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.     

A multiple stable isotope record of Late Quaternary limnological changes and chironomid paleoecology from northeastern Iceland

We present results from multiple stable isotope analyses (δ¹⁸O of chironomid larval head capsules, chironomid adult thoraxes and other insect remains and δD, δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N of total organic matter—TOM) of a lake sediment core (04-SVID-03) taken from Stora Vidarvatn in northeastern Iceland to reconstruct past environmental, limnological and δ¹⁸O of past lake water changes during the Holocene. Core 04-SVID-03 represents a ∼12,000 cal. yrs BP to present record. Large magnitude changes in δ¹⁸O occurred during the Holocene at the site. Downcore shifts in δ¹⁸O of chironomids did not correlate with measurements of the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of chironomid head capsules, implying that the δ¹⁸O changes were not primarily driven by changes in chironomid diet during the Holocene. The δD of TOM provided a proxy of relative lake-water δD changes at the site and also showed large magnitude changes during the record. This approach was supported by analyses of a modern training set where δD_TOM analyses were conducted using surface sediments from a suite of freshwater lakes over a large latitudinal gradient. The magnitude of changes in both the δ¹⁸O and δD and the relatively negative δ¹⁸O values throughout much of the core suggest that the proxies represent more paleoenvironmental information than solely temperature. Additional possible influences on lake-water isotopic composition are discussed, including changes in the seasonality of precipitation, in the patterns of air masses supplying precipitation to Iceland and in the dominant mode of the North Atlantic Oscillation.     

Lacustrine ostracodes as stable isotope recorders of late-glacial and Holocene environmental dynamics and climate

Oxygen- and carbon-isotopic signatures of benthic ostracodes from lake sediments from climate sensitive regions in the Alpine region, Central Europe, the north-central USA, the Chilean Altiplano and Patagonia, Argentina, are used to characterize lake system processes and to reconstruct climate patterns of the past 16,000 years. The case studies provide examples that highlight different aspects of the broad application of isotope stratigraphies, and provide keys for the interpretation of complex lacustrine records.The integration of stable-isotope stratigraphy, sedimentology, and ecological information from ostracode assemblages is a new tool that acquires climate information from the indirect views of climate series provided by lake sediments. This tool (1) identifies lake system characteristics, (2) confines which isotopic signatures are controlled by which processes in the lake system and/or in the catchment, and (3) defines which signatures are ultimately controlled by climate change. If sudden shifts in the isotopic composition occur concomitantly with changes between sedimentological units, then the isotopes reflect first of all changes in catchment hydrology that may be ultimately controlled by climate. Also, if ostracode ¹⁸O and ¹³C values show the same timing and direction of shifts, then this indicates a major change in the hydrological budget of the lake.The case studies presented here show that coupled isotopic signatures may be used to track hydrological changes related to meltwater and deglaciation, shifting rivers and ground water sources, and changes in precipitation mechanisms and patterns. Values of ¹⁸O from large lakes with short water residence time, low evaporation rates and homothermic bottom waters provide records of past temperatures of precipitation. The ¹³C values reflect changes in the ratio of C₃:C₄ plants in the catchment. They indicate shifts in modes of organic decay in the surface sediments that can be linked to a change in hydrodynamics within a lake. The ¹³C values also allow detection of the input of volcanically charged ground waters providing large quantities of ¹⁴C-free CO₂ that hinders accurate ¹⁴C chronology. General climate trends for the sites in the Americas indicate a dry mid-Holocene punctuated by moist spells, and show a general increase in moisture during the past approximately 4000 years, interrupted by recurring droughts. This hints at an interhemispheric connection and a common driving mechanism.Environmental isotopes from high-resolution lake sediments thus provide an ideal tool to identify and characterize the regional impact and magnitude of global climate change. This tool contributes to a better understanding of regional climate change and its driving mechanisms and thus provides the type of information needed to improve climate models. Environmental isotopes provide more information than just moisture balance and airmass history if they are integrated with the detailed sedimentological and ostracode ecological evidence, and understanding for the component system. Thus environmental isotopes serve to a better understanding of the climate signal archived in lake records and represent an essential contribution to Global Change research and Earth System Science.     

