Sedimentological proof and dating of the Early Holocene volcanic eruption of Ulmener Maar (Vulkaneifel,Germany)

A minerogeniclayer occurs in early postglacial organic sediments from five maar lakes (West Eifel Volcanic Field, Germany). The mineralogy and stratigraphic position of this tephra suggests that it is related to the youngest German volcano, Ulmener Maar, nearby. Radiocarbon dating of wood from the base of the Ulmener Maar Tephra at two locations provide ages in agreement with an accelerator mass spectrometer ¹⁴C date for the minerogenic layer from sediments of Lake Holzmaar situated 13 km south-west of Ulmener Maar. The mean radiocarbon age is 9 560 years BP. Dating by varve chronology provides an age of 10017 years VT (varve time in years before 1950) or 10 895 years corrected VT. Based on palynology the Ulmener Maar Tephra was deposited at the end of the Preboreal. High values of natural remnant magnetization intensity, typical of pyroclastic material, confirm that this minerogenic layer differs in composition from other clastic deposits of the sedimentary record. Geochemical analyses reveal increased values of total trace elements for the Laacher See Tephra and Ulmener Maar Tephra. An isopach map based on thickness variations of the Ulmener Maar Tephra at five investigated maar lakes indicates that the tephra was mainly transported to the south west.     

Holocene paleoenvironmental implications of diatom and organic carbon records from the southeastern Kara Sea (Siberian Margin)

Diatom assemblages and organic carbon records from two sediment cores located within an estuarian bay of the inner Kara Sea trace changes in Yenisei River runoff and postglacial depositional environments. Paleosalinity and sea-ice reconstructions are based on modern relationships of local diatom assemblages and summer surface-water salinity. Approximately 15,500 cal yr B.P., rivers and bogs characterized the study area. When sea level reached the 38- to 40-m paleo-isobath approximately 9300 cal yr B.P., the coring site was flooded. From 9300–9100 cal yr B.P., estuarine conditions occurred proximal to the depocenter of fluvially derived material, and salinity was <7–8. Paleosalinity increased to 11–13 by 7500 cal yr B.P., following postglacial sea-level rise and the southward shift of the Siberian coast. Sharp decreases in diatom accumulation rates, total sediment, and organic carbon also occurred, suggesting the presence of brackish conditions and greater distance between the coast and study site. Maximum paleosalinity (up to 13) was recorded between 7500 and 6000 cal yr B.P., which was likely caused by the enhanced penetration of Atlantic waters to the Kara Sea. Stepwise decreases to modern salinity levels happened over the last 6000 cal yr.     

Early to middle Holocene palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Beagle Channel (southernmost Argentina) based on terrestrial and marine palynomorphs

This paper presents the main palaeoenvironmental results obtained from a site located in the western sector of the Beagle Channel, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, southernmost Argentina. The palynological analysis performed on marine sediments from Aserradero‐Lapataia 2 (latitude 54°51′22.7″S, longitude 68°34′22.8″W) allowed us to document the evolution of palaeoenvironmental conditions during the beginning of the Holocene marine transgression into the Beagle Channel. The results indicate that, prior to the marine incursion, the coastal areas were characterized by the presence of open‐grown shrubs and herbs along with woodland palaeocommunities. The aquatic environments were dominated exclusively by freshwater taxa. Around 8300 cal. a BP, seawater gradually flooded the channel while cold and high effective moisture conditions favoured the development of an arboreal vegetation with dominance of Nothofagus forest and scarcity of shrub and herbaceous communities. Gradually increasing salinities allowed the development of freshwater/marine transitional environments indicated by aquatic palynomorphs able to tolerate stressed conditions under fluctuating salinities. The increasing dinocyst diversification with dominance of heterotrophic taxa corroborates the establishment of a fully marine environment during the middle–late Holocene in the Beagle Channel.     

