The Holocene–Anthropocene transition in lakes of western Spitsbergen,Svalbard (Norwegian High Arctic): climate change and nitrogen deposition

Lake sediments from four small lakes on western Spitsbergen (Svalbard Archipelago, Norwegian High Arctic) preserve biostratigraphic and isotopic evidence for a complex suite of twentieth century environmental changes. At Lake Skardtjørna and Lake Tjørnskardet on Nordenskiöldkysten, there is a marked diatom floristic change coupled to increased diatom concentrations beginning around 1920. At Lake Istjørna and Lake Istjørnelva, 25 km southwest of Longyearbyen, both diatom total valve and chrysophyte stomatocyst concentrations have increased dramatically since the beginning of the 1900s. The early twentieth century changes are probably related to climate warming after the Little Ice Age. However, the most pronounced changes in diatom assemblages seem to have occurred in the last few decades. At the same time, nitrogen stable isotopes in sediment organic matter in two of the lakes became progressively depleted by ~2‰, which is consistent with diffuse atmospheric inputs from anthropogenic sources and attendant fertilization. These data suggest that climate change and nitrogen deposition may be acting together in driving these lakes towards new ecological states that are unique in the context of the Holocene.     

The development of the aquatic ecosystem at Kråkenes Lake, western Norway, during the late glacial and early Holocene - a synthesis

This paper synthesises the palaeoecological reconstructions, including palaeoclimatic inferences, based on the available fossil record of plants (pollen, macrofossils, mosses, diatoms) and animals (chironomids, Cladocera, Coleoptera, Trichoptera, oribatid mites) in the late-glacial and early-Holocene sediments of Kråkenes Lake, western Norway, with special emphasis on changes in the aquatic ecosystem. New percentage and influx pollen diagrams for selected taxa provide insights into the terrestrial setting. The information from all the proxies is collated in a stratigraphical chart, and the inferred changes in the lake and its catchment are discussed. The individual fossil sequences are summarised by detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), and sample scores on the first DCA axes are plotted against an estimated calendar-year timescale for comparison of the timing and magnitude of changes in assemblage composition. The DCA plots show that the large late-glacial biotic changes were synchronous, and were driven by the overriding forcing factor of temperature. During the early Holocene, however, the changes in different groups were more gradual and were independent of each other, showing that other factors were important and interactive, such as the inwash of dissolved and particulate material from the catchment, the base and nutrient status of the lake-water, and the internal processes of ecosystem succession and sediment accumulation. This multi-disciplinary study, with proxies for changes in the lake and in the catchment, highlights the dependence of lake biota and processes not only on regional climatic changes but also on changes in the lake catchment and on internal processes within the lake. Rates of change for each group are also estimated and compared. The reaction times to the sharp temperature changes at the start and end of the Younger Dryas were very rapid and occurred within a decade of the temperature change. Aquatic organisms tracked the temperature and environmental changes very closely, and are probably the best recorders of late-glacial climatic change in the fossil record.     

Changes in the biota and sediments of glacial Lake Koźmin, Poland, during the late Saalian (Illinoian)

Upper Saalian (Illinoian) glaciolacustrine deposits in central Poland, preserved in a tectonic graben, were exposed in an opencast lignite mine and investigated using sedimentological and micro-paleontological methods. The extraglacial lake sediments provide the first records of late Saalian cladoceran communities in central Europe, recovered from glaciolacustrine deposits. Sedimentation was dominated by a supply of clastics that fluctuated with the seasons, forming rhythmites. In addition to seasonal cyclicity, sedimentary and environmental conditions changed every several years to decades, with periods of increased inflow to the lake delivering sandy material, and periods of almost stagnant water dominated by suspension settling. The sediments contain Cladocera assemblages that indicate the lake was initially deep, oligotrophic, and filled with moderately cold water. Changes in Cladocera community composition and abundance were perhaps responses to climate seasonality. Zones without Cladocera were associated with seasons of higher inflow and sediment supply, and directly or indirectly, with tectonic activity in the graben. Earthquakes, documented by the presence of seismites, caused not only deformation of unconsolidated lake-bottom sediments, but possibly also changes in habitat characteristics. Combined sedimentological and biological data were used to infer the lake’s history and show that deposits of glaciolacustrine lakes can be used as indicators of past ecological and climate changes.     