Deglacial to middle Holocene (16,600 to 6000 calendar years BP) climate change in the northeastern United States inferred from multi-proxy stable isotope data, Seneca Lake, New York

Climate change in the northeastern United States has been inferred for the last deglaciation to middle Holocene (∼16,600 to 6000 calendar years ago) using multi-proxy data (total organic matter, total carbonate content, δ¹⁸ O calcite and δ¹³ C calcite) from a 5 m long sediment core from Seneca Lake, New York. Much of the regional postglacial warming occurred during the well-known Bolling and Allerod warm periods (∼14.5 to 13.0 ka), but climate amelioration in the northeastern United States preceded that in Greenland by ∼2000 years. An Oldest Dryas climate event (∼15.1 to 14.7 ka) is recognized in Seneca Lake as is a brief Older Dryas (∼14.1 ka) cold event. This latter cold event correlates with the regional expansion of glacial Lake Iroquois and global meltwater pulse IA. An increase in winter precipitation and a shorter growing season likely characterized the northeastern United States at this time. The Intra-Allerod Cold Period (∼13.2 ka) is also evident supporting an “Amphi-Atlantic Oscillation” at this time. The well-known Younger Dryas cold interval occurred in the northeastern United States between 12.9 and 11.6 ka, consistent with ice core data from Greenland. In the Seneca Lake record, however, the Younger Dryas appears as an asymmetric event characterized by an abrupt, high-amplitude beginning followed by a more gradual recovery. Compared to European records, the Younger Dryas in the northeastern United States was a relatively low-amplitude event. The largest amplitude and longest duration anomaly in the Seneca Lake record occurs after the Younger Dryas, between ∼11.6 and 10.3 ka. This “post-Younger Dryas climate interval” represents the last deglacial climate event prior to the start of the Holocene in the northeastern United States, but has not been recognized in Greenland or Europe. The early to middle Holocene in the northeastern United States was characterized by low-amplitude climate variability. A general warming trend during the Holocene Hypsithermal peaked at ∼9 ka coincident with maximum summer insolation controlled by orbital parameters. Millennial- to century-scale variability is also evident in the Holocene Seneca Lake record, including the well-known 8.2 ka cold event (as well as events at ∼7.1 and 6.6 ka). Hemispherical cooling during the Holocene Neoglacial in the northeastern United States began ∼5.5 ka in response to decreasing summer insolation.     

Bias of ostracod stable isotope data caused by drying of sieve residues from water

Stable isotope analysis of ostracod shells is used routinely for palaeoenvironmental studies of ostracod-bearing records. Sample treatment usually involves the disaggregation of sediments and sieving; before the sieving residues were washed with water onto petri dishes and oven-dried. In our study, we compared δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values of shells that were oven-dried from water and from ethanol alternatively. Large isotopic differences of up to 3‰ were determined for δ¹⁸O values, whereas differences in δ¹³C values were less pronounced with differences of up to 1.6‰. Stable isotope values of shells dried from water were lower for both oxygen and carbon as a result of calcite crystals precipitated on the shell surfaces during the drying process. Therefore, ostracod shells for stable isotope analysis should not be prepared by drying from water. Instead, shells should be dried from ethanol to obtain reliable stable isotope data; likewise freeze-drying is expected to provide trustworthy results.     

