末次盛冰期以来长江下关-栖霞山段下切深度及沉积旋回

选择长江下关-栖霞山段作为研究河段,搜集了南京长江大桥、四桥附近的76个钻孔资料.根据地质钻孔资料,绘制南京长江大桥和长江四桥附近长江古河槽地质剖面.在拟建长江四桥附近的4个钻孔采集了沉积物样品,在-59.33 m深度上河床相沉积物的年代为(14 682±110)a BP,据此判断位于该沉积层下部的上一期沉积旋回应形成...     

Late Glacial-Holocene sequence of Lake Saint-Point (Jura Mountains, France): Detrital inputs as records of climate change and anthropic impact

A sediment sequence (SP05, 12.5 m long) was taken from the deep zone of Lake Saint-Point (850 m a.s.l.). Sedimentological analyses highlight two main contrasted periods of sedimentation: the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)/Late Glacial characterized by high silicates and quartz contents the Holocene dominated by the carbonated fraction. At the beginning of the Holocene (11 400 years cal. BP), silicates fraction flux abruptly decreased. The shift between the Late Glacial and the Holocene periods may be explained by forest development in the catchment. From 10 200 to 6800 years cal. BP, silicates and detrital carbonate fractions remained stable before they progressively increased steady till 5000 years cal. BP. Both increases cannot be totally attributed to an anthropic impact since pollen data indicate continuous anthropic activities only dated back from 3000 years cal. BP. They thus resulted from a dominant climatic control. From 5000 years cal. BP, silicates content still increased while detrital carbonates input became steady due to a change in pedogenetic processes affecting the catchment. During the last millennium, silicates and detrital carbonate decreased, probably due to pastureland development.     

A late Pleistocene record of aeolian sedimentation in Blanche Cave, Naracoorte, South Australia

We provide geochemical analyses and grain size data for a clearly layered, 80 cm thick sedimentary deposit close to a roof collapse in Blanche Cave near Naracoorte in SE South Australia. This deposit contains aeolian material deposited between 40 ka and 14 ka cal BP and which yields airborne sediments spanning the Last Glacial Maximum, a period of time with little information for the Australian continent. The deposit also contains abundant vertebrate fossil material derived from owl pellets, accumulation and pitfall entrapment. Below the studied profile, large vertebrate remains are found but are not discussed here. No Holocene sedimentation occurred at the site examined in the cave, and the top of the sequence is capped with a layer that has been anthropologically disturbed and contains exotic Pinus pollen. Chronologies of the deposit were obtained using two dating techniques: single stage accelerator mass spectrometer (SSAMS) ¹⁴C analysis of 23 charcoal samples and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of quartz from 6 sediment samples. The ¹⁴C chronology is preferred to describe the history of the deposits since the OSL chronology, which consistently overestimates the associated radiocarbon dates, may be inaccurate due to complexities in calculating dose rates, and may in addition represent the timing of sediment deposition through the cave opening rather than sediment transport to the deposit site. Morphological analysis of single quartz grains and grain size analysis indicate different provenance that is confirmed through the geochemical analyses of bulk sediment. Major elements were measured by X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), trace and rare earth elements by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA ICP-MS), and Neodymium isotopic ratios were obtained using a Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometer (TIMS).Our results indicate that the aeolian material deposited in Blanche Cave over the 40–14 ka cal BP period originated from different sources across South Australia, although Nd isotopes clearly indicate a close association with sediments of the Kanmantoo Group outcropping along the eastern portion of the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Padthaway Ridge further south, both being located to the NW and NNW of the cave. During the latter part of Marine Isotope Stage 3, conditions were wetter and windblown sediment came from the coastal region just north and south of the Coorong Lagoon, with winds originating from the north-northwest. At that time, woody taxa appear to have vegetated the landscape. During the drier phases, especially the Last Glacial Maximum, sediment came from further inland, thus suggesting a different predominant wind direction, more from the northwest. The deglaciation saw material originating from a more northerly direction.     