Anthropogenic changes in the sediment composition of Lake Gości& aogon;ż (central Poland), during the last 330 yrs*

According to historical sources, the development of settlement around Lake Goci& aogon; during the last 330 yrs was intense at two time periods: the second half of the 1700's, and from ca. 1880 until 1944. The small farms were then abandoned, following which the lake surroundings were planted with forest trees. The presented study of human influence on the lake ecosystem and surrounding vegetation has been based on analyses of general sediment composition and its chemistry, pollen, Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyceae, Rotatoria, Cladocera, and a preliminary diatom survey. The history of human impact has been divided into four phases: 1. Phase of small local hamlets (before ca. 1770): The human impact was rather moderate then, but the cultivation of Canabis sativa, Secale cereale and later of Fagopyrum is evidenced from that time. 2. Phase of Hollandii settlement (ca. 1770-1863). Its influence is indicated first by the recession of deciduous wood (Corylus, Carpinus) stands, which triggered drastic drop of calcium in sediments. The development of rural economy in the area, including, an extension of agriculture (Secale and other cereals, crucifers, potatoes), and animal breeding based partly on grazing in the forest, is evidenced only after 1820. 3. Phase of German colonization (1863-1944): In the early periods (before 1910) the pollen spectra do not document any essential change in the type of farming, however, a serious disturbance of the lake ecosystem and sediment chemistry is evidenced by the blooms of Araphidinae diatoms and Tetraedron minimum, a maximum frequency of Bosmina longirostris, disturbances of the regular spring blooms of Chrysophyceae, appearance of vivianite, distinct maxima of organic matter, potassium, and iron concentration in sediments and an increase of the sedimentation rate. An intensification of agricultural activities commenced around 1910; woods, including also pinewoods, were then heavily devastated, and farming extended on poor soils, what was symptomatic for the general poverty of population. Coincidently in the lake, Centriceae showed blooms, Araphidinae diatoms and Tetraedron minimum developed, and the content of potassium, iron and phosphorus increased substantially, indicating altogether rising eutrophication. 4. Phase of restoration of the natural landscape (after 1945): The farm degradation from ca. 1944 is very weakly expressed in pollen data, which show a substantial fall of farming indicators from 1953/6 only, when the whole area was used for forest plantation. It was accompanied by a certainly spontaneous development of Betula and Alnus woods, this process progressing till recent time. The gradual extinction of farming activity near Lake Goci was accompanied by abrupt changes in the lake ecosystem, expressed by the restored blooms of Chrysophyceae expansion of planktonic Cladocera, rapid decline of phosphorus and extinction of vivianite from sediments. As documented by the drop of Cu/Zn ratio, lake hypolimnion has been weakly oxidized since 1949, what was probably responsible for the drop of Fe and Mn content in sediments. Increasing strength of overturns affected preservation of laminae in sediments, which almost completely disappeared after 1966.     

Evolution of the palaeolake at Ruszkówek (central Poland) during the Eemian Interglacial based on isotope,cladoceran and diatom data

We present isotope, cladoceran and diatom results from investigations of Eemian sediments of the palaeolake at Ruszkówek, central Poland. Our analyses of the 15-m-thick sediments indicate that sandy silts occur on the bottom, followed by calcareous gyttja, interbedded with lake marl. The upper part of the sequence contains peat and peaty sands. Values of δ¹⁸O change from −9.4‰ to −3.3‰ and δ¹³C values oscillate between −3.2‰ and +7.0‰. Nine isotope zones (Is) were defined and characterized using stable isotope analysis of carbonates. Fifteen species of subfossil Cladocera were found and six faunal zones were distinguished (Cladocera zones). One hundred and twenty-three diatom taxa, representing 31 genera were identified, enabling us to discern six Diatom Assemblage Zones. The isotope, cladoceran, and diatom data correlate well with pollen data that define seven phases of evolution of the palaeolake at Ruszkówek. The palaeolake began during the final phase of the Wartanian (Late Saalian Glaciation). During the early Eemian, the palaeolake reached its maximum depth. During the Early Vistulian glaciation, the palaeolake declined. Changes in the cladoceran and diatom communities indicate initial oligotrophic conditions in the lake, then an increase to mesotrophy, and finally eutrophic conditions.     

