Permafrost distribution in the Posets massif,Central Pyrenees

The Posets massif is located in the Central Pyrenees and reaches a height of 3363 m a.s.l. at the Posets peak, the second highest massif in the Pyrenees. Geomorphological maps of scales 1:25000 and 1:10000, BTS (bottom temperature of winter snow), ground measurements and snow poles were used to observe the more representative periglacial active landform association, ground thermal regime, the winter snow cover evolution and basal temperatures of snow. The main active periglacial landforms and processes related to the ground thermal regime and snow cover were studied. Mountain permafrost up to 2700 m a.s.l. on northexposed slopes and up to 2900 m a.s.l. on south-exposed slopes were detected. Three permafrost belts were differentiated: sporadic permafrost between 2700 and 2800 m a.s.l. and between 2850 and 3000 m a.s.l., discontinuous permafrost between 2800 and 2950 and between 2950 and 3050, and continuous permafrost up to 2900 m a.s.l. and up to 3050 m a.s.l. on northern and southern slopes, respectively.     

南极洲维斯特福尔德丘陵与菲尔德斯半岛冰缘地貌的比较研究

东南极大陆沿岸的维斯特福尔德丘陵(68°22'～68°40'S,77°55'～78°30'E)和西南极乔治王岛南端的菲尔德斯半岛(62°08'～62°20'S,58°45'～58°58'W)的气候条件不同。前者属于极地大陆性气候,气温低,冬季严寒,干燥、风大,夏季较短;后者属于极地海洋性气候,气温不很低,湿润、风小,夏季较长。因此,两地的冰缘地貌的组合类型及其发育过程存在明显的差异。前者冰缘地貌单一,发展速度较慢;后者冰缘地貌复杂多样,发展速度较快。 本文根据实地观测资料,对极地大陆型和极地海洋型两类冰缘地貌作一些比较,并且提出,年冻融日数是决定冰缘作用强弱的最重要指标。     

Origin and palaeoclimatic significance of the Pleistocene slope covers in the Cracow Upland, southern Poland

Periglacial slope covers in the southern part of the Cracow Upland, S Poland can be grouped in five genetic categories: slope loess, washed loess, weathered debris, scree deposits, low-density flow deposits, and solifluctites or high-density flow deposits. They differ from each other with respect to their morphological position in relation to the slope, and in lithological characteristics. It was found that successive generations of slope deposits can be distinguished according to their degree of chemical weathering, which can be estimated on the basis of the presence and morphology of limestone clasts, on the content and colour of the colloid clay, and on the Fe₂O₃ and CaCO₃ content of the clay particles.This paper contributes to a discussion on the possibility of palaeoclimate reconstruction based on slope deposits analyses.     

The interplay of geomorphic processes and soil development in an upland environment, Calabria, South Italy

Five representative soil profiles outcropping in the area around the Cecita Lake (Calabria, South Italy) were characterised by field work, chemical and mineralogical analyses, optical and scanning electron microscopy. Interactions among weathering, pedogenesis and geomorphic processes are emphasised, in an attempt to link the results obtained at different scales of observation. The important role of topography in controlling soil development or removal by erosive processes is discussed, in relation to the natural geomorphological context and the effects of human pressure. Both present-day and relict features were recognised in the studied soils, and discussed in terms of environmental conditions and climatic changes. The chemical composition of volcanoclastic components identified in some soil horizons with Andosol-like field appearance, coupled with pedogenetic features, contributed useful chronological constraints for the reconstruction of Late Quaternary geomorphic events.     

A 300 year record of environmental change from Lake Tuborg, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada

Lamination thickness measurements in sediments from Lake Tuborg, northern Ellesmere Island, Canada document an increase in high-energy hydrologic discharge events from ∼1865 to 1962. The timing of these events corresponds with evidence for an increase in the amount of melt on the adjacent Agassiz Ice Cap, as recorded in ice cores. There appears to have been a non-linear change in depositional energy resulting from a dramatic increase in Agassiz meltwater discharge, particularly after ∼1908. A strong correlation between the Lake Tuborg varve thickness record, the amount of melting on the Agassiz Ice Cap and Eureka 900 mb air temperature records suggests that changes in the height of the freezing level in the atmosphere have affected the extent of summer melting on the Agassiz Ice Cap, leading to high volume discharge events and associated sediment flux to Lake Tuborg.     