全新世长江泥沙堆积的时空分布及通量估算

利用长江中下游、河口及口外、浙-闽沿岸陆架6个主要沉积盆地的40个晚第四纪钻孔及其年代学数据和长江口外、陆架的浅地层剖面,计算了全新世不同阶段各沉积盆地的沉积速率,并进行了近7 000年来泥沙堆积通量的估算。研究发现全新世早期距今10 000年至8 000年间长江口下切古河谷是长江泥沙的主要堆积中心,沉积速率可高达15m/ka。随着海平面上升,全新世中期长江中下游也成为长江泥沙的重要沉积盆地,其中江汉盆地的沉积速率可达10m/ka。近2 000年来,口外、陆架的堆积呈明显增加趋势,反映长江中下游盆地和河口可容空间日益减小。根据沉积速率估算,距今7 000年来长江中下游堆积泥沙约13 074×108 t,同期水下三角洲和陆架的泥沙堆积量约为9 470×108 t。研究还发现全新世以来有两个异常低沉积速率时期：距今8000-7 000年期间上述各沉积盆地沉积速率均显著低,未见长江泥沙的沉积中心; 距今4 000-2 000 年期间长江口呈现低沉积速率。 这两次异常的原因推测与海平面、气候波动事件密切相关。     

Depositional environment of the Laptev Sea (Arctic Siberia) during the Holocene

The Holocene depositional setting of the Laptev Sea was studied using three marine sediment cores from water depths between 77 and 46 m. Based on sedimentary parameters (TOC content, δ¹³C_org, sedimentation rates) controlled by radiocarbon age models the palaeoenvironment of a strongly coupled river-shelf system was reconstructed since ˜11 ka BP. Caused by a transgressing sea after the last glaciation, all cores reveal progressive decreases in sedimentation rates. Using the sedimentary records of a core from the Khatanga-Anabar river channel in the western Laptev Sea, several phases of change are recognized: (1) an early period lasted until ˜10 ka BP characterized by an increased deposition of plant debris due to shelf erosion and fluvial runoff; (2) a transitional phase with consistently increasing marine conditions until 6 ka BP, which was marked at its beginning near 10 ka BP by the first occurrence of marine bivalves, high TOC content and an increase in δ¹³C_org; (3) a time of extremely slow deposition of sediments, commencing at ˜6 ka BP and interpreted as Holocene sea-level highstand, which caused a southward retreat of the depositional centres within the now submerged river channels on the shelf; (4) a final phase with the establishment of modern conditions after ˜2 ka BP.     

广西巴马县水晶宫洞穴沉积物特征及其沉积环境

巴马县水晶宫洞内次生化学沉积物景观丰富,类型多样,有石钟乳、石幔、石瀑布、石笋、石柱、石盾等特色景观;尤其是近期仍在发育的洞顶鹅管、卷曲石、石花等是国内外较为罕见的洞穴奇景。据沉积物的沉积类型、物质成分、沉积序次及测年等资料研究表明,水晶宫洞穴沉积物形成于晚第三纪以来。晚第三纪和第四纪早更新世早期,洞内沉积主要为外源水携带的硅质岩、砂岩类砾石沉积形成的钙华砾石层。早更新世中期—中更新世气候温暖湿润,是水晶宫洞穴主要景观的形成期,沉积物景观宏大而壮观,230Th-U系测年得出其分别形成于100～35万年前。晚更新世早期12.5～9万年的末次间冰期主要为温暖气候环境,洞内仅有少量的石笋沉积,且极少保存;9万年后气候环境发生突变,更不利沉积物发育和保存;自4万年后气候环境开始表现为温暖湿润,化学沉积活跃,洞穴沉积物主要由高约50～150 cm的纯白色石笋群和钟乳石组成,为洞穴奇景的形成期,230Th-U系测年得出其分别形成于40 ka BP和7 500 a BP以及1 450 a BP。晚更新世晚期以来形成的洞穴沉积物景观,不仅为水晶宫提供了丰富的旅游资源和价值,同时也为广西重建古气候环境提供了重要的信息载体。      

The Lastglacial and Holocene seismostratigraphy and sediment distribution of Lake Bolshoye Shchuchye,Polar Ural Mountains,Arctic Russia