Mineral magnetism and other characteristics of sediments from an alpine lake (3,410 m a.s.l.) in central China and implications for late Holocene climate and environment

The Qinling Mountain Range (33°–34°30′N, 107°–111°E; 3,767 m a.s.l.) lies south of the Chinese Loess Plateau and functions as the boundary between ‘north’ and ‘south’ China. Taibai Mountain (33°41′–34°10′N, 107°19′–107°58′E; 3,767 m a.s.l.) is the central massif and highest part of the range and is the highest mountain in eastern and central China, east of 105°E. It is also one of two mountains higher than the modern climatic timberline and the only one where high alpine lakes (>2,500 m a.s.l.) exist in eastern and central China. Sediments were recovered from Foye Chi (33°57′N, 107°44′E; 3,410 m a.s.l.), a small lake on the southern slope of the mountain, and measured for magnetic properties. Chronological control was achieved with AMS ¹⁴C dating. Combined with analyses of particle-size, TOC, C/N, δ¹³C_org and pollen in these sediments, and magnetic properties of catchment soils, the mineral-magnetic data reveal late Holocene palaeoenvironmental changes on the high-altitude southern slope of Taibai Mountain. Climate gradually ameliorated about 2,300 cal yr BP and warm and wet conditions occurred afterwards, culminating from 1,700 to 1,510 cal yr BP. The climate began to deteriorate at 1,510 cal yr BP, but was still warmer and wetter than present until ~663 cal yr BP. Cool, arid conditions peaked and were cooler and drier than the present at 663–290 cal yr BP, coincident with the Little Ice Age. Climate became warmer and more humid again after 290 cal yr BP. Data from these less anthropologically-disturbed alpine-lake sediments provide a record of late Holocene palaeoenvironmental change that supplements information from historical documents and literature for eastern and central China.     

Last deglaciation and Holocene environmental change at high altitude in the Pyrenees: the geochemical and paleomagnetic record from Marboré Lake (N Spain)

Sedimentological, geochemical and magnetic data in a ~ 7-m sequence from Marboré Lake (2612 m asl, central Pyrenees) provide information about environmental variability since the last glacier retreat (14.6 cal ka BP) in high-altitude Pyrenean environments. The sediment sequence is composed of millimeter- to centimeter-thick rhythmites made of finer greyish laminae and coarser-grain, carbonate-bearing laminae arranged in varied patterns throughout the sequence. Finer laminae are interpreted as deposition during periods of predominantly ice-covered conditions, whereas coarser, carbonate-bearing sediments reflect periods of higher runoff. The age model, based on 13 ¹⁴C dates and a reservoir effect assessed with ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs, is coherent with known synchronous vegetation changes across the Pyrenees. Warmer intervals such as GI-1 (14.6–12.8 cal ka BP, Bølling/Allerød period), 10.4–8.2 cal ka BP in the Early Holocene, 7.5–5.2 cal ka BP in the Mid Holocene and the Medieval Climate Anomaly (AD 900–1300), are characterized by peaks in productivity and higher carbonate preservation. Deposition during colder periods such as GS-1 (12.8–11.7 cal ka BP), the Neoglacial (ca. 5.2–3.5 cal ka BP) and the Little Ice Age (last 400 years) show an increase in finer laminae. The presence of magnetite throughout the whole section suggests that Marboré Lake maintained predominantly oxic conditions since its formation. Changes in magnetic properties and the increase in magnetite from 3.5 cal ka BP to present, however, indicate a more oxic environment at the lake bottom during the last few millennia. The occurrence of Pb concentration peaks in sediments of Roman and modern age demonstrates the global distribution of heavy metal deposition, even into high-mountain lakes.     