A frost “buzzsaw” mechanism for erosion of the eastern Southern Alps, New Zealand

In the Southern Alps, New Zealand, large gradients in precipitation (< 1 to 12 m year^− 1) and rock uplift (< 1 to 10 mm year^− 1) produce distinct post-glacial geomorphic domains in which landslide-driven sediment production dominates in the wet, rapid-uplift western region, and rockfall controls erosion in the drier, low-uplift eastern region. Because the western region accounts for < 25% of the active orogen, the dynamics of erosion in the extensive eastern region are of equal importance in estimating the relative balance of uplift and erosion across the Southern Alps. Here, we assess the efficacy of frost cracking as the primary rockfall mechanism in the eastern Southern Alps using air photo and topographic analysis of scree slopes, cosmogenic radionuclide dating of headwalls, paleo-climate data, and a numerical model of headwall temperature. Currently, active scree slopes occur at a relatively uniform mean elevation ( 1450 m) and their distribution is independent of hillslope aspect and rock type, consistent with the notion that frost cracking (which is maximized between − 3 and − 8 °C) may control rockfall erosion. Headwall erosion rates of 0.3 to 0.9 mm year^− 1, measured using in-situ ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al in the Cragieburn Range, confirm that rockfall erosion is active in the late Holocene at rates that roughly balance rock uplift. Models of the predicted depth of frost activity are consistent with the scale of fractures and scree blocks in our field sites. Also, vegetated, paleo-scree slopes are ubiquitous at elevations lower than active scree slopes, consistent with the notion that lower temperatures during the last glacial advance induced pervasive rockfall erosion due to frost cracking. Our modeling suggests temporally-averaged peak frost cracking intensity occurs at 2300 m a.s.l., the approximate elevation of the highest peaks in the central Southern Alps, suggesting that the height of these peaks may be limited by a “frost buzzsaw.”     

Soil-geomorphology relationships in Sirjan playa, south central Iran

To study the soil-geomorphology relationships and the effect of past and present climate on soil formation, 10 representative pedons on different landforms, including rock pediment, mantled pediment, piedmont plain, playa margin and playa, were studied. Non-saline clay flat, saline clay flat with and without puffy grounds, wet zone, and salt crust were among the geomorphic surfaces observed in Sirjan playa. Soil moisture varies from mesic (on rock and mantled pediments) to aridic regimes (on piedmont plain, playa margins, playa and mantled pediment). Soil temperature regime in the area is mesic except on playa surfaces and mantled pediment which are thermic. Results of the study showed that soil salinity increased from the rock pediment to playa surfaces. The maximum EC of 314 dS/m was observed in the puffy ground clay flat. Kaolinite, illite, smectite, chlorite and palygorskite clay minerals were identified using XRD analysis. Coatings and infillings of CaCO₃ were observed in pediment and gypsum lenticels and interlocked plates were found on piedmont plain and playa. Clay coatings and infillings in the piedmont plain suggest the presence of a more humid paleoclimate in the history of the area.     

Investigating the spatial distribution of summit flats in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah, USA

Isolated, laterally extensive, gently sloping surfaces known as summit flats are present at high elevations in many Laramide ranges, and are particularly well developed in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah. To investigate the spatial distribution of these surfaces, and to consider possible controls on this pattern, a map of summit flats in the Uintas was developed from digital elevation data. Summit flats were identified as unglaciated areas of the landscape above an elevation of 3400 m, having a slope of less than 0.3 m m^− 1, and an area greater than 5 × 10^− 2 km². As defined, summit flats comprise 43% of the unglaciated land area above 3400 m in the Uintas, with the largest individual flat covering nearly 34 km². To quantitatively evaluate the distribution of summit flats in the Uintas, the area of summit flats was normalized to the total unglaciated area above 3400 m in 10-km-wide swaths oriented normal to the range axis. Values of percent summit flats obtained by this method decrease dramatically westward, from a high of more than 60% at the eastern end of the Uintas, to 0% at the western end. Given that individual summit flats can be diminished through lateral erosion by surrounding valley glaciers, and that the summit flats themselves were apparently never glaciated, this result suggests that glacial erosion has been more effective in the western Uintas over the course of the Quaternary. Focused glacial erosion at the upwind end of the range is consistent with the hypothesis that the proximity of Lake Bonneville enhanced precipitation over the western Uintas during the Last Glacial Maximum [Munroe, J.S., and, Mickelson, D.M., 2002. Last Glacial Maximum equilibrium-line altitudes and paleoclimate, northern Uinta Mountains, Utah, U.S.A. Journal of Glaciology, 48, 257–266].     