Seismostratigraphical studies of the 11.8‐km²‐large and ~140‐m‐deep Lake Bolshoye Shchuchye, Polar Ural Mountains, reveal up to 160‐m‐thick acoustically laminated sediments in the lake basin. Using a dense grid of seismic lines, the spatial and temporal distributions of the sedimentary history have been reconstructed. Three regional seismic horizons have been identified and correlated with the well‐dated 24‐m‐long sediment core retrieved from the lake. Isopach maps constructed from the seismic data show four phases of sedimentation. A contour map of the deepest regional seismic reflector represents the earliest hemipelagic sedimentation in the lake. Three contour maps represent time intervals covering the last 23 cal. ka based on the well‐dated core stratigraphy from the lake. The detailed time constraints on the upper stratigraphical units in the lake allow calculation of the lake's development in terms of sediment fluxes and the denudation rates from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present. The sedimentation in Lake Bolshoye Shchuchye has been dominated by hemipelagic processes during at least the last 24 cal. ka BP only locally interrupted by delta progradation and slope processes. A major shift in the sediment accumulation at c. 18.7 cal. ka BP is interpreted to mark the end of the local glacial maximum, greatly reduced denudation and the onset of the deglaciation period; this also demonstrates how fast the glaciers melted and possibly disappeared at the end of the LGM. The denudation rate during the Holocene is only a fifth of the LGM rate. The age of the oldest stratified sediments in Lake Bolshoye Shchuchye is not well constrained, but estimated as c. 50–60 ka.     

The Late Pleistocene clastic deposits in the Romito Cave,southern Italy: a proxy record of environmental changes and human presence

Clastic sediments deposited in caves and rock shelters bear peculiar sedimentological characteristics and have seldom been considered as a high‐resolution proxy record of climatic or environmental changes. The Romito Cave has its entrance at 275 m above sea level, about 25 km from the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, southern Italy. New archaeological excavation performed since 2000 has revealed a sedimentary succession spanning the record of Gravettian to Late Epigravettian cultures (Late Pleistocene). The present study focuses on the lower part (2.5 m thick) of the succession, where three main unconformity‐bounded stratigraphic units have been recognised (labelled RM1–3). Each unit consists of water‐lain deposits indicating high‐ to low‐competence flow, capped with anthropogenic deposits. The gradual deactivation and reactivation of the water drainage between 23 475 ± 190 and 16 250 ± 500 cal. a BP is correlated with regional precipitation changes due to the onset of dry climatic conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum. However, the deactivation of cave drainage after the deposition of unit RM3, around 15 400 ± 500 cal. a BP, deviates from the regional hydrological trend of progressively increasing water discharges and is attributed to the drainage cut‐off by probable cave wall collapses. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Carbonate and organic carbon content changes over last 20 ka in the Southeastern Arabian Sea: Paleoceanographic implications

Two Gravity cores (AAS 38-4 and AAS 38-5) recovered from the eastern Arabian Sea were analyzed for calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), organic carbon, aluminium (Al) and titanium (Ti) in order to understand the calcium carbonate and terrigenous fluctuations during the Holocene and Last Glacial Period. High CaCO₃ and low Al and Ti during the Holocene, and low CaCO₃ and high Al and Ti during the Last Glacial Period suggest that CaCO₃ content in these two cores appears to be controlled by the dilution of terrigenous material. The supply of terrigenous material to the core sites was higher during the Last Glacial Period than in the Holocene. Organic carbon values were lower (<2%) during the Holocene and higher (>2%) during the Last Glacial Period in core AAS 38-4; but the opposite was found in core AAS 38-5. This inconsistent pattern of organic carbon changes in the two cores studied indicates that the distribution of organic carbon in the eastern Arabian Sea is controlled not only by the supply of organic matter from the water column but also by sediment texture and dilution of sediment components.     

南京长江四桥附近长江古河谷沉积层序

根据南京长江四桥附近地质钻孔资料,绘制长江古河谷地质剖面示意图。在3个钻孔采集了年代样品,10个钻孔采集了粒度样品。01号孔在-59.4m深度上河床相圆砾石层中沉积物样品有机质的14C年代为14682±110年,邻近钻孔在-33.1～-33.3m深度上粉细砂中有机质的14C年代为10822±240年。通过对典型钻孔沉积层序及沉积物颗粒级配的分析,得知古河谷充填了3期从粗到细的沉积旋回,约-65m以下深槽中的沉积旋回应是末次盛冰期沉积,约-65m～-35m的应是晚冰期沉积,约-35m以上是全新世以来的沉积。     

Interpretation of Holocene sea level tendency and intertidal sedimentation in the Tees estuary using sediment luminescence techniques: a viability study