Evaluating sedimentary geochemical lake-level tracers in Walker Lake, Nevada, over the last 200 years

Walker Lake, a hydrologically closed, saline, alkaline lake located along the western margin of the Great Basin of western United States, has experienced a 77% reduction in volume and commitment drop in lake level as a result of anthropogenic perturbations and climatic fluctuations over the last century. The history of lake-level change in Walker Lake has been recorded instrumentally since 1860. A high-resolution multi-proxy sediment core record from Walker Lake has been generated through analysis of total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC), and oxygen and carbon isotope ratios (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³ C) of both downcore bulk TIC and ostracods over the last 200 yr. This allows us to examine how these sediment indices respond to actual changes in this lake’s hydrologic balance at interannual to decadal timescales. In Walker Lake sediments, changes in %TIC, %TOC, and δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O of TIC and ostracods are all associated to varying degrees with changes in the lake’s hydrologic balance, with δ¹⁸O of the TIC fraction (δ¹⁸O_TIC) being the most highly correlated and the most effective hydrologic indicator in this closed-basin lake. The δ¹⁸O_TIC record from Walker Lake nearly parallels the instrumental lake-level record back to 1860. However, comparison with sporadic lake-water δ¹⁸O and dissolved inorganic carbon δ¹³C (δ¹³C_DIC) results spanning the last several decades suggests that the isotopic values of downcore carbonate sediments may not be readily translated into absolute or even relative values of corresponding lake-water δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C_DIC. Changes in the lake’s hydrologic balance usually lead to changes in isotopic composition of lake waters and downcore sediments, but not all the variations in downcore isotopic composition are necessarily caused by hydrologic changes.     

The effects of diagenesis on the trace element and stable isotope geochemistry of non-marine ostracod valves

The trace-element and stable-isotope geochemistry of non-marine ostracod valves is a valuable tool in palaeolimnology. However, the potential effects of early diagenesis on geochemical composition are poorly documented. In this study, the effect of partial dissolution on the trace-element (Sr and Mg) and isotopic (¹⁸O/¹⁶O and ¹³C/¹²C) composition of late Quaternary non-marine ostracod valves was investigated. Both unaltered and extremely degraded valves of the species Cypretta brevisaepta recovered from the same core level had trace-element and stable-isotope ratios that were drawn from the same statistical population, suggesting that the geochemical effects of early diagenesis are minimal. However, since the possibility remains that diagenesis could under certain circumstances alter valve chemistry, only valves in pristine condition should be used in palaeoenvironmental studies whenever feasible.     

Paleolimnological investigations of anthropogenic change in Lake Tanganyika: VIII. Hydrological evaluation of two contrasting watersheds of the Lake Tanganyika catchment

This study was conducted to delineate the impact of human activities on stream flow and water chemistry as well as other factors that influence the chemical character of both surface and groundwater in two contrasting watersheds of the Lake Tanganyika catchment. The study sites the Mwamgongo and Mitumba streams along the northern Tanzanian coastline of the lake are representative of disturbed and undisturbed watersheds, respectively, but are quite similar in other characteristics of slope, bedrock geology and size. Separation of stream flow components was undertaken using classical hydrograph analysis along with chemical methods using both Cl and ¹⁸O data. All the data show that groundwater accounts for the predominant source of total stream flow in both the Mwamgongo and Mitumba watersheds (65 and 70% respectively). The streams have an average ¹⁸O of about -3.0% and less than 10 mg/l for Cl. The basin recession constants of 9.4×10^-3-d^-1 and 9.6×10^-3-d^-1 for Mwamgongo and Mitumba, respectively, indicate existence of both fissured and fractured aquifer systems. The chemical data exhibit low values of all determined ions. This supported the hypothesis that natural processes influence the water chemical character of the study area. An Mg–HCO₃ type of water dominates in the two watersheds. Despite their similar size and bedrock character the Mwamgongo watershed has an order of magnitude in sediment transport than the Mitumba one. The data show that the disturbed watershed discharges less groundwater and more sediments, and has a poorer water quality than the forested Mitumba watershed, which lies within the Gombe National Park. The data show that soil erosion processes are more active at Mwamgongo, and that both the surface runoff component of the total stream flow and increased dissolved salt load is greater in the deforested Mwamgongo watershed than in the Mitumba watershed. The chloride and ¹⁸O data complemented each other in delineating the amounts of groundwater in the total stream flow as the results using both data differed insignificantly. It may be concluded that the undisturbed watershed has a higher retention of good quality water and traps more sediments than the disturbed one. In addition, the groundwater component plays a dominant role in the total annual stream flow at each watershed.     