Dawson tephra,a widespread 29-ka marker bed,in a marine core from Patton Seamount off the Alaska Peninsula and its potential marine–terrestrial correlation

A tephra layer with normal grading in the sub-bottom depth interval 119–122 cm in marine core SO202-27-6 was collected on Patton Seamount in the northeast North Pacific Ocean. Based on the geochemistry of volcanic glass shards determined by a wavelength dispersive electron probe micro-analyser and an X-ray fluorescence analyser, this layer is correlated to the Dawson tephra, a widespread late Pleistocene time marker tephra in Alaska and the Yukon. The age of the Dawson tephra in the core is 29.03 ± 0.178 ka (1 sigma) based on a published age model. The Dawson tephra is revealed to have been deposited in the transition from marine isotope stage 3 to 2, i.e. the last stage of Heinrich Stadial 3 derived from the ice-rafted debris signal. According to the correlation between Greenland (NGRIP ice core) and this core, the Dawson tephra occupies the record immediately before inter stadial 4 in the δ¹⁸O stratigraphy of NGRIP. The Dawson tephra on Patton Seamount includes lithic fragments, which suggests that it was deposited not only by fall-out but also in part via another mechanism, such as icebergs from the Cordilleran ice sheet or seasonal sea ice.     

Multiproxy analysis of a new terrestrial and a marine Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary site from New Zealand

An integrated study of palynology, Mössbauer spectroscopy, mineralogy and osmium isotopes has led to the detection of the first K-Pg boundary clay layer in a Southern Hemisphere terrestrial setting. The K-Pg boundary layer was independently identified at centimetre resolution by all the above mentioned methods at the marine K-Pg boundary site of mid-Waipara and the terrestrial site of Compressor Creek (Greymouth coal field), New Zealand. Mössbauer spectroscopy shows an anomaly of Fe-containing particles in both K-Pg boundary sections: jarosite at mid-Waipara and goethite at Compressor Creek. This anomaly coincides with a turnover in vegetation indicated by an interval dominated by fern spores and extinction of key pollen species in both sections. In addition to the terrestrial floristic changes, the mid-Waipara section reveals a turnover in the dinoflagellate assemblages and the appearance of global earliest Danian index species. Geochemical data reveal relatively small iridium enrichments in the boundary layers of 321 pg/g at mid-Waipara and 176 pg/g at Compressor Creek. Unradiogenic ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os values of the boundary clay reveal the presence of a significant extraterrestrial component. We interpret the accumulation of Fe nano-phases at the boundary as originating from both the impactor and the crystalline basement target rock. The goethite and jarosite are interpreted as secondary phases formed by weathering and diagenesis. The primary phases were probably controlled by the initial composition of the vapor plume and condensation kinetics rather than condensation thermodynamics. This investigation indicates that identification of Fe in nano-phases by Mössbauer spectroscopy is an accurate and cost-effective method for identifying impact event horizons and it efficiently complements widely used biostratigraphic and geochemical methods.     

Formal subdivision of the Holocene Series/Epoch: a Discussion Paper by a Working Group of INTIMATE (Integration of ice‐core,marine and terrestrial records) and the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (International Commission on Stratigraphy)

This discussion paper, by a Working Group of INTIMATE (Integration of ice‐core, marine and terrestrial records) and the Subcommision on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), considers the prospects for a formal subdivision of the Holocene Series/Epoch. Although previous attempts to subdivide the Holocene have proved inconclusive, recent developments in Quaternary stratigraphy, notably the definition of the Pleistocene–Holocene boundary and the emergence of formal subdivisions of the Pleistocene Series/Epoch, mean that it may be timely to revisit this matter. The Quaternary literature reveals a widespread but variable informal usage of a tripartite division of the Holocene (‘early’, ‘middle’ or ‘mid’, and ‘late’), and we argue that this de facto subdivision should now be formalized to ensure consistency in stratigraphic terminology. We propose an Early–Middle Holocene Boundary at 8200 a BP and a Middle–Late Holocene Boundary at 4200 a BP, each of which is linked to a Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). Should the proposal find a broad measure of support from the Quaternary community, a submission will be made to the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), via the SQS and the ICS, for formal ratification of this subdivision of the Holocene Series/Epoch. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Zeolites in volcanic-igneous hydrothermal systems: a case study of Pauzhetka geothermal field (Kamchatka) and Oligocene Smrekovec volcanic complex (Slovenia)