Segregation as a multiscalar phenomenon and its implications for neighborhood-scale research: the case of South Seattle 1990–2010

Neighborhoods and neighborhood change are often at least implicitly understood in relation to processes taking place at scales both smaller than and larger than the neighborhood itself. Until recently our capacity to represent these multiscalar processes with quantitative measures has been limited. Recent work on “segregation profiles” by Reardon and collaborators expands our capacity to explore the relationship between population measures and scale. With the methodological tools now available, we need a conceptual shift in how we view population measures in order to bring our theories and measures of neighborhoods into alignment. I argue that segregation can be beneficially viewed as multiscalar; not a value calculable at some “correct” scale, but a continuous function with respect to scale. This shift requires new ways of thinking about and analyzing segregation with respect to scale that engage with the complexity of the multiscalar measure. Using block-level data for eight neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington, I explore the implications of a multiscalar segregation measure for understanding neighborhoods and neighborhood change from 1990 to 2010.     

A 4D sedimentological approach to reconstructing the flood frequency and intensity of the Rhône River (Lake Bourget,NW European Alps)

A high-resolution sedimentological study of Lake Bourget was conducted to reconstruct the flood frequency and intensity (or magnitude) in the area over the last 350 years. Particular emphasis was placed on investigating the spatio-temporal distribution of flood deposits in this large lake basin. The thicknesses of deposits resulting from 30 flood events of the Rhône River were collected over a set of 24 short sediment cores. Deposit thicknesses were compared with instrumental data for the Rhône River discharge for the period from 1853 to 2010. The results show that flood frequency and intensity cannot be reliably reconstructed from a single core because of the inhomogeneous flood-deposit geometry in such a large lake. From all documented flood-deposit thicknesses, volumes of sediment brought into the lake during each flood event were computed through a Kriging procedure and compared with the historical instrumental data. The results show, in this study, that reconstructed sediment volumes are well correlated to maximal flood discharges. This significant correlation suggests that the increase of embankment and dam settlements on the Rhône River during the last 150 years has not significantly affected the transport of the smallest sediment fraction during major flood events. Hence, assessment of the flood-sediment volumes deposited in the large Lake Bourget is the only way to reliably reconstruct the flood frequency and intensity.     

Late Pleistocene and early Holocene ecological response of Lake El Trébol (Patagonia, Argentina) to environmental changes

Stratigraphy of Lake El Trébol (41°S 71°W, 758 m a.s.l.) described from an 11 m long sediment core provided a continuous record of patecenvironmental changes occurred during the last 14,000 years in southern South America east of the Andes. Located in an ecotonal area within a strong humidity gradient, this lake offers a unique opportunity to develop paleolimnological studies. Using a geochemical approach that includes elemental analysis, bulk organic matter, major nutrients and pigments combined with chironomids and pollen analysis, three zones were identified in the sedimentary record of this take. The oldest one (between 680 and 1,100 cm) corresponds to the late Glacial period. During that time, clayish laminated sediments were formed in a proglacial environment. Low organic matter, biogenic silica and nitrogen contents and the absence of pigments, pollen and chironomids characterise this period. At the end of this period, ca. 14,000 yr BP, a sharp increase in phosphorus concentrations predates major changes in limnological parameters. The transition zone (between 560 and 680 cm) is related to major changes in the drainage system that started soon after ca. 14,000 yr BP and continued to ca. 10,500 yr BP. The chemical composition of the sediments was affected by an increase in physical weathering mechanisms almost coincident with the increase in the regional volcanic activity that produced suspended volcanic detritus. The increase of mainly coarser detritical components may indicate a reorganisation of the fluvial system by that time. Simultaneously, an increase in the productivity of the lake accompanied by a gradual replacement of open vegetation with Nothofagus, Poaceae and Ericaceae, by Nothofagusforest, was observed. In the last zone (between 0 and 560 cm) the productivity of Lake El Trébol achieves maximum values. The trends in geochemical and biological indicators observed at Lake El Trébol can be up to some extent, correlated to those registered in Lake Mascardi. The results support earlier paleoctimatic scenarios from southern South America.     