Assessment of pingo distribution and morphometry using an IfSAR derived digital surface model, western Arctic Coastal Plain, Northern Alaska

Pingos are circular to elongate ice-cored mounds that form by injection and freezing of pressurized water in near-surface permafrost. Here we use a digital surface model (DSM) derived from an airborne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR) system to assess the distribution and morphometry of pingos within a 40,000 km² area on the western Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. We have identified 1247 pingo forms in the study region, ranging in height from 2 to 21 m, with a mean height of 4.6 m. Pingos in this region are of hydrostatic origin, with 98% located within 995 drained lake basins, most of which are underlain by thick eolian sand deposits. The highest pingo density (0.18 km^− 2) occurs where streams have reworked these deposits. Morphometric analyses indicate that most pingos are small to medium in size (< 200 m diameter), gently to moderately sloping (< 30°), circular to slightly elongate (mean circularity index of 0.88), and of relatively low height (2 to 5 m). However, 57 pingos stand higher than 10 m, 26 have a maximum slope greater than 30°, and 42 are larger than 200 m in diameter. Comparison with a legacy pingo dataset based on 1950s stereo-pair photography indicates that 66 may have partially or completely collapsed over the last half-century. However, we mapped over 400 pingos not identified in the legacy dataset, and identified only three higher than 2 m to have formed between ca. 1955 and ca. 2005, indicating that caution should be taken when comparing contemporary and legacy datasets derived by different techniques. This comprehensive database of pingo location and morphometry based on an IfSAR DSM may prove useful for land and resource managers as well as aid in the identification of pingo-like features on Mars.     

Rock glacier dynamics in a marginal periglacial high mountain environment: Flow, movement (1991–2000) and structure of the Argualas rock glacier, the Pyrenees

The Argualas rock glacier is located on the southern side of the Central Pyrenees (Argualas massif). Vertical electric sounding, debris surface analysis and a topographic survey were performed on this rock glacier between 1991 and 2000. High precision measurement records were obtained using a total station. Horizontal and vertical movements of the rock glacier were measured by means of sixteen steel rods. Horizontal and vertical angles and distances to each rod were measured from three stations on a bedrock ridge. Total and annual average displacements were derived from the emergence value and the horizontal displacement of each rod. Then the horizontal and vertical displacement rates in different sectors of the rock glacier were compared. The inferred surface deformation was characterized by both extensional and compressive flows as well as thinning of the frozen body. The displacement rates showed temporal variations related to atmospheric thermal changes, pointing to a high sensibility of the rock glacier.     

Early Holocene water budget of the Nakuru-Elmenteita basin, Central Kenya Rift

The Nakuru-Elmenteita basin in the Central Kenya Rift, contains two shallow, alkaline lakes, Lake Nakuru (1770 m above sea level) and Lake Elmenteita (1786 m). Ancient shorelines and lake sediments at 1940 m suggest that these two lakes formed a single large and deep lake as a result of a wetter climate during the early Holocene. Here, we used a hydrological model to compare the precipitation–evaporation balance during the early Holocene to today. Assuming that the Nakuru-Elmenteita basin was hydrologically closed, as it is today, the most likely climate scenario includes a 45% increase in mean-annual precipitation, a 0.5°C decrease in air temperature, and an increase of 9% in cloud coverage from the modern values. Compared to the modeling results from other East African lake basins, this dramatic increase in precipitation seems to be unrealistic. Therefore, we propose a significant flow of water from the early Holocene Lake Naivasha in the south towards the Nakuru-Elmenteita basin to compensate the extremely negative hydrological budget of this basin. Since we did not find any field evidence for a surface connection, as often proposed during the last 70 years, the hydrological deficit of the Nakuru-Elmenteita basin could have also been compensated by a subsurface water exchange.     