Production from geothermal reservoirs in volcanic-igneous hydrothermal systems may be disturbed owing to the formation of authigenic minerals that reduce primary porosity and infill fissure systems. Crystallization may be induced by natural processes or human activity related to the reservoir exploitation. In volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, zeolites and related authigenic silicate minerals commonly develop. Two selected study sites—Pauzhetka geothermal field in Russia and Smrekovec volcanic complex in Slovenia are characterized by extensive development of progressive stage medium- and low-temperature propylitization and zeolitization with similar mineral assemblages that reduced original reservoir rock porosity and permeability. Retrograde and overprinting reactions of argillitization commonly enhance porosity and permeability of rocks, but some other reactions, like from prehnite to laumontite, from laumontite to heulandite, and from laumontite to analcime, encountered in the Smrekovec volcanic complex reduced it appreciably. Retrograde reactions recognized in the study sites were not induced by the temperature drop only, but were accompanied by the change in chemical composition of reacting fluids. Chemical composition of interstitial waters produced from exploitation wells in the Pauzhetka geothermal field indicate that propylitic and zeolite facies alteration is related to Na–Cl, slightly alkaline waters, while argillitization involved acidic thermal waters with more complex ion composition.     

Clitellate worms (Annelida) in lateglacial and Holocene sedimentary DNA records from the Polar Urals and northern Norway

While there are extensive macro‐ and microfossil records of a range of plants and animals from the Quaternary, earthworms and their close relatives amongst annelids are not preserved as fossils and therefore the knowledge of their past distributions is limited. This lack of fossils means that clitellate worms (Annelida) are currently underused in palaeoecological research, even though they can provide valuable information about terrestrial and aquatic environmental conditions. Their DNA might be preserved in sediments, which offers an alternative method for detection. Here we analyse lacustrine sediments from lakes in the Polar Urals, Arctic Russia, covering the period 24 000–1300 cal. a BP, and NE Norway, covering 10 700–3300 cal. a BP, using a universal mammal 16S rDNA marker. While mammals were recorded using the marker (reindeer was detected twice in the Polar Urals core at 23 000 and 14 000 cal. a BP, and four times in the Norwegian core at 11 000 cal. a BP and between 3600–3300 cal. a BP), worm extracellular DNA ‘bycatch’ was rather high. In this paper we present the first reported worm detection from ancient DNA. Our results demonstrate that both aquatic and terrestrial clitellates can be identified in late‐Quaternary lacustrine sediments, and the ecological information retrievable from this group warrants further research with a more targeted approach.     

Glacial and Holocene terrestrial temperature variability in subtropical east Australia as inferred from branched GDGT distributions in a sediment core from Lake McKenzie

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) distributions observed in a sediment core from Lake McKenzie were utilized to quantitatively reconstruct the pattern of mean annual air temperature (MAAT) from coastal subtropical eastern Australia between 37 and 18.3 cal ka BP and 14.0 cal ka BP to present. Both the reconstructed trend and amplitude of MAAT changes from the top of the sediment core were nearly identical to a local instrumental MAAT record from Fraser Island, providing confidence that in this sediment core branched GDGTs could be used to produce a quantitative record of past MAAT. The reconstructed trend of MAAT during 37 to 18.3 cal ka BP and timing of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Lake McKenzie record were in agreement with previously published nearby marine climate records. The amplitude of lower-than-present MAAT during the LGM potentially provides information on the latitude of separation of the Tasman Front from the East Australian current in the subtropical western Pacific. The Lake McKenzie record shows an earlier onset of near modern day warm temperatures in the early Holocene compared to marine records and the presence of a warmer than present day period during the mid-Holocene.     

Paleoenvironmental and geoarchaeological reconstruction from late Holocene slope records (Lower Huerva Valley,Ebro Basin,NE Spain)

Slope deposits in semiarid regions are known to be very sensitive environments, especially those that occurred during the minor fluctuations of the late Holocene. In this paper we analyse Holocene colluvium genesis, composition, and paleoenvironmental meaning through the study of slope deposits in NE Spain. Two cumulative slope stages are described during this period. In the study area, both slope accumulations are superimposed and this has enabled an excellent preservation of the aggregative sequence and the paleosols corresponding to stabilisation stages. ¹⁴C and TL dating, as well as archaeological remains, provide considerable chronological precision for this sequence. The origin of the accumulation of the lower unit is placed around 4295–4083 cal yr BP/2346–2134 cal yr BC (late Chalcolithic) and it developed until the Iron Age in a cooler and wetter climate (Cold Iron Age). Under favourable conditions, a soil A-horizon was formed on top of this unit. A new slope accumulation was formed during the Little Ice Age. Within the slope two morphogenetic periods ending with A-horizons are distinguished and related with two main cold–wet climatic events. The study of these slopes provides a great amount of data for the paleoenvironmental and geoarchaeological reconstruction of the late Holocene in NE Spain.     

