The fossil oribatid mite fauna (Acari: Oribatida) in late-glacial and early-Holocene sediments in Kråkenes Lake, western Norway

The oribatid mite assemblages found in late-glacial and early-Holocene sediments in Kråkenes Lake, western Norway, consist of 38 species within 24 genera. In accordance with known present habitat distribution we distinguish 4 true aquatic species, 6 species associated with wetland, 2 with mesic grassland, 12 with dry grassland and heathland, 3 with saxicolous and arboricolous lichens, 7 widely distributed species, and 4 with uncertainly known habitat preferences. The sediments from the pioneer phase (12,300-11,700 ¹⁴C BP) contain 7 species, among them the 2 typical pioneer species Limnozetes ciliatus and Tectocepheus velatus.The sediments of the warmer Allerød interstadial (11,700-10,900 BP) contain 18 species, the cold Younger Dryas (10,900-10,000 BP) 9 species, and the early Holocene (10,000-9,000 BP) 36 species.The oribatid fossils of the pioneer phase indicate habitats and climate similar to the mid-alpine zone in western Norway today, the Allerod interstadial that of the low- to mid-alpine zone. L. ciliatus is the aquatic pioneer species in the Allerod. In the Younger Dryas the climate was more arctic, 60-70% of the species had presumably disappeared, and no aquatic species were found. In the early Holocene, 4 true aquatic species colonised the lake and showed a high productivity. The terrestrial oribatid fauna in this period contained a high diversity of more boreal species, while the alpine species declined or became extinct.     

Tectonic and sedimentary history of a late Cenozoic intramontane basin (The Pitalito Basin, Colombia)

Abstract The Pitaiito Basin is an intramontane basin (15 × 20 km²) situated at the junction of the Central and Eastern Cordillera in the southern part of the Colombian Andes. Tectonic structures, evolution of the basin and distribution of the sediments suggest that the basin was formed adjacent to an active dextral strike-slip fault. Based on sedimentation rates it is estimated that subsidence started around 4.5 Ma. The basin can be divided into a relatively shallow western part (c. 300 m deep) and a deep eastern part (c. 1200 m deep). The transition between both areas is sharp and is delineated by a NW/SE-oriented fault. The position of this fault is reflected by the areal distribution of the deep non-exposed sediments as well as sediments at the surface: west of this fault the basin infill consists of coarse to medium elastics (conglomerates and sand) whereas in the eastern part fine elastics (clay and peat) are present. The lateral transition between both types of sediment is abrupt and its position is stable in time. The surface and near surface sediments in the Pitalito Basin reflect the last stage of sedimentary infill which came to a halt between 17,000 and 7500 years bp . These sediments were deposited by an eastward prograding fluvial system. The western upstream part of this system differs significantly from that of the eastern part which forms the downstream continuation. The western part exhibits unstable, shallow fluvial channels that wandered freely over the surface which predominantly consists of clayey overbank sediments. The alluvial architecture in the eastern half is characterized by stable channels and thick accumulations of organic-rich flood basin sediments and resembles an anastomosing river. The transition between both alluvial systems also coincides with the N/S-oriented normal fault. Palaeoclimatic conditions over the last c. 61,500 years were determined by means of a pollen record. From c. 61,500 to 20,000 years BP the mean annual temperature fluctuated considerably and decreased by 2–3^oC during the relatively warm periods (interstadials) and by 6–8^oC during the cold periods (stadials) in comparison with modern temperatures. These changes led to a displacement of the zonal vegetation belts from c. 200 m during the stadials to c. 1500 m in interstadial times without significant effects on the fluvial system present in the Pitaiito Basin until c. 20,000 years BP. Around this period the organic-rich eastern flood basins were choked with sediments and peat growth came to an end. Palynological and sedimentological data suggest that around that period the climate was cold (Δ 6–8^oC) and very dry and that a sparse vegetation cover was present around the basin. In these semi-arid climatic conditions the river system changed from an anastomosing pattern to one with ephemeral stream characteristics. This may have lasted until at least 17,000 years BP. Somewhere between 17,000 and 7500 years BP the eastward-flowing infilling river system changed into a NW-flowing erosive river system due to climatic or tectonic control and the present state was reached.     