Lateglacial and Holocene talus slope development and rockwall retreat on Mynydd Du, UK

Modification of Lateglacial and Holocene talus sheets by debris flows and gully incision on Mynydd Du, Wales, has resulted in a convergence of upper slope form characterised by an upper rectilinear slope gradient of 36°±3° and a range of concavities of c. 0.1–0.2. In most cases, gully incision and accumulation of debris cones have led to an increase in slope concavity. Evidence for talus erosion, reworking and redeposition on the upper slope emphasises secondary reworking processes, as well as primary talus accumulation on the upper slope, and permits construction of a model of talus development at Mynydd Du. On the basis of talus volume, calculation of the first rockwall retreat data set for southern Britain suggests that c. 7.1 m (84%) of overall rockwall retreat (8.5 m) took place during the Lateglacial, and only c. 1.4 m (16%) occurred during the Holocene. These figures imply that Lateglacial retreat rates ranged from 1.01 to 2.44 m ka⁻¹, with an overall mean rate of 1.23 m ka⁻¹. In contrast, Holocene rockwall retreat rates range from 0.10 to 0.17 m ka⁻¹, with a mean rate of 0.12 m ka⁻¹. Approximately 27% of cliff retreat is attributed to microgelivation. While similar to Holocene and present-day alpine environments, these Lateglacial retreat rates are one order of magnitude higher than most equivalent values for arctic sites. This reflects both ‘alpine-style’ diurnal freeze–thaw activity on Mynydd Du during the Younger Dryas and paraglacial rock-mass instability following deglaciation. Assuming an exponential decline in rockwall sediment release, it is estimated that approximately half the talus had accumulated within c. 1 ka of deglaciation. At one site, paraglacial talus accumulation appears to have contributed significantly to the glacial sediment transport system of a subsequent ice advance. Present-day rates of rockwall retreat and talus accumulation by rockfall are estimated to be 0.014 and 0.022 mm yr⁻¹ (m ka⁻¹), respectively, similar to values for other British sites and markedly lower than Holocene rates of cliff recession due to microgelivation. By implication, the geomorphic significance of microgelivation may have been greatly underestimated in studies of inland rock-slope evolution in temperate, mid-latitude environments.     

Recent Summer Climate Recorded in Complex Varved Sediments, Nicolay Lake, Cornwall Island, Nunavut, Canada

The recent (1950–1996) varve record from the proximal sediments in Nicolay Lake, Cornwall Island, Nunavut, Canada (77°46′ N, 94°40′ W) contains distinct subannual rhythmites. Deposition of these subannual rhythmites is due primarily to nival snow melt, with additional sedimentary units resulting from major summer precipitation and subaqueous mass wasting events. In order to evaluate the potential hydroclimatic signal contained in the varves from the unglacierized catchment, the nival deposition record was estimated by delineating the initial subannual rhythmite within each varve. When the record is split into temporal segments based on two phases that exhibit different sediment deposition patterns in the lake, the nival rhythmites are significantly correlated to annual cumulative melting degree days (MDD) from the nearest weather station Isachsen (78°47′ N, 103°32′ W) (1950–1962 AD and 1963–1977 AD with r = 0.55 and r = 0.82, respectively). A similar analysis with data from Resolute (74°43′ N, 94°59′ W) yields slightly weaker correlations (1950–1962 AD, r = 0.60; 1963–1994, r = 0.59). The strong positive correlation with both the Isachsen and Resolute thermal records suggests that the paleoclimatic signal in the sediments reflects regional climate conditions. Notably, the signal is strongest when the entire melt season is considered; weaker correlations with instrumental weather records are associated with comparisons limited to the peak melt or early season melt periods. We attribute this to the ongoing supply of snowmelt through the season in this polar region and the availability of sediment for transport throughout the melt season. These results indicate that a high resolution hydroclimatic signal is present in the sediments from Nicolay Lake and can be used for paleoclimate reconstruction provided sedimentary depositional controls are taken into account.     