A chrysophyte stomatocyst-based reconstruction of cold-season air temperature from Alpine Lake Silvaplana (AD 1500–2003); methods and concepts for quantitative inferences

Relatively little is known about past cold-season temperature variability in high-Alpine regions because of a lack of natural cold-season temperature proxies as well as under-representation of high-altitude sites in meteorological, early-instrumental and documentary data sources. Recent studies have shown that chrysophyte stomatocysts, or simply cysts (sub-fossil algal remains of Chrysophyceae and Synurophyceae), are among the very few natural proxies that can be used to reconstruct cold-season temperatures. This study presents a quantitative, high-resolution (5-year), cold-season (Oct–May) temperature reconstruction based on sub-fossil chrysophyte stomatocysts in the annually laminated (varved) sediments of high-Alpine Lake Silvaplana, SE Switzerland (1,789 m a.s.l.), since AD 1500. We first explore the method used to translate an ecologically meaningful variable based on a biological proxy into a simple climate variable. A transfer function was applied to reconstruct the ‘date of spring mixing’ from cyst assemblages. Next, statistical regression models were tested to convert the reconstructed ‘dates of spring mixing’ into cold-season surface air temperatures with associated errors. The strengths and weaknesses of this approach are thoroughly tested. One much-debated, basic assumption for reconstructions (‘stationarity’), which states that only the environmental variable of interest has influenced cyst assemblages and the influence of confounding variables is negligible over time, is addressed in detail. Our inferences show that past cold-season air-temperature fluctuations were substantial and larger than those of other temperature reconstructions for Europe and the Alpine region. Interestingly, in this study, recent cold-season temperatures only just exceed those of previous, multi-decadal warm phases since AD 1500. These findings highlight the importance of local studies to assess natural climate variability at high altitudes.     

Paleolimnological assessment of ecological integrity and eutrophication history for Lake Tiiläänjärvi (Askola,Finland)

In this study, we aim to reconstruct long-term limnoecological development of the clay-turbid Lake Tiiläänjärvi in Askola, southern Finland, using fossil Chironomidae assemblages. The study lake suffers from hypereutrophic conditions and late-winter and end-of-summer anoxia. The retrieved sediment record revealed a succession from oligo-mesotrophic (~AD 1940–2000) to eutrophic community (~AD 2000–2010) that finally reached hypereutrophic climax community in the most recent sediments. The initial state of the record was characterized by stable ecological conditions, but the biological integrity (community and functional diversity) was completely lost in the upper part of the sediment profile. The number of taxa markedly decreased following the nutrient enrichment and only one taxon (Chironomus plumosus-type), tolerant of temporary anoxia, remained in the surface sample. During the period of available observational data (since AD 1978), variance in midge community composition was mostly explained by limnological factors, namely total phosphorus (TP), whereas the influence of climate was statistically insignificant, thus enabling quantitative midge-based reconstruction of autumnal epilimnetic TP. The midge-based reconstruction showed an identical trend compared to sediment characteristics, which correspond to increased lake productivity and anthropogenic activities in the catchment. The inferred values for the initial state indicated mesotrophic conditions, which are typical for non-disturbed clay-turbid lakes in southern Finland, and a subsequent increase to eutrophic conditions, with hypereutrophic state reached at the top of the core. This development corresponds with the instrumentally monitored development. In addition, when the reconstruction was compared with the instrumental values, the inferences were mostly (75 % of the samples) within the error estimates of the model. The present results provide invaluable information on the limnoecological development of Lake Tiiläänjärvi, and more generally, support the theory that fossil remains of chironomids provide a useful tool for assessments of eutrophication history and biological integrity.     

