A proxy record of late Holocene climate change from May Moss,northeast England

Quantitative reconstruction of changes in mire surface wetness has been used to reconstruct proxy climate from an upland ombrotrophic blanket mire on the North York Moors in northeast England (May Moss). Testate amoebae, plant macrofossil and humification analyses were carried out for six peat profiles. Transfer functions are used to generate estimates of water table levels from the testate amoebae stratigraphy, which complement the semi‐quantitative indications of changing surface wetness provided by plant macrofossil and humification analysis. ¹⁴C dates provide the chronology for the stratigraphy. Differences were encountered between AMS ¹⁴C dates on pure Sphagnum remains and radiometric dates on bulk peat from the same horizon, which perhaps arise from the heterogeneity of peat. Replicate palaeoecological analysis of adjacent cores identifies consistency within testate amoebae and plant macrofossil stratigraphies, and reveals a strong agreement between the water table level proxies. The record of hydrological changes at sites across May Moss are in synchrony, and so climate change is the most likely cause of the moisture fluctuations. Changes to a wetter or cooler climate were identified cal. ad 260–540, ca. ad 550–650, cal. ad 670–980, ca. ad 1350–1450, cal. ad 1400–1620 and ca. ad 1700–1800. Periods with a drier or warmer climate precede all of these wet shifts, with particularly dry periods between cal. ad 650–860 and 690–980 and between cal. ad 1290–1410 and 1400–1620. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Replicability and variability of the recent macrofossil and proxy-climate record from raised bogs: field stratigraphy and macrofossil data from Bolton Fell Moss and Walton Moss,Cumbria, England

Replication of results is a basic tenet of science, but in palaeoecology this is very time-consuming and the ‘signal’ is subject to ‘noise’. The derivation of proxy-climate signals from ombrotrophic peat was carried out originally using samples from open peat faces where the stratigraphic relationships could be easily observed. Now that such sections are rare and often degraded there is a need to demonstrate that data can be replicated from core profiles. Ten short cores taken from two adjacent bogs have been analysed for macrofossils and show a coherent series of changes, which are also similar to previous profiles from the same sites. It is concluded that variation between profiles is slight and less than observations of present vegetation mosaics might suggest. Recommendations for a standard approach to fieldwork on raised bogs that emphasises the utility of subfossil pool layers are proposed and the need for a secure chronology is stressed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A 7500-year peat-based palaeoclimatic reconstruction and evidence for an 1100-year cyclicity in bog surface wetness from Temple Hill Moss,Pentland Hills,southeast Scotland

Analyses of plant macrofossils, peat humification and testate amoebae were used to reconstruct a proxy climate record spanning the last 7500 years from an ombrotrophic bog, Temple Hill Moss, in southeast Scotland. The plant macrofossil data were subjected to detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) which modelled effectively the significant wet shifts within the record. A mean water table depth transfer function was applied to the testate amoebae data to provide quantifiable changes. The three proxy records show coherent phase changes which are interpreted as variability in past effective precipitation. Two tephra horizons (Glen Garry and Lairg A) were used in conjunction with radiocarbon dates to construct an age/depth model, producing a robust geochronology from which a time series was calculated. The palaeoclimatic reconstruction identified major wet shifts throughout the Holocene, with specific events occurring around cal. 6650, 5850, 5300, 4500, 3850, 3400, 2800–2450, 1450–1350 and 250–150 BP. Spectral analysis of the plant macrofossil DCA and colorimetric humification data produced a millennial scale periodicity of 1100 years. The same periodicity has also been found in a palaeoclimatic reconstruction from a site in Cumbria (Walton Moss), and may be linked with millennial scale periodicities found in oceanic palaeoclimatic records.     