A reconnaissance study of oxygen, hydrogen and strontium isotopes in geochemically diverse lakes, Western Nebraska, USA

Reconnaissance ¹⁸O,, D, and ⁸⁷Sr data for fifteen lakes in the Western Lakes Region of the Sand Hills of Nebraska indicate dynamic hydrologic systems. The rather narrow range of ⁸⁷Sr from lake water (1.1 to 2.1) and groundwater (0.9 to 1.7) indicates that the groundwater is generally unradiogenic. Groundwater residence times and relatively unradiogenic volcanic ash within the dune sediments control the ⁸⁷Sr values. Based on the mutual variations of ¹⁸O and D, the lakes can be divided into three groups. In Group 1, both ¹⁸O and D values increase from spring to fall. The ¹⁸O and D values in Group 2 decreased from spring to fall. Group 3 are ephemeral lakes that went dry some time during 1992. The data and isotopic modeling show that variations in the ratio of evaporation relative to groundwater inflow, local humidity conditions, and the _a has substantial influence on the isotopic composition. In addition, isotopic behavior in ephemeral lakes can be rather unusual because of the changing activities of water and mineral precipitation and redissolution. The annual and interannual isotopic variability of these lakes which is reflected in the paleonvironmental indicators may be the rule rather than the exception in these types of systems.     

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.     

印度河上游Bagrot山谷降水稳定同位素变化及与水汽来源的关系

利用2015年8月至2016年7月在印度河上游流域Bagrot山谷降水稳定同位素（δ18O和δD）观测结果以及当地气象资料,利用同位素示踪及统计分析方法,并结合HYSPLIT模型,对研究区降水稳定同位素变化特征、大气水线以及水汽来源进行了分析。结果表明,观测期间Bagrot山谷降水稳定同位素的季节变化明显,δ18O与δD秋冬季偏低,春夏季偏高,且与气温变化一致,存在显著的温度效应,而降水量效应不明显。而且发现,研究区局地大气水线截距和斜率均低于全球的,反映了降水过程中云下二次蒸发作用较为强烈,特别是,不同的降水形态导致该研究区局地大气水线的斜率和截距不同。当液态降水（降雨）发生时,由于在较为干旱的气候环境下,雨滴在降落的过程中受到二次蒸发相对较强,使得局地大气水线的斜率和截距偏低;而当固态降水（降雪）发生时,由于温度较低,受再循环水汽和二次蒸发的影响较小,导致局地大气水线的斜率和截距均偏高。Bagrot山谷及其周边地区,从南到北局地大气水线的斜率相差不大,而其截距总体上随着纬度升高而降低,可能与云下二次蒸发导致稳定同位素发生的不平衡分馏逐渐强烈有关。通过Bagrot山谷站点降水稳定同位素观测结果并结合HYSPLIT模型的后向追踪,研究还发现,研究区全年主要受西风环流以及局地环流的影响。但与研究区以北的临近站点（慕士塔格、和田等）相比有所不同,由于Bagrot山谷位置更靠南,其仍然偶尔受到来自南方的海洋性水汽影响。这一研究结果可能对该地区树轮稳定同位素记录的解译具有一定的指示意义。     

湖泊碳酸盐在过去环境变化研究中的应用

国内外的研究成果表明,湖泊沉积碳酸盐矿物及其微量元素、同位素分布特征记录了全球或区域古气候环境演变历史,可以从中提取大量定量化的古气候参数。因此,可以根据湖泊碳酸盐矿物的含量和碳、氧同位素变化等信息推知其形成时期的气候环境,重建古环境,揭示气候环境演变的规律。湖泊碳酸盐是一种研究古环境演化重要的代用指标,在过去气候环境变化研究中有广阔的应用前景。     

Temporal patterns in lacustrine stable isotopes as evidence for climate change during the late glacial in the Southern European Alps