Using geochemistry as a tool for correlating proximal andesitic tephra: case studies from Mt Rainier (USA) and Mt Ruapehu (New Zealand)

Volcanic hazards assessments at andesite stratovolcanoes rely on the assessment of frequency and magnitude of past events. The identification and correlation of proximal and distal andesitic tephra, which record the explosive eruptive history, are integral to such assessments. These tephra are potentially valuable stratigraphic marker beds useful to the temporal correlation and age dating of Quaternary volcanic, volcaniclastic and epiclastic sedimentary deposits with which they are interbedded. At Mt Ruapehu (New Zealand) and Mt Rainier (USA), much of the detail of the recent volcanic record remains unresolved because of the difficulty in identifying proximal tephra. This study investigates the value of geochemical methods in discriminating andesitic tephra. Our dataset comprises petrological and geochemical analyses of tephra that span the late Quaternary eruptive record of each volcano. Our data illustrate that andesitic tephra are remarkably heterogeneous in composition. Tephra compositions fluctuate widely over short time intervals, and there are no simple or systematic temporal trends in geochemistry within either eruptive record. This complexity in tephra geochemistry limits the application of geochemical approaches to tephrostratigraphic studies, beyond a general characterisation useful to provenance assignation. Petrological and geochemical data suggest that the products of andesite systems are inherently variable and therefore intractable to discrimination by simple geochemical methods alone. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution,sediment magnetism and geochemistry of the Saksunarvatn (10 180 ± 60 cal. yr BP) tephra in marine,lake, and terrestrial sediments,northwest Iceland

In 1997, seismic surveys in the troughs off northwest and north Iceland indicated the presence of a major, regional sub‐bottom reflector that can be traced over large areas of the shelf. Cores taken in 1997, and later in 1999 on the IMAGES V cruise, penetrated through the reflector. In core MD99‐2269 in Húnaflóaáll, this reflector is shown to be represented by a basaltic tephra with a geochemical signature and radiocarbon age correlative with the North Atlantic‐wide Saksunarvatn tephra. We trace this tephra throughout northwest Iceland in a series of marine and lake cores, as well as in terrestrial sediments; it forms a layer 1 to 25 cm thick of fine‐ to medium‐grained basaltic volcanic shards. The base of the tephra unit is always sharp but visual inspection and other measurements (carbonate and total organic carbon weight %) indicate a more diffuse upper boundary associated with bioturbation and with sediment reworking. Off northwest Iceland the Saksunarvatn tephra has distinct sediment magnetic properties. This is evident as a dramatic reduction in magnetic susceptibility, an increase in the frequency dependant magnetic susceptibility and ‘hard’ magnetisation in a −0.1T IRM backfield. Geochemical analyses from 11 sites indicate a tholeiitic basalt composition, similar to the geochemistry of a tephra found in the Greenland ice‐core that dates to 10 180 ± 60 cal. yr BP, and which was correlated with the 9000 ¹⁴C yr BP Saksunarvatn tephra. We present accelerator mass spectrometry ¹⁴C dates from the marine sites, which indicate that the ocean reservoir correction is close to ca. 400 yr at 9000 ¹⁴C yr BP off northwest Iceland. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Pleistocene to Holocene vegetation and climate changes in northwestern Chukotka (Far East Russia) deduced from lakes Ilirney and Rauchuagytgyn pollen records

This paper presents two new pollen records and quantitative climate reconstructions from northern Chukotka documenting environmental changes over the last 27.9 ka. Open tundra- and steppe-like habitats dominated between 27.9 and 18.7 cal. ka BP. Betula and Alnus shrubs might have grown in sheltered microhabitats but disappeared after 18.7 cal. ka BP. Although the climate was rather harsh, local herb-dominated communities supported herbivores as is evident by the presence of coprophilous spores in the sediments. The increase in Salix and Cyperaceae ~16.1 cal. ka BP suggests climate amelioration. Shrub Betula appeared ~15.9 cal. ka BP, and became dominant after ~15.52 cal. ka BP, whilst typical steppe communities drastically reduced. Very high presence of Botryococcus in the Lateglacial sediments reflects widespread shallow habitats, probably due to lake level increase. Shrub Alnus became common after ~13 cal. ka BP reflecting further climate amelioration. Simultaneously, herb communities gradually decreased in the vegetation reaching a minimum ~11.8 cal. ka BP. A gradual decrease of algae remains suggests a reduction of shallow-water habitats. Shrubby and graminoid tundra was dominant ~11.8–11.1 cal. ka BP, later Salix stands significantly decreased. The forest-tundra ecotone established in the Early Holocene, shortly after 11.1 cal. ka BP. Low contents of green algae in the Early Holocene sediments likely reflect deeper aquatic conditions. The most favourable climate conditions were between ~10.6 and 7 cal. ka BP. Vegetation became similar to the modern after ~7 cal. ka BP but Pinus pumila came to the Ilirney area at about 1.2 cal. ka BP. It is important to emphasize that the study area provided refugia for Betula and Alnus during MIS 2. It is also notable that our records do not reflect evidence of Younger Dryas cooling, which is inconsistent with some regional environmental records but in good accordance with some others.     