A 2800-year palaeoclimatic record from Tore Hill Moss,Strathspey, Scotland: the need for a multi-proxy approach to peat-based climate reconstructions

Analyses of plant macrofossils, testate amoebae and humification have been carried out on a 2800-year core from Tore Hill Moss, a raised bog in the Strathspey region of Scotland. All three analyses were carried out at the same 4 cm intervals allowing exact correlation, and the core was dated by nine Accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dates and the Glen Garry tephra layer. The results have been combined and compared to present a bog surface wetness (BSW) record within which the limitations of each proxy method can be assessed and this has highlighted the advantages of a combined rather than a single proxy approach. Significant wet shifts are recorded at ca cal. 560 BC, 60 BC, AD 430, AD 570, AD 700, AD 1090 and AD 1640. Significant shifts to drier periods are also suggested ca cal. AD 220, AD 500 and AD 820. Some of the recorded shifts and phases are related to phases of wetter and drier climate such as the Sub-boreal/Sub-atlantic transition, the Dark Age deterioration and the Romano-British Warm Period. The Dark Ages are notable as a period of rapid peat accumulation and frequent water table fluctuations. Time-series analysis revealed a significant wet-shift cycle of 560 years from the testate amoebae data.     

Moss bag (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphagnum papillosum</Emphasis>) magnetic and elemental properties for characterising seasonal and spatial variation in urban pollution

This study investigates the seasonal and spatial variation of traffic-induced particle matter in order to evaluate the pollutant distribution and the representativeness of the single air quality monitoring station in the city centre of Turku, southwest Finland. Study focused on parks, kindergarten and school yards as well as heavily trafficked sites. Sampling was done using active magnetic biomonitoring, which is highly applicable in polluted areas lacking native species. Sphagnum papillosum moss bags were exposed separately in road dust period, which is experienced after snow melt and the resuspension of sanding material in spring, and summer season for about 60 days in 2013. Moss bags are magnetically and elementally (e.g. Al, Cr, Fe, Na, Ni, Pb) more enriched in road dust period and near heavily trafficked sites than in summer season and in the courtyard or park sites. Magnetic properties indicate that particle matter is composed of fine-grained pseudo-single-domain magnetite towards superparamagnetic–single-domain grain sizes. Intensive road dust period overrides the variation of prevailing conditions as indicated by three paired samples showing finer grain sizes and higher element levels in courtyard/park sites than in traffic sites in summer. The results emphasise the effectiveness of active magnetic biomonitoring for the assessment of spatially representative air quality monitoring stations and related modelling approaches.     

Late Holocene vegetational history,human impact and pollen representativity variations in northern Cumbria,England

The comparison of pollen diagrams and their inferred vegetational histories are an important component of palaeoecological research. Radiocarbon-dated pollen profiles from three cores taken from two adjacent mires located in northern Cumbria, Bolton Fell Moss and Walton Moss, have been used to reconstruct the Late Holocene vegetation history between the Bronze Age and the present day. The profiles have been interpreted in the light of available archaeological and historical records and, although the pollen records are broadly similar, there are some notable differences between them, particularly during Iron Age and medieval times. Dissimilarities between the diagrams are explored numerically, and the statistical and palynological results are discussed in relation to pollen representativity. The results suggest that it may be advantageous to construct more than one pollen diagram from a mire, or even adjacent mires, as extra-local pollen may be a more important part of the pollen rain than previously envisaged. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A late Holocene record of arid events from the Cuzco region,Peru

The small recently infilled lake basin of Marcacocha (13°13′S, 72°12′W, 3355 m) in the Cuzco region of Peru has a morphology and location that renders it extremely sensitive to environmental change. A record of vegetation, human impact and climatic change during the past 4200 yr has been obtained from a highly organic core taken from the centre of the basin. Sustained arid episodes that affected the Peruvian Andes may be detectable using the proxy indicator of sedge (Cyperaceae) pollen abundances. As the lake‐level was lowered during sustained drier conditions, the local catchment was colonised by Cyperaceae, whereas during lake floods, they retreated or were submerged and pollen production was correspondingly reduced. Drier episodes during prehistoric times occurred around 900 bc , 500 bc , ad 100 and ad 550, with a longer dry episode occurring from ad 900 to 1800. Evidence from the independently derived Quelccaya ice‐core record and the archaeological chronology for the Cuzco region appears to support the climatic inferences derived from the sedge data. Many of these aridity episodes appear to correspond with important cultural changes in the Cuzco region and elsewhere in the Central Andes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Palaeoenvironmental history of the Holocene volcanic crater lake Lago d'Averno (central southern Italy) inferred from aquatic mollusc deposits