We investigated oxygen and carbon isotopes of bulk carbonate and of benthic freshwater ostracods (Candona candida) in a sediment core of Lago Piccolo di Avigliana that was previously analyzed for pollen and loss-on-ignition, in order to reconstruct environmental changes during the late glacial and early Holocene. The depth–age relationship of the sediment core was established using 14 AMS ¹⁴C dates and the Laacher See Tephra. While stable isotopes of bulk carbonates may have been affected by detrital input and, therefore, only indirectly reflect climatic changes, isotopes measured on ostracod shells provide unambiguous evidence for major environmental changes. Oxygen isotope ratios of ostracod shells (δ¹⁸O_C) increased by ～6‰ at the onset of the Bølling (～14,650 cal BP) and were ～2‰ lower during the Younger Dryas (～12,850 to 11,650 cal BP), indicating a temporal pattern of climate changes similar to the North Atlantic region. However, in contrast to records in that region, δ¹⁸O_C gradually decreased during the early Holocene, suggesting that compared to the Younger Dryas more humid conditions occurred and that the lake received gradually increasing input of ¹⁸O-depleted groundwater or river water.     

Spatial variability of chironomid death assemblages in the surface sediments of a fluctuating tropical lake (Lake Naivasha,Kenya)

Studies addressing within-lake variability of fossil chironomid assemblages are very few, and all deal with hydrologically stable temperate lakes where the question of spatial integration mostly relates to the mixing of faunal assemblages associated with shallow, warm-water habitat and those associated with deeper, cold-water habitat. Here we study within-lake variability of surface-sediment chironomid assemblages in the fairly large (∼100–170 km² since 1983) and shallow (Z _max = 5–8 m) fluctuating tropical lake basin of Lake Naivasha, Kenya, and compare the patterns observed with those in two smaller adjacent basins, one similarly shallow (Lake Oloidien, 5.1–5.7 km2, 5–8 m), the other deep and stratified (Crescent Island Crater, 1.9 km², 14–17 m). Chironomid assemblages were analysed in core-top samples and surface sediments along inshore to offshore transects, and how well individual samples represented the total (basin-wide mean) subfossil assemblage was considered both in terms of taxon richness and taxon percent composition. Within-lake variability of subfossil chironomid concentrations (with generally higher absolute values in nearshore samples) could be explained by effects of sediment winnowing and focusing, whereas between-lake variability reflected their relative susceptibility to wind-driven sediment disturbance or bottom anoxia. In all study lakes, but most significantly in lakes Naivasha and Oloidien, species distribution in the subfossil chironomid assemblages showed a strong nearshore to offshore gradient, which in these shallow lakes, reflects the dominant control of substrate and food quality on species distribution in the living community. Particularly in the larger basins, nearshore samples better represented the total lake assemblage than offshore samples, because the former always contained a component of mud-dwelling species whereas the latter often lacked a component of macrophyte-dwelling species. Our results show that although sedimentation dynamics in the shallow, wind-stressed Lake Naivasha is dominated by frequent resuspension and random sediment redistribution, the near- to offshore gradient in chironomid habitat remains imprinted on subfossil assemblages. We conclude that also in shallow fluctuating lakes, given sufficient size, incomplete pre-burial spatial integration of habitat-specific chironomid assemblages can be exploited for within-lake calibration of environmental gradients.     

Paleoenvironmental evolution of the Pliocene Villarroya Lake, northern Spain, from stable isotopes and trace-element geochemistry of ostracods and molluscs