Neogene marine sediments and biota encapsulated between lava flows on Santa Maria Island (Azores,north-east Atlantic): An interplay between sedimentary,erosional and volcanic processes

Sedimentary rocks are rarely preserved on reefless volcanic oceanic islands because their sediments are mostly exported from coastal areas towards the deep sea and such islands typically undergo subsidence. In contrast, the exceptional geological record of the uplifted Santa Maria Island (Azores) provides a unique opportunity to gain insight on such coastal systems. This study focuses on a locality at Ponta do Cedro (eastern Santa Maria Island), which features a series of marine fossiliferous sediments wedged between steep lava deltas. As demonstrated by local structure, these sediments correspond to clinoforms deposited on the steep submarine slope of an active volcanic island, implying transport from shallow waters to greater depths and subsequent colonization by benthic communities. Rapid volcanic progradation eventually sealed the deposits, allowing for their preservation and providing a rare snapshot of the ecology during those intervals, in addition to insights on sedimentary dynamics along submarine island slopes. This study reveals spatial relationships between wedges of sedimentary bodies encapsulated by lavas in the Ponta do Cedro section, and interprets depositional processes preserved in those strata based on sedimentological and palaeontological data. The dynamics of the environment are mostly related to relative sea-level changes, intense volcanic activity and regional uplift during the Neogene.     

A new Cu-rich variety of lyonsite from fumarolic sublimates of the Tolbachik volcano (Kamchatka, Russia) and its crystal structure

A new Cu-rich variety of lyonsite has been found from fumarolic sublimates of the Tolbachik volcano (Kamchatka, Russia). The empirical formula is Cu_4.33Fe _2.37 ³⁺ Ti_0.26Al_0.26Zn_0.07(V_5.85As_0.07Mo_0.07P_0.01S_0.01)O₂₄. The crystal structure was studied on single crystal using synchrotron radiation, R = 0.0514. The mineral is orthorhombic, Pnma, a = 5.1736(7), b =10.8929(12), c = 18.220(2) Å, V = 1026.8(2) ų, and Z = 2. The structural formula is (Cu_0.6Ti_0.3Al_0.3Fe _0.2 ³⁺ □_0.6)_Σ2Cu₂(Fe _2.2 ³⁺ Cu_1.8)_Σ4(V_5.8As_0.1Mo_0.1)_Σ6O₂₄. It is proposed to recast the simplified formula of lyonsite as Cu_3+x (Fe _4?2x ³⁺ Cu_2x )(VO₄)₆, where 0 ≤ x ≤ 1.     

The relationship between hydrodynamic properties and weathering of soils derived from volcanic rocks,Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to examine a component of the hydrological cycle in Galapagos by characterizing soil properties. Nine soil profiles were sampled on two islands. Their physical and hydrodynamic properties were analyzed, along with their mineralogical composition. Two groups of soils were identified, with major differences between them. The first group consists of soils located in the highlands (>350 m a.s.l.), characterized by low hydraulic conductivity (<10⁻⁵ m s⁻¹) and low porosity (<25%). These soils are thick (several meters) and homogeneous without coarse components. Their clay fraction is considerable and dominated by gibbsite. The second group includes soils located in the low parts of the islands (<300 m a.s.l.). These soils are characterized by high hydraulic conductivity (>10⁻³ m s⁻¹) and high porosity (>35%). The structure of these soils is heterogeneous and includes coarse materials. The physical properties of the soils are in good agreement with the variations of the rainfall according to the elevation, which appears as the main factor controlling the soil development. The clayey alteration products constrain soils physical and hydrodynamic properties by reducing the porosity and consequently the permeability and also by increasing water retention.