The mollusc record from Lago d'Averno, central southern Italy, provides a detailed 1600‐yr record of changes in water quality in response to bradyseismic movements and salinity fluctuations. Bradyseismic vertical land movements and human impact in Roman times led to several transgressions from the Mediterranean Sea, 1 km distant, making the lake a valuable resource for documenting the effect of episodic marine transgressions of a freshwater lake. Low‐oxygen‐tolerant freshwater molluscs suggest that, at around 900–500 bc the lake had a slowly decreasing medium freshwater quality, resulting from contamination of volcanic origin. Disappearance of the obligate freshwater snails and transgression of low‐salinity‐tolerant marine species indicate that, after 500 bc, continuous subsidence resulted in episodic marine transgressions from the nearby sea. The construction of a canal that connected the lake with the sea, in 37 bc, is marked by a considerable increase in the number of shells and by arrival of brackish‐water‐intolerant marine species. Species diversity increased considerably when the area was partly depopulated towards the end of the Roman Empire around ad 400. When the land was slightly uplifted around ad 600–750, the water quality of the lake became less favourable for marine molluscs. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mid‐Holocene environmental changes in the Bay of Skaill,Mainland Orkney,Scotland: an integrated geomorphological,sedimentological and stratigraphical study

A detailed multidisciplinary investigation of intertidal freshwater sediments exposed in the north of the Bay of Skaill, Mainland Orkney, Scotland, have revealed a complex sedimentary sequence. This provided evidence for dynamic coastal environmental changes in the area since the mid‐Holocene. Freshwater ponds developed on glacial sediments ca. 6550 ± 80 yr BP (cal. bc 5590–5305). From ca. 6120 ± 70 yr BP (cal. bc 5040–4855), these were infilled by blown sand from the distal edge of a dune ridge located to the west. Thereafter, a series of sand‐blow events alternating with periods of quiescence occurred until ca. 4410 ± 60 yr BP (cal. bc 3325–2900). Between ca. 5240 ± 160 and 4660 ± 80 yr BP (cal. bc 4370–3115), pollen and charcoal records show evidence of anthropogenic activities, associated with the nearby Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae. Agriculture was probably affected by recurrent sand movement and widespread deposition of calcium carbonate in the hinterland of the bay. Machair development between ca. 6100 and 5000 yr BP (cal. bc 5235–3540) corresponds to a mid‐Holocene phase of dune formation recorded elsewhere in northwest Europe. The more recent and progressive formation of the bay has probably been related to increasing external forcing via storminess, long‐term relative sea‐level change and sediment starvation within this exposed environment. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mineral magnetic properties of Holocene lake sediments and soils from the Kårsa valley,Lappland, Sweden,and their relevance to palaeoenvironmental reconstruction

A mineral magnetic study of lacustrine sediments and soils from the Kårsa valley in Lappland, Sweden was undertaken to estimate the potential of mineral magnetic techniques in elucidating the variability of climate, recorded by glacier fluctuations and soil development. Sediment cores from two lake basins receiving sediment input from a glacial outflow stream, and their respective catchments, show a mineral magnetic record that can be interpreted in terms of glacial activity and soil development. Dissolution of magnetite is indicated during periods of climatic amelioration and causes a high S-ratio. During periods of glacial advance (and colder, wetter climate) the minerogenic sediment supply is increased and magnetite is preserved in the sediment, resulting in a low S-ratio. Variations in the S-ratio can then be used as a proxy-climate indicator.     