Holocene Vegetation Dynamics, Fire History, Lake Level and Climate Change in the Kootenay Valley, Southeastern British Columbia, Canada

The environmental history of the Kootenay Valley in the southern Canadian Rockies was reconstructed using lake sediment from Dog Lake, British Columbia, and compared to other paleoenvironmental studies in the region to understand how vegetation dynamics and fire regimes responded to climate change during the Holocene. A pollen-based vegetation reconstruction indicates five periods of vegetation change. At 10,300 cal yr B.P. Pinus-Juniperus parkland colonized the valley and by 7600 cal yr B.P. was replaced by mixed stands of Pinus, Picea and Pseudotsuga/Larix. Fire frequencies increased to their Holocene maximums during the 8200–4000 cal yr B.P. period. From 5500–4500 cal yr B.P. Pseudotsuga/Larix reached its maximum extent in the Kootenay Valley under a more frequent fire regime. At 5000 cal yr B.P. Picea and Abies began to expand in the area and by 4500 cal yr B.P. the forest shifted to a closed montane spruce forest type with dramatically reduced fire frequency. The shift to less frequent forest fires after 4500 cal yr B.P., along with a moisterPicea – dominated closed forest, corresponds to Neoglacial advances in the Canadian Rockies and Coast Mountains. Fire intervals after 4000 cal yr B.P. are significantly longer than the shorter fire intervals of the early to mid Holocene. A return to drier, more open forest condition occurs between 2400–1200 cal yr B.P. with a slight increase in fire activity and summer drought events. Lower lake levels inferred by charophyte accumulation rates during the 2400–1200 cal yr B.P. interval support this moisture regime shift. An abrupt shift toPicea dominated forest occurred from 1200–1000 cal yr B.P. and a final period of wet-closed forest cover reaches its maximum extent from 700–150 cal yr B.P. that appears to be a response to Little Ice Age cooling. Present forests are within their natural range of variability but are predicted to shift again to a drier more open structure with increased Pseudotsuga/Larix cover. More frequent stand replacing fires and increased area burned likely will accompany this change due to continued global warming.     

Sedimentology,clay mineralogy and grain-size as indicators of 65 ka of climate change from El’gygytgyn Crater Lake,Northeastern Siberia

El’gygytgyn Crater Lake, NE Siberia was investigated for sedimentological proxies for regional climate change with a focus on the past 65 ka. Sedimentological parameters assessed relative to magnetic susceptibility include stratigraphy, grain size, clay mineralogy and crystallinity. Earlier work suggests that intervals of high susceptibility in these sediments are coincident with warmer (interglacial-like) conditions and well-mixed oxygenated bottom waters. In contrast, low susceptibility intervals correlate with cold (glacial-like) conditions when perennial ice-cover resulted in anoxia and the dissolution of magnetic carrier minerals. The core stratigraphy contains both well-laminated to non-laminated sequences. Reduced oxygen and lack of water column mixing preserved laminated sequences in the core. A bioturbation index based upon these laminated and non- laminated sequences co-varies with total organic carbon (TOC) and magnetic susceptibility. Clay mineral assemblages include illite, highly inter-stratified illite/smectite, and chlorite. Under warm or hydrolyzing conditions on the landscape around the lake, chlorite weathers easily and illite/smectite abundance increase, which produces an inverse relationship in the relative abundance of these clays. Trends in relative abundance show distinct down-core changes that correlate with shifts in susceptibility. The mean grain-size (6.92 μm) is in the silt-size fraction, with few grains larger than 65 μm. Terrigenous input to the lake comes from over 50 streams that are filtered through storm berms, which limits clastic deposition into the lake system. The sedimentation rate and terrigenous input grain-size is reduced during glacial intervals. Measurements of particle-size distribution indicate that the magnetic susceptibility fluctuations are not related to grain size. Lake El’gygytgyn’s magnetic susceptibility and clay mineralogy preserves regional shifts in climate including many globally recognized␣events like the Younger Dryas and Bolling/Allerod. The sedimentary deposits reflect the climatic transitions starting with MIS4 through the Holocene transition. This work represents the first extensive sedimentological study of limnic sediment proxies of this age from Chukotka (Fig. 1). This is the tenth in a series of eleven papers published in this special issue dedicated to initial studies of El'gygytgyn Crater Lake and its catchment in NE Russia. Julie Brigham-Grette, Martin Melles, Pavel Minyuk were guest editors of this special issue.     