It is demonstrated that detailed examination of the photo- and thermoluminescence (PL, TL) of Holocene intertidal sediments can reveal important information regarding their depositional history in the context of sea level tendency and storm surge activity. The technique is particularly applicable to thick deposits of relatively uniform composition, and is demonstrated with a 1·7-m core of marine to brackish water silty clay taken from Cowpen Marsh in the Tees estuary, north-east England. This sedimentary unit is intercalated with an upper and a lower terrestrial peat bed, which have been radiocarbon dated to 5250 ± 45 and 7065 ± 45 ¹⁴C years BP respectively. An investigation of the mineral composition and diatom assemblage of the silty clay facies reveals a marked hiatus in deposition towards the top of the minerogenic unit. Analysis of the luminescence profiles of the sediment illustrates that, below this hiatus, sedimentation was slow and continuous, with approximately 1·0 m of sediment being deposited in 1800 ± 400 years, whilst above, sedimentation was rapid, with 0·7 m of sediment being deposited in 0 ± 200 years. It is shown that variations in the luminescence of the sediments can be interpreted in terms of the onset of a positive sea level tendency period coupled with the occurrence of a low-frequency extreme water level event.     

Pollen‐ and diatom based environmental history since the Last Glacial Maximum from the Andean core Fúquene‐7, Colombia

The late Pleistocene–Holocene ecological and limnological history of Lake Fúquene (2580 m a.s.l.), in the Colombian Andes, is reconstructed on the basis of diatom, pollen and sediment analyses of the upper 7 m of the core Fúquene‐7. Time control is provided by 11 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) ¹⁴C dates ranging from 19 670 ± 240 to 6040 ± 60 yr BP. In this paper we present the evolution of the lake and its surroundings. Glacial times were cold and dry, lake‐levels were low and the area was surrounded by paramo and subparamo vegetation. Late‐glacial conditions were warm and humid. The El Abra Stadial, a Younger Dryas equivalent, is reflected by a gap in the sedimentary record, a consequence of the cessation of deposition owing to a drop in lake‐level. The early Holocene was warm and humid; at this time the lake reached its maximum extension and was surrounded by Andean forest. The onset of the drier climate prevailing today took place in the middle Holocene, a process that is reflected earlier in the diatom and sediment records than in the pollen records. In the late Holocene human activity reduced the forest and transformed the landscape. Climate patterns from the Late‐glacial and throughout the Holocene, as represented in our record, are similar to other records from Colombia and northern South America (the Caribbean, Venezuela and Panama) and suggest that the changes in lake‐level were the result of precipitation variations driven by latitudinal shifts of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A multi‐proxy record of changing environments from ca. 30 000 to 9000 cal. a BP: Onepoto maar palaeolake,Auckland, New Zealand

We present a high‐resolution record of lacustrine sedimentation spanning ca. 30 000 to 9000 cal. a BP from Onepoto maar, northern North Island, New Zealand. The multi‐proxy record of environmental change is constrained by tephrochronology and accelerator mass spectrometric ¹⁴C ages and provides evidence for episodes of rapid environmental change during the Last Glacial Coldest Period (LGCP) and Last Glacial–Interglacial Transition (LGIT) from northern New Zealand. The multi‐proxy palaeoenvironmental record from Onepoto indicates that the LGCP was cold, dry and windy in the Auckland region, with vegetation dominated by herb and grass in a beech forest mosaic between ca. 28 500 and 18 000 cal. a BP. The LGCP was accompanied by more frequent fires and influx of clastic sediment indicating increased erosion during the LGCP, with a mid‐LGCP interstadial identified between ca. 25 000 and 23 000 cal. a BP. Rapid climate amelioration at ca. 18 000 cal. a BP was accompanied by increased terrestrial biomass exemplified by the expansion of lowland podocarp forest, especially Dacrydium cupressinum. Increasing biomass production is reversed briefly by LGIT perturbations which are apparent in many of the proxies that span ca. 14 000–10 500 cal. a BP, suggesting generally increased wetness and higher in situ aquatic plant productivity with reduced terrestrial organic matter and terrigenous detrital influx. Furthermore, conditions at that time were probably warmer and frosts rare based on the increasing importance of Ascarina. The subsequent early Holocene is characterised by podocarp conifer forest and moist mild conditions. Postglacial sea‐level rise breached the crater rim and deposited 36 m of estuarine mud after ca. 9000 cal. a BP. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chronology,stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental interpretation of a Late Pleistocene to mid‐Holocene cave accumulation on Kangaroo Island,South Australia