Stable isotopes and trace-element content of calcite ostracod valves and aragonite mollusc shells from the Pliocene lacustrine succession of Villarroya allow depicting the geochemical record of environmental changes and to compare our data to the paleoenvironmental reconstruction obtained from other proxies. The lower sequences (A and B) are characterized by relatively high isotopic and Me/Ca values in the biogenic carbonates. The recorded large variations of δ¹⁸O in these carbonates mainly reflect variations in the δ¹⁸O_w due to precipitation–evaporation processes and, to a lesser extent, variations in temperature of calcification. The δ¹³C data inform about changes in DIC although they are probably biased by the vital effects of the studied taxa. Minor and trace element contents in ostracod (Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca) and mollusc shells (Sr/Ca) are mainly linked to the Me/Ca of the lake water (Me/Ca_w), and to a lesser extent to temperature and to uptake kinetic effects. Several possible mechanisms may make the Me/Ca_w to vary: long periods of Ca-carbonate (calcite, aragonite) deposition after charophyte development, and different inputs for Ca and Mg to the lake due to changes in drainage area configurations through time, including the changes in saline inputs (Na-Cl type) to the lake. The stable isotopes and the calculated Sr/Ca_w and Mg/Ca_w from sequence C display lower values than those from sequences A and B. The isotopic values from biogenic carbonates of unit C indicate isotopically diluted waters in a hydrologically open lacustrine environment. Distinct δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O plots for molluscs from unit C reflect the different biotopes and metabolism type. For several intervals of the Villarroya succession there is no direct relationships among: (i) salinity changes inferred from invertebrate paleoecology, (ii) paleoenvironmental slices based on isotopic signatures and Me/Ca_w calculations (from biogenic carbonate geochemistry) and (iii) climate in the hinterland deduced from pollen data. Lakes where geochemical behaviour is constrained by sporadic saline inputs and/or relative depletion in Ca due to long periods of Ca-carbonate precipitation or biomineralization, like the Pliocene Villarroya lake was, do not show clear correlation patterns between geochemical signals and climate proxies. In these lakes only major environmental trends display unambiguous geochemical signatures, and only some main shifts in the geochemical signature profiles may be correlated with significant global and/or regional environmental changes that have been reported from other paleoenvironmental records. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Ostracode δ18O and δ13C evidence of Holocene environmental changes in the sediments of two Minnesota lakes

Stable oxygen and carbon isotope geochemistry of ostracode valves, abundance and assemblages of ostracode species, and sedimentological parameters from cores taken in Williams and Shingobee Lakes in north-central Minnesota show changes in climatic and hydrologic history during the Holocene. Isotopic records are consistent with the following scenario:Before 9800 yr B.P. the two lakes were connected. Increasing evaporation through the jack/red pine period (9800-7700 yr B.P.) led to lower lake levels, leaving small separated basins. The prairie period (7700-4000 yr B.P.) reflects high aridity, and lake levels reached low stands shortly before 6500 yr B.P. Low lake levels are associated with groundwater discharge between 6500 and 6000 yr B.P. The hardwood period (4000-3200 yr B.P.) corresponds to long cold winters and warm to cool summers with lower evaporation rates and slower sedimentation. During the white pine period (<3200 yr B.P.) evaporation increased and/or precipitation shifted to the summer months.These changes can be related to shifting atmospheric circulation patterns. Zonal flow was probably dominant during the early Holocene until the end of the prairie period (c. 4000 yr B.P.). During the hardwood period a combination of zonal and meridional flow patterns caused long and cold winters and wetter summers. During the white pine period wintners were shorter and the meridional flow pattern more significant. Today meridional flow dominates the circulation pattern.This is the 6th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

Chemical and environmental isotope study of precipitation in Syria

Waters from a network of rainfall collection covering nine meteorological stations distributed mainly in the western part of Syria have been assayed using chemical and environmental isotope techniques for a period of 5 months from Dec 1989 to Apr 1990. The chemistry of rain waters falling over the mountainous stations shows a low solute concentration (20–105 mg⁻¹/L) compared with those falling over the coastal and anterior stations (50–210 mg⁻¹/L). The rain waters are generally characterized by a high deuterium excess (d = 19 ‰) compared with that of typical global meteoric waters (d = 10 ‰). The estimated deuterium excess is lower than that for the eastern Mediterranean meteoric waters (d = 22 ‰). The altitude effect is shown up by a depletion of heavy stable isotopes of about −0·23 ‰ and −1·65 ‰ per 100 m elevation of δ¹⁸O and δD, respectively. The spatial distribution pattern of tritium contents shows a gradual build up with increasing distance from the Syrian coast. The weighted mean tritium content in rain waters falling over the country is estimated to amount to 9·5 tritium units (TU) during the period of observation.     