The timing of alluvial sedimentation and floodplain formation in the lowland humid tropics of Ghana, Sierra Leone and western Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo)

Temporal patterns in floodplain genesis and alluvial sedimentation in lowlands tropical rain forest zones of Ghana, Sierra Leone and western Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) based upon ¹⁴C age determinations are described.Alluvial low terraces or buried sediments in West Africa yielded ages of 36-21 ka. In west Kalimantan a widespread episode of alluviation has yielded dates of 54-51 ka. The 20-13 ka interval was characterised by channel incision with valley floor erosion and neither region records sedimentation. Holocene alluvial sedimentation and floodplain construction in West Africa occurred during two temporal intervals: 10-7 ka and 4 ka to present and in western Kalimantan in response to early Holocene sea level rise followed by late Holocene regression and coastal outgrowth.The clustering of ¹⁴C dates closely corresponds to regional lake level fluctuations and vegetational changes and to global indications of climatic change. We propose that periods of more frequent episodes of accelerated floodplain erosion and reconstitution, channel morpho-sedimentary activity and alluvial accumulation (1) are responses to interstadial and interglacial periods of higher precipitation following intervening periods of cooler and drier conditions; and (2) may be synchronous during the last 60 ka throughout the African and Asian inner humid lowland tropics.     

Chironomid-based palaeotemperature estimates for northeast Finland during Oxygen Isotope Stage 3

Quantitative palaeotemperature estimates for the earlier part of Oxygen Isotope Stage (OIS-) 3 are inferred from subfossil chironomid remains. The high-latitudinal study site of Sokli, northeast Finland, provides for a unique lacustrine deposit covering the earlier part of OIS-3, and the chironomid remains found in the sediments show that a shallow lake with a diverse fauna was present at the study site throughout the record. Using a Norwegian calibration data set as a modern analogue, mean July air temperatures are reconstructed. The chironomid-inferred July air temperatures are surprisingly high, reaching values similar to the current temperature at the study site. Other proxies that were applied to the sediments included the analysis of botanical and zoological macro-remains, and our results concur with temperature estimates derived from climate indicator taxa. Summer temperatures for interstadial conditions, reconstructed with climate models, are as high as our proxy-based palaeotemperatures.     

Observations on the distribution of paraglacial reworking of glacigenic drift in western Norway

This paper presents new data on the extent of and controls on paraglacial reworking of glacigenic drift by debris flows and snow avalanches at eight localities in western Norway. At sites around Jostedalsbreen, gully density is in the order of c. 10-100 gullies per km. Drift slopes at the sites in the Jotunheim massif are generally much less extensively modified by paraglacial processes (gully density nowhere exceeds 8 km^-1 in either site). Factors controlling paraglacial drift modification include gradient, sediment availability and water supply. Gully density generally exceeds 20 gullies per km where drift is steeper than c. 30° and thicker than c. 10 m, and where the void ratio of unreworked sediment exceeds c. 0.35. Widespread gullying is also favoured at sites of high and focused water input, in particular where melting snow and ice are involved. A significant implication of these findings concerns the preservation of glacigenic sediments and landforms in different paraglaciated landscapes. Understanding the detailed constraints on paraglacial processes is essential for realistically assessing the geomorphological significance of paraglaciation in a range of environments.     

Lag and mixing during sediment transfer across the Tian Shan piedmont caused by climate‐driven aggradation–incision cycles

Transient sediment storage and mixing of deposits of various ages during transport across alluvial piedmonts alter the clastic sedimentary record. We quantify buffering and mixing during cycles of aggradation–incision in the north piedmont of the Eastern Tian Shan. We complement existing chronologic data with 20 new luminescence ages and one cosmogenic radionuclide age of terrace abandonment and alluvial aggradation. Over the last 0.5 Myr, the piedmont deeply incised and aggraded many times per 100 kyr. Aggradation is driven by an increased flux of glacial sediment accumulated in the high range and flushed onto the piedmont by greater water discharge at stadial–interstadial transitions. After this sediment is evacuated from the high range, the reduced input sediment flux results in fluvial incision of the piedmont as fast as 9 cm year⁻¹ and to depths up to 330 m. The timing of incision onset is different in each river and does not directly reflect climate forcing but the necessary time for the evacuation of glacial sediment from the high range. A significant fraction of sediments evacuated from the high range is temporarily stored on the piedmont before a later incision phase delivers it to the basin. Coarse sediments arrive in the basin with a lag of at least 7–14 kyrs between the first evacuation from the mountain and later basinward transport. The modern output flux of coarse sediments from the piedmont contains a significant amount of recycled material that was deposited on the piedmont as early as the Middle Pleistocene. Variations in temperature and moisture delivered by the Westerlies are the likely cause of repeated aggradation–incision cycles in the north piedmont instead of monsoonal precipitation. The arrival of the gravel front into the proximal basin is delayed relative to the fine‐grained load and both are separated by a hiatus. This work shows, based on field observations and data, how sedimentary systems respond to climatic perturbations, and how sediment recycling and mixing can ensue.     