Chronological, sedimentological and geochemical analyses of a clastic infill from Kelly Hill Cave (5K1), Kangaroo Island, document a palaeoenvironmental record that spans from the Late Pleistocene to the middle Holocene. We AMS radiocarbon‐dated bone collagen and U–Th‐dated speleothem to determine that fossiliferous sediments were deposited between >20 ka and 7 ka ago. Most of the 15 sedimentary layers are dominated by sand‐ and silt‐sized quartz that is physically and geochemically comparable with surface soils in the Kelly Hill area. Late Pleistocene and Last Glacial Maximum strata are represented primarily by homogeneous, poorly sorted quartz‐rich sediments that contain little organic matter, but include a thin layer composed largely of silt‐sized clay pellets that resemble sediments deflated from playa lakes. Microstructures observed in petrographic slides indicate that, with the exception of one layer, all sediments experienced little reworking once deposited in the cave. Some layers display pedogenic microstructures such as redeposited clays and opaline silica infilling that indicate postdepositional modification; that is, cave‐floor soil development. Overlying Holocene‐aged sediments also consist mainly of quartz but have much greater organic matter content. Some of these sediments have been strongly influenced by re‐precipitated organic matter that appears to have been transported into the cave via vadose drip water. The presence of dissolved organic matter in soil/vadose waters suggests a high vegetation density and acidic soils, which are congruent with the more equitable climatic conditions characteristic of the Holocene. The sediments described here provide a valuable palaeoenvironmental record that will facilitate future interpretation of associated vertebrate fossils.     

Glacially derived material in an Inner Mongolian desert lake during Marine Isotope Stage 2

Establishing the precise timing of continental glacial dynamics and abrupt high‐latitude climate events is crucial to understanding the causes of global climate change. Here we present multi‐proxy records in a lake sediment core from arid Inner Mongolia (Wuliangsuhai Lake) that show two distinct glacially derived sedimentation events at ～26.2–21.8 and ～17.3–11.5k cal a BP. Fine sediments from the Last Glacial Maximum separate these glacially derived coarse sediments. Within these intervals, the occurrence of granite clasts at ～24–23.5, 17.3–17 and 15.6–14.1k cal a BP implies either sediment discharge by meltwater as well as strong current flow in the Yellow River and/or sediment influx through hill‐slope mass wasting and landsliding from the nearby Yin Mountains. Surface microfeatures of quartz grains and spot elemental analysis of black specks in these intervals, however, indicate that physical weathering is dominant and that the provenance of the rocks is probably from a glacial source. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time glacier‐derived materials have been detected in any desert lake in the Yellow River basin. The occurrence of granite clasts roughly correlates with Heinrich events in the North Atlantic, suggesting synchronous ice sheet dynamics in high‐ and mid‐latitude regions during the Last Glacial period. Although our data provide unprecedented evidence for the influence of glacier‐related processes in arid Inner Mongolia, further well‐dated records are clearly needed to re‐evaluate the correlative inference drawn between granite clast layers in Wuliangsuhai Lake and Heinrich events in the North Atlantic. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Quaternary (Marine Isotope Stage 3 to Recent) sedimentary evolution of the Basque shelf (southern Bay of Biscay)

Late Quaternary (MIS 3 to Recent) oceanographic evolution of the Basque shelf has been analysed for the first time based on the sedimentological analysis of three cores obtained from the middle and outer shelves. The cores are located in two interfluves separated by the San Sebastian canyon. The variability of the percentage of the planktonic foraminifera species Neogloboquadrina pachyderma sin. and of δ¹⁸O_bull allowed us to identify the influence of colder and warmer waters in the Basque shelf during the late Quaternary. From ～56 cal. ka BP to the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (19 cal. ka BP) the sedimentary record shows a decreasing trend in the mean grain size that correlates with the eustatic sea‐level fall. The last Deglaciation (19–11.5 cal. ka BP) is characterized by a sea‐level rise that produced an important hiatus in the western outer shelf. During the Holocene, the middle and outer shelves present different behaviours. From 11.5 to 6.7 cal. ka BP, in the outer shelf the sea‐level rise that started during the Deglaciation produced a hiatus, whereas in the middle shelf the sedimentary succession records the presence of warm to temperate waters. Between 6.7–4.9 cal. ka BP, the entrance of cold surface water‐masses that only affected the middle shelf has been identified, and temperate to warm waters occurred in the outer shelf. The cold surface water‐masses retreated during 4.9–4.3 cal. ka BP in the middle shelf. Finally, from 4.3 cal. ka BP to Recent, the middle shelf registers a hiatus due to sea‐level stabilization after a generalized transgression, synchronous to a decrease in the energy of the water‐masses in the outer shelf. In conclusion, the environmental changes detected in the Basque shelf are attributed to both regional and eustatic sea‐level changes.     