基于水化学和稳定同位素定量评价巴音河流域地表水与地下水转化关系

以分析青海巴音河流域地表水与地下水转化关系为目标,2016年8月,沿巴音河采集了23组地表水样、13组地下水样和9组泉水样,室内分析得到了其对应的主要水化学离子和氘氧稳定同位素数据,运用统计分析、Piper三线图、Gibbs图分析了流域水化学特征;以溶解性总固体（TDS）、氯离子（Cl^-）和氧同位素（δ¹⁸O）作为示踪剂,定性分析了巴音河沿程地表水与地下水的转化关系;基于质量平衡法,运用δ¹⁸O定量计算了巴音河沿程地表水和地下水之间的转化量。研究结果表明：TDS、Cl^-、δ¹⁸O可用于定性分析巴音河流域不同河段地表水与地下水之间的转化关系,定量评估其转换强度;巴音河流域地表水和地下水的水化学类型主要为HCO₃·Cl-Ca·Mg,地下水水化学类型更为多样,地表水受控于岩石风化作用,地下水与泉水受到岩石风化与蒸发作用的影响;地表水与地下水水力联系密切,沿巴音河流向,二者相互转化频繁,上游河段,地下水主要接受地表水渗漏和沿途侧向径流补给,补给比例分别为65.33%、34.67%,至黑石山水库上游,地表水接受上游地下水和溢出泉水的补给,补给比例分别为49.54%、50.46%;中游河段,地下水接受地表水和北部山区侧向径流补给,补给比例分别为65%、35%;下游河段,地表水接受地下水和泉水补给,补给比例分别为53.12%、46.88%。研究结果有助于建立流域水循环模式、揭示水资源形成机制,可以为巴音河流域水资源可持续开发利用和生态环境保护提供理论和技术支持。     

湖泊生物标志物与古气候环境变化的研究进展

湖泊沉积中的生物标志物可以提供丰富的信息,包括有机物来源、沉积过程的古环境条件等。湖泊沉积主要反映区域气候变迁史,可以揭示短至十年尺度的古气候事件,是高分辨率古环境、古气候重建的理想材料。与其他湖泊古气候古环境代用指标相比,生物标志物在湖泊古生态系统恢复与古生产率评估、古大气CO2分压与古温度确定等方面可以提供更为精细的信息,成为研究湖泊环境的有力工具。评述了湖泊沉积生物标志物在湖泊环境变化中的研究现状及应用前景。     

Water isotopic and hydrochemical evolution of a lake chain in the northern Great Plains and its paleoclimatic implications

Oxygen isotopes and geochemistry from lake sediments are commonly used as proxies of past hydrologic and climatic conditions, but the importance of present-day hydrologic processes in controlling these proxies are sometimes not well established and understood. Here we use present-day hydrochemical data from 13 lakes in a hydrologically connected lake chain in the northern Great Plains (NGP) to investigate isotopic and solute evolution along a hydrologic gradient. The ¹⁸O and ²H of water from the chain of lakes, when plotted in ²H - ¹⁸O space, form a line with a slope of 5.9, indicating that these waters fall on an evaporation trend. However, 10 of the 13 lakes are isotopically similar (¹⁸O = –6 ± 1 VSMOW) and show no correlation with salinity (which ranges from 1 to 65). The lack of correlation implies that the isotopic composition of various source waters rather than in-lake evaporation is the main control of the ¹⁸O of the lakes. Groundwater, an important input in the water budget of this chain of lakes, has a lower ¹⁸O value (–16.7 in 1998) than that of mean annual precipitation (–11) owing to selective recharge from snow melt. For the lakes in this chain with salinity < 15, the water Mg/Ca ratios are strongly correlated with salinity, whereas Sr/Ca is not. The poor correlation between Sr/Ca and salinity results from uptake of Sr by endogenic aragonite. These new results indicate that ¹⁸O records may not be interpreted simply in term of climate in the NGP, and that local hydrology needs to be adequately investigated before a meaningful interpretation of sedimentary records can be reached.