Dynamics of land use (2007–2014) and future prospects for development of Russkii Island (Gulf of Peter the Great)

The dynamics of land use in Russkii Island is considered for the period from 2007 to 2014, and some issues of its future development are analyzed. The areas of lands of different categories and the maps of land use on the Sapernyi Peninsula are provided for different time spans. It is established that the implementation of the program of the preparation of Vladivostok for APEC Summit 2012 led to a substantial change in the land use pattern in Russkii Island: the area not involved in the economic turnover decreased by 5.09%, the zone of production, engineering and transport infrastructure increased by a factor of 21.5, and the share of lands for recreational purposes increased more than twice. It is shown that recreational activities implying a decrease in the share of lands not drawn into the economic turnover by more than a factor of 5 must become the dominant kind of land use (according to the program of development of Vladivostok). Attention is focused on the issue related to the creation of the territory of priority socioeconomic development in Russkii Island through the use of private-state partnership mechanisms. It is pointed out that the implementation of the development plans for the island is delayed, in spite of the legislative and financial support from federal and regional authorities. Emphasis is placed on the need to develop the program of comprehensive substantiation, modeling and forecasting of the development of Russkii Island in the interests of the sustainable functioning of the natural-economic system.     

Environmental changes in northern New Zealand since the Middle Holocene inferred from stable isotope records (δ15N, δ13C) of Lake Pupuke

Maar lakes in the Auckland Volcanic Field are important high-resolution archives of Holocene environmental change in the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were applied on bulk organic matter and the green alga Botryococcus from a sediment core from Lake Pupuke (Auckland, North Island, New Zealand) spanning the period since 7,165?cal.?year BP. The origin of organic matter was established using total-organic?Ccarbon-to-nitrogen ratios (TOC/TN) as well as organic carbon (??¹³C_OM) and nitrogen (??¹⁵N) isotope composition of potential modern sources. This approach demonstrated that the contribution of allochthonous organic matter to the lake sediment was negligible for most of the record. The sedimentary TOC/TN ratios that are higher than Redfield ratio (i.e. >7) are attributed to N-limiting conditions throughout the record. Variations of nitrogen and carbon isotopes during the last 7,165?years are interpreted as changes in the dominant processes in the lake. While epilimnetic primary productivity controlled isotope composition before 6,600?cal.?year BP, microbial processes, especially denitrification and methane oxidation, caused overall shifts of the ??¹⁵N and ??¹³C values since the Mid-Holocene. Comparisons with climate reconstructions from the Northern Island suggest that changes in the wind-induced lake overturn and a shift to more pronounced seasonality were the most likely causes for lake-internal changes since 6,600?cal.?year BP.     

A diatom-inferred record of reduced effective precipitation during the Last Glacial Coldest Phase (28.8–18.0?cal kyr BP) and increasing Holocene seasonality at Lake Pupuke, Auckland, New Zealand

A continuous, 1,420-cm sediment record from Lake Pupuke, Auckland, New Zealand (37°S) was analysed for diatom taxonomy, concentration and flux. A New Zealand freshwater diatom transfer function was applied to infer past pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved reactive phosphorus and chlorophyll a. A precise, mixed-effect regression model of age versus depth was constructed from 11 tephra and 13 radiocarbon dates, with a basal age of 48.2?cal kyr BP. Diatom-inferred changes in paleolimnology and climate corroborate earlier inferences from geochemical analyses (Stephens et al. 2012), with respect to the timing of marked climate changes in the Last Glacial Coldest Phase (LGCP; 28.8?C18.0?cal kyr BP), the Last Glacial Interglacial Transition (LGIT; 18.0 to ca. 12?C10?cal kyr BP) and the Holocene, the onset of which is difficult to discern from LGIT amelioration, but which includes an early climatic optimum (10.2?C8.0?cal kyr BP). The LGCP is readily defined by a reduction in lake level and effective precipitation, whereas the LGIT represents a period of rising lake level, with greater biomass during the Holocene. There was limited change in diatom assemblage structure, influx or inferred water quality during a Late Glacial Reversal (LGR; 14.5?C13.8?cal kyr BP), associated with heightened erosional influx. In contrast, an LGIT peak in paleoproductivity is recorded by increased diatom influx from 13.8 to 12.8?cal kyr BP. Changes in sediment influx and biomass record complex millennial-scale events attuned to the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR; 14.5?C12.8?cal kyr BP). Additional millennial-scale environmental change is apparent in the Holocene, with marked changes in lake circulation beginning at 7.6?cal kyr BP, including the onset of seasonal thermal stratification and rapid species turnover at 5.7?cal kyr BP. The most rapid diatom community turnover accompanied widely varying nutrient availability and greater seasonality during the last 3.3?cal kyr. Rising seasonality appears to have been linked to strengthened Southern Westerlies at their northern margins during the middle and late Holocene.     