Late Quaternary palaeohydrology of Lake Pergusa (Sicily,southern Italy) as inferred by stable isotopes of lacustrine carbonates

Ten meters of lacustrine deposits retrieved from Lake Pergusa (Sicily, southern Italy) were investigated through stable isotope composition (carbon and oxygen) of authigenic carbonate (calcareous muds) and freshwater shells. The core chronology was established through three AMS dates, and by correlation with a previously dated nearby core. Stable isotope data show that the lake water evolution was mainly dominated by evaporation. Between ca. 20 and 28 ka the recovered sediments have very high δ¹⁸O values, likely corresponding to very dry climatic conditions. The observed rapid oscillations in the δ¹⁸O of the recovered sediments during this period also suggest important climatic fluctuations. More humid conditions dominated during the Holocene period, with the wettest interval occurring between ca. 9000 and 3000 years BP. Late Holocene sediments represent a substantial return to drier conditions. The available pollen data from a nearby core substantially confirm this general climatic trend during the Holocene. The positive correlation between δ¹³C of the calcareous muds and carbonate content suggests that biological activity played a key role in the carbon isotope evolution of dissolved inorganic carbon. However, a clear climatic signal is not evident from the δ¹³C record.     

Morphology, distribution and formation of relict marginal moraines in the Swedish mountains

Relict marginal moraines are commonly used landforms in palaeoglaciological reconstructions. In the Swedish mountains, a large number of relict marginal moraines of variable morphology and origin occur. In this study, we have mapped 234 relict marginal moraines distributed all along the Swedish mountains and classified them into four morphological classes: cirque‐and‐valley moraines, valley‐side moraines, complex moraines and cross‐valley moraines. Of these, 46 moraines have been reclassified or are here mapped for the first time. A vast majority of the relict moraines are shown to have formed during deglaciation of an ice‐sheet, rather than by local mountain glaciers as suggested in earlier studies. The relict marginal moraines generally indicate that deglaciation throughout the mountains was characterised by a retreating ice‐sheet, successively damming glacial lakes, and downwasting around mountains. The general lack of moraines indicating valley and cirque glaciers during deglaciation suggests that climatic conditions were unfavourable for local glaciation during the last phase of the Weichselian. This interpretation contrasts with some earlier studies that have reconstructed the formation of local glaciers in the higher parts of the Swedish mountains during deglaciation.     

江苏建湖地区全新世孢粉组合及其地质、古地理意义

对江苏建湖地区若干全新世剖面进行了系统的孢粉分析，划分出６个孢粉组合带，恢复了本地区自早全新世以来的古植被演替与古气候古环境变迁，探讨了本区全新世地层时代划分与对比     

Midges (Chironomidae,Ceratopogonidae, Chaoboridae) as a temperature proxy: a training set from Tasmania,Australia

Chironomid and ceratopogonid head capsules, along with Chaoborus mandibles, were used to model mean temperature of the warmest quarter (TWARM) in Tasmania. Our transfer function is based on midge assemblages and 21 environmental variables sampled from 47 lakes. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed seven variables that account for a significant (P ≤ 0.05) portion of the explainable variance. In order of explanatory power, these were pH, TWARM, annual radiation, magnesium, annual precipitation, SiO₂, and depth. TWARM was modeled using weighted averaging partial least squares (WA-PLS) and generated a model with and RMSEP = 0.94. Advances in chironomid paleoecology are progressing very quickly in the Southern Hemisphere. Chironomid identification guides and autecological data are available for many regions, highlighting the potential for developing midge-based quantitative models to address hemispheric and interhemispheric climate hypotheses.