Palaeoseismicity of the Dinar fault, SW Turkey

The NW–SE-trending Dinar fault is an active normal fault upon which the 1 October 1995 earthquake ( M  = 6.1) occurred. The 1995 earthquake resulted in a c. 10-km-long surface rupture with the south side down-thrown by 50 cm. Investigations of two trench sites perpendicular to the 1995 rupture suggest at least two prior large earthquakes in historical times. Radiocarbon dates and historical records constrain the age of events between 1500 bc and ad 53, event 2 possibly coinciding with the earthquake that damaged Dinar (the ancient city of Apamea Kibotos) in c. 80 bc and event 1 around 1500 bc. Surface displacements determined for events 1 and 2, compared to the 1995 surface faulting, indicate that M > 6.8 earthquakes were associated with each rupture. Using the total displacement in trenches, a slip rate of about 1 mm yr⁻¹ can be estimated for the Dinar fault. Observations suggest that the return period for large earthquakes in the Dinar area is about 1500–2000 years.     

Distribution and dispersion of gold in point bar and pavement sediments of the Huai Hin Laep, Loei, northeastern Thailand

Gold anomalies in drainage sediments are often erratic, reflecting both the nugget effect and hydraulic effects whereby gold is concentrated at favorable sites along a stream. This study investigates these factors in a stream in northeastern Thailand.Bulk sediment samples, consisting of approximately 40 kg of −12 mm material, were collected from bar and pavement sites along an 8 km study reach. Samples were wet sieved into eight size fractions. The five fractions between 425 μm and 53 μm were then processed to obtain heavy mineral concentrates (SG > 3.3). Gold content of all size and density fractions finer than 425 μm was determined by fire assay-atomic absorption.Concentrations of Au in the heavy mineral concentrates typically range from 10,000 to 50,000 ppb (maximum 198,000 ppb), whereas the corresponding light mineral fractions and the −53 μm fraction generally contain <5 ppb gold. Within the heavy mineral fractions concentrations of Au generally increase downstream away from their supposed source and are higher at pavement than at point bar sites. Variations in abundance of gold between point bar sites can be related to stream characteristics (such as width, velocity and bed roughness) that are indicative of changing energy conditions and of the ability of the stream to winnow light minerals from its bed.The estimated median number of gold particles in the heavy mineral concentrates increase from less than one in the 212–425 μm fraction to about three in the 53–106 μm size range. However, because of dilution by the light mineral and −53 μm fractions, the probability of a 30 g analytical sub-sample containing a particle of gold is so low that in thirteen out of sixteen −149 μm sediment samples no gold was detected. Insofar as this results from dilution by large quantities of −53 μm sediment, failure of conventional sieved sediment samples to reliably detect the anomaly is probably a consequence of increased erosion caused by deforestation and land usage.Heavy mineral concentrates from pavement and other high energy sites are more reliable than conventional sediment samples for detecting gold anomalies of the Huai Hin Laep type. A low sample density is adequate but, because anomaly contrast may increase downstream, careful interpretation is required.     

Climate,hydrology, land use,and environmental degradation in the lower Rhone Valley during the Roman period