Quaternary basin evolution and present tectonic regime in the area of the 1997–1998 Umbria–Marche seismic sequence (central Italy)

Geological and geomorphological surveys have been performed in the area affected by the 1997–1998 Umbria–Marche seismic sequence (M_max=6.0) aimed at defining the Quaternary tectonic history and the characteristics of the present tectonic regime. Data have been collected from: (1) the analysis of the remnant landsurfaces by means of aerial photos and field surveys; (2) geological surveys in the Cesi–San Martino basin and in the easternmost sector of the Colfiorito basin in order to identify deformative features affecting the Quaternary deposits; (3) the analysis of boreholes and geo-electrical data (derived from previous surveys performed in the 1960s) in order to reconstruct the top of the pre-Quaternary substratum in the Colfiorito basin. Two different successions of remnant landsurfaces have been identified along the faults bounding the basins to the east, in the hangingwall and the footwall, respectively. The difference accounts for a fault-controlled evolution of the landscape at least during the Upper Pliocene–Early Pleistocene. The deformation affecting the Quaternary deposits and landforms in the investigated basins indicates a decreasing tectonic activity along the master faults since the Middle Pleistocene. Surface deformation due to tectonics is faint and displayed by gentle warping of the landforms during the late Quaternary. As for the basin geometry, subsurface data show that two minor depressions formed in the Colfiorito Basin during the Quaternary, the oldest one close to the fault bounding the basin, while the youngest (and deepest) formed in the inner portion of the basin. Therefore, the present geometry is different from that of other fault-bounded Quaternary depressions of the central Apennines (typically half-graben basins), showing the maximum depth of the substratum in the area close to the master fault. Tectonic history may be summarised as follows: (1) origin of the Quaternary fault-bounded Colfiorito and Cesi–San Martino basins; (2) evolution of the basins with a half-graben style; (3) significant reduction of tectonic activity since the Middle Pleistocene. During the third phase, the evolution of the basins is no longer related to a half-graben style. In the case of the Colfiorito basin, a new depression is superimposed to on the previous half-graben whose evolution is related to the lowering of the inner portion of the basin through warping. Moreover, present activity does not result in fault-related surficial displacements but only in “continuous” deformation spread over the basins. These conclusions have fundamental implications for the seismotectonic framework of the 1997–1998 earthquake sequence. This deformation style is, indeed, in agreement with the coseismic deformation modelled by means of the SAR interferometry analyses carried out by other institutions during the seismic sequence, and with the lack of evident surface faulting related to the mentioned events in the investigated area. This evidence indicates that the evolution of the investigated area since the Middle Pleistocene resulted from the summation of deformative episodes similar to that which occurred during the recent seismic sequence. As a consequence, no earthquakes with magnitude larger than 6 are expected in the area.     

The last 500 year of sedimentation in Shkodra Lake (Albania/Montenegro): paleoenvironmental evolution and potential for paleoseismicity studies

Lake Shkodra (northern Albania, southern Montenegro) is a large (45 km length, 15 km width) and shallow (5 m mean depth) lake, developed on a mainly karstic carbonate substratum. Its recent sedimentary fill (mixed calcareous/siliciclastic clayey silts) was analysed through short gravity cores representing five centuries of environmental archive. A combination of high resolution texture analysis (particle size), magnetic susceptibility, carbon content, and radionuclide activity profiles (²¹⁰Pb, ¹³⁷Cs, ²⁴¹Am) permitted us to detect and date environmental changes, such as the Little Ice Age and the 1962–1963 catastrophic floods. Anthropogenic influences on the watershed, such as damming of the Drin River in the late 1970s, also appear to be recorded. Impacts of known strong earthquakes (1905, 1979), however, could not be clearly detected in the sediment record. The potential of the Shkodra lacustrine archive for paleoseismic investigations on long time intervals (such as Holocene) is discussed. This paper is a preliminary contribution to Shkodra Lake’s Holocene paleolimnology.