of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental information.     

西伯利亚北极河流有机碳输出特征及影响要素

河流有机碳输出是北极碳循环的重要组分,对气候变化十分敏感。本文利用ArcticGRO的径流及有机碳数据,通过数理统计分析等方法,对2004—2017年间俄罗斯西伯利亚地区的鄂毕河、叶尼塞河和勒拿河有机碳输出进行研究。结果显示：西伯利亚3大河流的年均有机碳输出总量约23 Tg,其中溶解有机碳（DOC）输出约18.55 Tg,占北极地区50%以上,接近颗粒有机碳（POC）输出的4倍。2009—2017年间的年均DOC输出量较1999—2008年存在较大差异,鄂毕河增加18%,叶尼塞河下降13%,而勒拿河增加了近70%。春、夏两季有机碳输出总量占全年85%以上,春季为有机碳输出高峰期,而在鄂毕河流域春、夏季贡献率相当。各流域河流有机碳输出特征不同且具有季节性变化,主要受径流、冻土及人类活动等的影响。其中,DOC输出总量在年际与季节性变化特征上均与径流变化呈显著正相关,随径流增加DOC浓度也相应增大;而多年冻土也因类型及分布差异对河流DOC与POC具有不同程度的影响。研究气候变化下的北极河流有机碳输出特征及影响要素,有助于深入理解北极河流有机碳输出对气候及环境变化的综合响应,为揭示气候变化下的北极碳循环过程奠定基础。     

A 1,100-year palaeoenvironmental record inferred from stable isotope and trace element compositions of ostracode and plant caryopses in sediments of Cattle Pond,Dongdao Island,South China Sea

Abundant ostracode valves (Cyprinotus cingalensis) and caryopses of Urochloa paspaloides, a terrestrial grass, were well preserved in the lacustrine sediments of the Cattle Pond on Dongdao Island, South China Sea. Oxygen and carbon isotopes, and elements (Ca, Mg) were analyzed on ostracode valves and plant caryopses in this study. The δ¹⁸O_ostracode and δ¹³C_ostracode exhibited a positive and statistically significant correlation, and showed a decreasing trend toward the top of sediment sequence with some fluctuations, indicating a gradual increase in effective moisture. The Mg/Ca ratios in the ostracode shells, generally used as a proxy for salinity changes in lake water, showed a trend toward lower values in the upper samples, reflecting a gradual decrease of salinity in the lake. The δ¹³C_org values in the plant caryopses of the upper 14 cm of sediment have lower values than those in the bottom sediments, suggesting less water and salinity stress. These results indicate increasing effective moisture and rainfall intensity over the past ∼1,100 years on Dongdao Island.     

Evaluation of210Pb dating in lake sediments using stable Pb,Ambrosia pollen,and137Cs

We used sediment chronology data from fourteen published studies of lake cores across much of North America and Scandinavia in order to make a large scale comparison of the different dating techniques. The uncertainty of²¹⁰Pb derived dates was determined using common sediment event markers: the stable Pb rise, the¹³⁷Cs rise, and theAmbrosia pollen rise. For all data combined, the 95% confidence intervals for the stable Pb rise and theAmbrosia rise, were approximately 30 years. These 95% confidence intervals are slightly higher than those derived by First-Order Error analysis performed by others on²¹⁰Pb derived dates. When comparing the concordance of two²¹⁰Pb models (CRS and CIC) against markers of known history, we found that the CRS model dates (constant rate of supply) had consistently better agreement than the CIC model dates (constant initial concentration). Major discrepancies between¹³⁷Cs and²¹⁰Pb were common, but were consistently more severe in sediments of soft water lakes pointing to an inability of sediments with low mineral content to immobilize Cs.This is the ninth of a series of papers to be published by this journal following the 20 ^th anniversary of the first application of²¹⁰Pb dating of lake sediments, Dr. P. G. Appleby is guest editing this series.     

Climatic and environmental change in Yanchi Lake, Northwest China since the Late Glacial: A comprehensive analysis of lake sediments

Modern climate research has shown that the Asian summer monsoon water vapor transport is limited to the eastern part of the Qilian Mountains. On the Holocene millennial-scale, whether the northwest boundary of the summer monsoon varies according to climate change is a key scientific issue. Yanchi Lake is located in the northern Qilian Mountains and the middle of the Hexi Corridor, where the modern climate is less affected by the Asian summer monsoon. It is a key research area for examining the long-term variations of the Asian summer monsoon. Paleoclimatic data, including AMS ^14C dates of pollen concentrates and bulk organic carbon, lithology, grain-size, mineral composition and geochemical proxies were acquired from sediments of Yanchi Lake. The chronological results show that the lower part of the lacustrine section is formed mainly in the Late Glacial and early Holocene period, while the proxies＇ data indicate the lake expansion is associated with high content of mineral salts. The middle part of this section is formed during the transitional period of the early and middle Holocene. Affected by the reworking effect, the pollen concentrates AMS^14C dates from the middle part of the section are generally older than those from the lower part. Since the mid-Holocene, Yanchi Lake retreated significantly and the deposition rate dropped obvi- ously. The Yanchi Lake record is consistent with the Late Glacial and Holocene lake records in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the climatic records in typical monsoon domain, which indicate the lake expansion and the strong Asian summer monsoon during the Late Glacial and early Holocene. The long-term monsoonal pattern is different from the lake evolution in Central Asia on the Holocene millennial-scale. This study proves the monsoon impacts on the northwestern margin of the summer monsoon, and also proves the fact that the northern boundary of the summer monsoon moves according to millennial-scale climate change.     

长江口潮滩有机质稳定碳同位素时空分布与来源分析

通过测定长江口潮滩悬浮颗粒有机质和表层沉积有机质在枯水季节 (2006年2月 )和洪水季节 (2006年8月 )的稳定碳同位素值,对有机质潜在来源及局部岸段改造作用进行了分析。结果显示,悬浮颗粒有机质稳定碳同位素值在2月明显低于8月,变化范围分别在-25.8‰~-23.4‰和-25.1‰~-22.9‰,主要是受径流量枯洪季变化和浮游生物生长季节变化两种因素的叠加作用。表层沉积有机质2月和8月的稳定碳同位素分别为-25.0‰~-20.4‰和-24.7‰~-19.5‰,季节变化不明显,主要来自悬浮颗粒物的沉降。除受大背景环境因素影响,局部环境对潮滩有机质也有一定的改造作用,污水、支流河水的输入对悬浮颗粒有机质碳同位素有一定的影响,埋藏的潮滩植物和底栖微藻则对沉积有机质有部分贡献。     

Stable carbon isotope ratios in lake and swamp sediments as a proxy for prehistoric forest clearance and crop cultivation in the Neotropics

Close correspondence between stable carbon isotope ratios ( ¹³ C), pollen, and charcoal profiles in sediment cores from Laguna Zoncho and Machita swamp, Costa Rica, shows that prehistoric forest clearance and crop cultivation can be detected in the stable carbon isotope ratios of total organic carbon ( ¹3C _TOC ). Analyses of δ 13C _TOC complement evidence from pollen, charcoal, and phytoliths and provide a proxy that is sensitive to the intensity and/or proximity to core sites of prehistoric forest clearance and agriculture in watersheds. Stable carbon isotope analyses are particularly useful in situations in which other evidence of forest clearance and agriculture is limited.