This paper's aims are three: firstly, to demonstrate the importance of a long-term perspective on socio-environmental dynamics; secondly, to show the relevance of archaeological data in constructing such a long-term history of such dynamics; thirdly, to illustrate with a case study how one may identify the component processes of environmental change from archaeological materials. Taking the Roman occupation of the middle and lower Rhone Valley as a point of departure, the paper identifies some of the processes of regional environmental change. Firstly, it demonstrates the existence of a regional phase of climate degradation during the 2nd century ad. It is in all probability of anthropogenic origin. This degradation seems to have been caused by widespread deforestation in preparation for intensive cultivation of cereals, wine and olives for export to other parts of the Roman Empire. Next, it isolates the principal interactions occurring between relief, soils, and water on the one hand, and the societal dynamics on the other. The location of each settlement is considered representative of an environmental choice, made by its founders at the time the settlement is initiated. These environmental choices, in turn, reflect the perception of the landscape and its resources by the settlers. The principal indicators at our disposal for this study are the relief, soil, and hydrological maps. They are used as a basis for the calculation of the altitude, slope, orientation, annual solar radiation, exposure to the prevailing winds, and fertility of the soil of all sites and their environment. Subsequently, preferences are calculated statistically based on the 1000-odd settlements concerned. The third part of the paper concerns the evolution of the sites. It turns out that the earlier ones are the most successful, in part because they occupied the best locations, but also because they structured the landscape and the territory to their advantage, determined the road network, and were the first to lay hands on localized resources. Eighty percent of the total number of sites is abandoned in less than 200 years. The reasons for that abandonment are not to be sought in any kind of environmental degradation, as the proportion of abandoned sites is about the same in all landscapes. Rather, they seem to have to do with a reorganization of the settlement pattern after some 100 years of increasingly intensive agro-industry. This reorganization is triggered by a combination of economic and political events that come close to destabilizing the Empire. Settlement size and accessibility are the main determinants of survival. The exact nature of the events leading up to this re-structuration differs from region to region. In the case of the Tricastin, the Emperor undertook a vast land reclamation project in the first century bc. He used it to retire soldiers from the many legions that were active around the time of the birth of Christ. However, the peace of the early decades of the first century ad abruptly reduced the number of soldiers to be retired. Hence, the orthogonal, Roman drainage system could no longer be maintained sufficiently well, to ensure that it functioned correctly. As a result, the surface available for cultivation, and the yield per hectare, fell drastically, and many farms were deserted. To cite this article: S.E. van der Leeuw, The ARCHAEOMEDES research team, C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Anthropogenic noble-metal enrichment of topsoil in the Monchegorsk area, Kola Peninsula, northwest Russia

Eight catchments, an area of 15 to 35 km², have been studied within an ecogeochemical mapping programme in the western Kola Peninsula and contiguous parts of Finland and Norway. Three catchments, one northeast of Zapolyarniy (1) and two, 5 and 25 km south of Monchegorsk (2 and 4) show high levels of deposition of heavy metals, especially nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu), related to the metallurgical industry in these cities. Twenty-five topsoil samples, from sites evenly distributed over catchment 2, have mean contents of Ni and Cu 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher than both C-horizon samples from the same sites and topsoil samples from catchment 4, providing strong evidence for the anthropogenic origin of the heavy metals. The same samples show geometric mean total contents for the noble metals analysed of: 1.4 μg/kg rhodium (Rh), 49.6 μg/kg platinum (Pt), 187.6 μg/kg palladium (Pd) and 9.5 μg/kg gold (Au). The pattern of concentration of the noble metals mirrors that found in published averages for ore from the Talnakh mineralizations in the Noril'sk province, though 1–2 orders of magnitude lower. This also clearly shows that the noble-metal contents of the topsoil are anthropogenic, and suggests that they emanate from the plants in Monchegorsk at an early stage in treatment of the ore, probably as a minor component of Ni-Cu rich particles. The noble-metal geochemistry of the topsoil in the other catchments also reflects the nature of the ore being processed at the plants nearby.     

Elimination of Interferences in the Determination of Palladium,Platinum and Rhodium Mass Fractions in Moss Samples using ICP‐MS/MS

Moss samples (Pleurozium schreberi) exposed to traffic‐related emission of Pd, Pt and Rh were analysed in this study. Successful elimination of interferences was achieved in the determination of Pd, Pt and Rh mass fractions in these samples using inductively coupled plasma‐tandem mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS/MS). Based on the results, a reliable determination of Pd, Pt and Rh mass fractions in microwave‐digested moss samples was obtained using ammonia (10% NH₃ in He) in the collision/reaction cell when ¹⁰³Rh was measured either on‐mass (103→103) or with mass‐shift (103→171) and mass‐shifts for ¹⁰⁸Pd (108→159) and ¹⁹⁵Pt (195→229) were used. The ICP‐MS/MS procedure was validated using BCR‐723 (road dust) as a reference material. In addition, a good agreement between the ICP‐MS/MS results and the results obtained with cloud point extraction and quadrupole ICP‐MS was observed for the moss samples.     