New insights into Late Pleistocene glacial and postglacial history of northernmost Ungava (Canada) from Pingualuit Crater Lake sediments

The Pingualuit Crater was formed by a meteoritic impact ca. 1.4 million years ago in northernmost Ungava (Canada). Due to its geographical position near the center of successive North American ice sheets and its favorable morphometry, the Pingualuit Crater Lake (water depth = 246 m) promises to yield a unique continuous sedimentary sequence covering several glacial/interglacial cycles in the terrestrial Canadian Arctic. In this paper, we suggest the existence of a subglacial lake at least during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) by hydraulic potential modeling using LGM ice-surface elevation and bed topography derived from a digital elevation model. These results support the hypothesis that the bottom sediments of the Crater Lake escaped glacial erosion and may contain a long-term continental sedimentary sequence. We also present the stratigraphy of a 9 m-long core retrieved from the deep basin of the lake as well as a multiproxy reconstruction of its deglacial and postglacial history. The base of the core is formed by very dense diamicton reflecting basal melt-out environments marking the end of subglacial conditions at the coring site. The overlying finely laminated silt are related to the onset of proglacial conditions characterized by extremely low lacustrine productivity. Infra Red Stimulated Luminescence and AMS ¹⁴C dating, as well as biostratigraphic data indicate sediment mixing between recent (e.g. Holocene) and much older (pre- to mid-Wisconsinan) material reworked by glacier activity. This process prevents the precise dating of these sediments that we interpret as being deposited just before the final deglaciation of the lake. Two finer grained and organic-rich intervals reflect the inception of lacustrine productivity resulting from the cessation of glacial meltwater inputs and ice-free periods. The lower organic interval corresponds to the early postglacial period (6850–5750 cal BP) and marks the transition between proglacial and postglacial conditions during the Holocene Thermal Maximum, while the uppermost organic-rich core section represents late Holocene sediments (～4200–600 cal BP). The organic intervals are separated by a basin-scale erosive slide occurring around 4200 cal BP and likely related to 1) a seismic event due to the glacio-isostatic rebound following the last deglaciation or 2) slope instabilities associated with rapid discharge events of the lake.     

Glacial history of the Greenland Ice Sheet and a local ice cap in Qaanaaq,northwest Greenland

In this study, we present new information on the glacial history of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and a local ice cap in Qaanaaq, northwest Greenland. We use geomorphological mapping, ¹⁰Be exposure dating of boulders, analysis of lake cores, and ¹⁴C dating of reworked marine molluscs and subfossil plants to constrain the glacial history. Our ¹⁴C ages of reworked marine molluscs reveal that the ice extent in the area was at or behind its present‐day position from 42.2 ± 0.4 to 30.6 ± 0.3k cal a BP after which the GrIS expanded to its maximum position during the Last Glacial Maximum. We find evidence of early ice retreat in the deep fjord (Inglefield Bredning) at 11.9 ± 0.6 ka whereas the Taserssuit Valley was deglaciated ~4 ka later at 7.8 ± 0.1k cal a BP. A proglacial lake record suggests that the local ice cap survived the Holocene Thermal Maximum but moss kill‐dates reveal that it was smaller than present for a period of time before 3.3 ± 0.1k until 0.9 ± 0.1k cal a BP, following which the ice in the area expanded towards its Little Ice Age extent. Copyright © 2019 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.     

The impact of glaciation, river-discharge and sea-level change on Late Quaternary environments in the southwestern Kara Sea

Sedimentary records from the southwestern Kara Sea were investigated to better understand the extent of the last glaciation on the Eurasian Arctic shelf, sea-level change, and history of the Ob' and Yenisey river discharge. Sediment-core and seismic-reflection data indicate that the Quaternary depositional sequence in the southwestern Kara Sea consists of glacial, glaciomarine, and marine sedimentary units. Glaciogenic sediments in the deep Novaya Zemlya Trough are presumably related to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), whereas further east they may represent an earlier glaciation. Thus, it is inferred that the southeastern margin of the LGM Barents-Kara ice sheet was contained in the southwestern Kara Sea east of the Novaya Zemlya Trough. Changes in mineralogical, foraminiferal, and stable-isotopic composition of sediment cores indicate that riverine discharge strongly influenced sedimentary and biotic environments in the study area during the Late Weichselian and early Holocene until ca. 9 ka, consistent with lowered sea levels. Subsequent proxy records reflect minor changes in the Holocene hydrographic regime, generally characterized by reduced riverine inputs.