River channel evolution and tsunami impacts recorded in local sedimentary archives – the ‘Fiume Morto’ at Ostia Antica (Tiber River,Italy)

Ostia, the ancient port of Rome at the mouth of the river Tiber (Italy), flourished until the 2nd Century ad , although massive siltation had already caused the abandonment of its lagoonal harbour in the 1st Century bc . In search of an alternative harbour site, geomorphological and geoarchaeological research was carried out in the ‘Fiume Morto’, an abandoned Tiber meander to the immediate north of the town. To reconstruct its complex development and evaluate the suitability of the river channel as a fluvial harbour, a transect perpendicular to the former river channel's flow axis was systematically explored by a new methodological approach combining electrical resistivity tomography, direct push-electrical conductivity sensing and vibracores. Together with microfossil, mineralogical and geochemical analyses of sediment samples and 50 radiocarbon dates, in-depth stratigraphic data support a detailed reconstruction of different Tiber channel generations. Results reveal a meander development closely related to distinct ‘cut and fill’ dynamics. Inactive river channels were repeatedly filled with lagoonal sediments, abruptly followed by phases of intense incision. Yet, the overall Fiume Morto channel structure remained stable and almost in situ over centuries, showing nearly no lateral changes since the southward shift of the Tiber River mouth in the first millennium bc . In the 1st Century bc , channel conditions favoured navigation and transportation of goods with large ships. Open-water conditions, suitable for anchoring and landing activities, dominate from the 1st Century ad until 1557 ad , when the Fiume Morto meander was finally cut off and silted up within a short time. Within the fluvial deposits, sediments most likely related to tsunami inundations are preserved. These events occurred sometime before the 2nd Century bc , in the early 1st Century ad and in the 17th Century ad or later. Results are consistent with traces of tsunami influence found in Ostia's western lagoonal harbour.     

A high‐resolution record of mire development and climatic change spanning the Late‐glacial–Holocene boundary at Church Moss,Davenham (Cheshire,England)

Excavations of deposits filling a closed basin within glacial drift at Church Moss, Davenham, near Northwich (Cheshire, England) revealed a sequence of Late‐glacial and Early Holocene sediments. Analyses of pollen and plant and invertebrate macrofossils were undertaken, together with loss‐on‐ignition analyses and a programme of AMS radiocarbon dating, to provide a record of changing biostratigraphy and climatic and ecological regimes. The infilling of features identified as frost‐cracks in the till flooring the basin gave remains that reflected conditions of extreme cold towards the end of the Devensian. The pollen record from a 3.5 m sequence of peat towards the deepest part of the basin, supported by radiocarbon dates, shows that organic deposition was initiated during the Late‐glacial Interstadial and continued into the early part of the Holocene. There was some evidence for a cool episode during the interstadial, with amelioration prior to the rapid onset of the tundra conditions of the Loch Lomond Stadial. Following the stadial, amelioration was rapid. There was evidence from both central and marginal sequences for a mosaic of fen dominated by sedges and often also mosses, with short‐lived small pools through much of the succession. Change to terrestrial conditions proceeded intermittently, probably as a result of subsidence caused by solution of underlying salt‐bearing strata. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrological changes during the Roman Climatic Optimum in northern Tuscany (Central Italy) as evidenced by speleothem records and archaeological data

Study of the climate in the Mediterranean basin during different historical periods has taken on a particular importance, particularly regarding its role (together with other factors) in the evolution of human settlement patterns. Although the Roman age is traditionally considered a period with a favourable climate, recent studies have revealed considerable complexity in terms of regional climate variations. In this paper, we compare the hydrological change from speleothem proxy records with flood reconstructions from archaeological sites for Northern Tuscany (central Italy). We identify a period of oscillating climatic conditions culminating in a multidecadal dry event during the 1st century bc , followed by a century of increased precipitation at the beginning of the Roman Empire and subsequently a return to drier conditions in the 2nd century ad. The period of rainfall increase documented by the speleothems agrees with both the archaeological flood record as well as historical flood data available for the Tiber River, ca. 300 km to the south. These data also suggest a return to wetter conditions following the 3nd and 4rd centuries ad.     

Visible gold in arsenian pyrite at the Shuiyindong Carlin-type gold deposit, Guizhou, China: Implications for the environment and processes of ore formation

Carlin-type gold deposits are best known for the scarcity of visible gold in their ores. It has long been recognized that the majority of gold is “invisible”, such that it cannot be resolved by conventional microscopy, and resides in arsenian pyrite. Shuiyindong differs in that sub-μm to μm-sized native gold is present in arsenian pyrite veinlets and disseminations. It is also the largest (55 tonnes) and highest grade (7 to 18 ppm), stratabound, Carlin-type gold deposit in Guizhou, China and has produced 5 tonnes of gold from sulfide refractory ores extracted by underground mining methods. In this study, an electron microprobe analyzer (EMPA) was used to map the spatial distribution of “invisible” gold and sub-μm to μm-size visible gold particles in arsenian pyrite in high-grade ore samples from the Shuiyindong. The samples studied are hosted in Permian bioclastic ferroan limestone of the Longtan Formation and exhibit evidence of decarbonation, silicification and sulfidation. Arsenian pyrite with detectable Au (> 400 to 3800 ppm) is disseminated in altered limestone and was deposited in two stages separated by an episode of corrosion in a veinlet.The results show that there are two populations of native gold in arsenian pyrite. One is comprised of sub-μm size gold particles (0.1 to 0.2 μm) that are occasionally present in the gold-bearing arsenian pyrite disseminated in the host rocks. This arsenian pyrite is interpreted to have been formed by sulfidation of ferroan calcite and dolomite. Another is comprised of coarser (1 to 6 μm) native gold grains present in the arsenian pyrite veinlet, either on the first stage where it has been corroded or on the second stage. The lack of fluid inclusion or other evidence of boiling and the low iron content of fluid inclusions in quartz, suggest the veinlet formed by sulfidation of another fluid containing Fe. The Fe-bearing fluid may be a depleted ore fluid that gained Fe by dissolution of ferroan limestone after H₂S had been consumed. The association of the largest visible gold grains with an episode of corrosion suggests that fluids episodically became undersaturated with arsenian pyrite while remaining saturated with gold (e.g., pH decrease or an increase in the oxidation state). This may have resulted from incursion of relatively acidic or oxidized fluids that were able to dissolve arsenian pyrite and remain saturated with gold. In this case, sulfidation of iron from the host rock, was the most important depositional mechanism for Au-bearing arsenian pyrite with, or without, grains of native gold.     

What drives the peat-based palaeoclimate record? A critical test using multi-proxy climate records from northern Britain

Peatland palaeoclimate sequences produce bog surface wetness (BSW) reconstructions which are commonly interpreted as changes in summer effective precipitation, i.e. the net balance between precipitation and evapotranspiration, the latter being mainly governed by temperature. The relative roles of precipitation and temperature have been investigated previously, although over centennial and millennial timescales no conclusive relationships have as yet been established, but it has been suggested that summer temperature may play the dominant role. We aimed to test this by comparing a late-Holocene peat-based palaeoclimate record from Walton Moss, northern England, with a chironomid-inferred temperature (CI-T) reconstruction from a nearby lake, Talkin Tarn. Both records showed significant changes in inferred climate over the last 3000 years with lower temperatures corresponding to increases in BSW. The CI-T reconstruction, which covered the last 6000 years, was also compared to a longer BSW record, again from Walton Moss, and the same relationships were observed. Our evidence therefore suggests that over centennial timescales summer temperatures are important drivers of the peat-based palaeoclimate record.