Diatom assemblage dynamics during abrupt climate change: the response of lacustrine diatoms to Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles during the last glacial period

The sedimentary record from the paleolake at Les Echets in eastern France allowed a reconstruction of the lacustrine response to several abrupt climate shifts during the last glacial period referred to as Dansgaard–Oeschger (DO) cycles. The high-resolution diatom stratigraphy has revealed distinct species turnover events and large fluctuations in stable oxygen isotope values in diatom frustules, as a response to DO climate variability. More or less identical species compositions became re-established during each DO stadial and interstadial phases, respectively. However, the relative abundance of the most dominant species within these assemblages varies and might indicate differences in climatic conditions. Interstadial phases are characterized by identical species successions. Transitions from stadial to interstadial conditions show a distinct Fragilaria–Cyclotella succession, which resembles the diatom regime shifts that have been recognized in some lakes in the Northern Hemisphere since the mid-nineteenth century.     

Distribution of Late Silurian (?) and Early Devonian grey-green sandstones in the Liefdefjorden-Bockfjorden area, Spitsbergen

Lithologic, petrographic and paleontologic data for the various areas of late Silurian (?) and early Devonian grey-green sandstones (greywackes) in the Liefdefjord area of northern Spitsbergen are evaluated. A number of new localities with fossil fauna have been detected in these sandstones, both to the north and south of Liefdcfjordcn. It is shown that vertebrate and invertebrate fossils occur at lower levels than hitherto believed. Differences in the amounts of plagioclase and potash feldspar in the sandstones north and south of the fjord, as well as the finds of fossils, suggest that the Siktefjellet Sandstone is restricted to the type area north of Liefdefjorden. The grey-green sandstones south of Liefdefjorden are correlated with the Andreebrecn Sandstone Formation of the Red Bay Group.     

Origin of the sedimentary deposits of the Naracoorte Caves, South Australia

The origin of the sediments located in the Naracoorte Caves (South Australia) was investigated via the analysis of strontium isotope ratios (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr), elemental geochemistry, and mineralogy. Sedimentary deposits located in Robertson, Wet, Blanche and several other chambers in Victoria Cave are all variable mixes of fine sand and coarse silts, which display similar and consistent strontium isotope ratios (0.717–0.725). This suggests that over the 400 ka time frame that these deposits span there has been minimal variation in the source of the clastic sediments. Increased strontium concentrations for these cave sediments correspond with increasing silt content, yet there is no correlation between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios and silt content. This implies that the silt-sized component of the sediments is the main contributor of strontium to the cave sediments. Comparisons of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr with regional surficial deposits show a significant correlation between the cave sediments (avg: 0.7228; n = 27), the fine silt lunettes of the Bool Lagoon area (avg: 0.7224; n = 4), the sandy A horizons of the Coonawarra Red Brown Earths (RBEs; avg: 0.726; n = 5), and Holocene age podsolic sand deposits (0.723). These data suggest that there has been substantial flux from this group of deposits to the caves, as would be expected considering prevailing winds. This relationship is further supported by a strong correlation between many trace elements, including Ti, Zr, Ce, and Y; however, variations in clay mineralogy suggest that the fine silt-dominated lunettes and Padthaway RBEs were not significant contributors to the cave deposits. Hence, the detritus entering the caves was more than likely from areas proximal to the cave entrance and was dominated by medium grain-sized materials. Major regional deposits, including the coarser-grained, calcite-rich Bridgewater Formation sands, basalts from the lower SE, Padthaway Horst granites, Gambier limestone, and metamorphics from the Adelaide geosyncline show minimal correlation in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, elemental geochemistry, and mineralogy with the cave sediments, and are discounted as significant sources. In comparison, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios for the Coorong silty sands (0.717–0.724), Lower Murray sands (0.727–0.730), and the medium size silt component of the Murray–Darling River system (0.71–0.72), compare favourably with the cave sediments. This relationship is further supported by similarities in elemental chemistry and mineralogy. Thus, much of the strontium-rich silt that is now located in the Naracoorte Cave sediments likely originated from the Murray–Darling basin. Over time, this material has been transported to the SE of South Australia, where it mixed with the medium sand component of the regressive dune ridge sequence, locally derived organic matter, limestone fragments, and fossil material to produce the unique deposits that we see evident in many of the chambers of the Naracoorte Cave system today.     

Comparing nitrogen isotopic signals between bulk sediments and invertebrate remains in High Arctic seabird-influenced ponds

The mass transport of nutrients by migratory animals can markedly alter the biogeochemistry and ecology of recipient ecosystems, particularly in nutrient-poor regions such as the Arctic. However, the role of biovectors in the global cycling of nutrients is often overlooked. Here we investigate nitrogen dynamics in two seabird-affected ponds in the Canadian High Arctic. The ponds lie at the base of a large seabird colony and have been greatly enriched in nutrients due to the input of guano and other wastes. Using sediment cores that span the last ~200 years, we measured stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) in bulk sediments as well from the subfossil remains of chironomid (Diptera) head capsules and Daphnia ephippia. The bulk-sediment samples from our seabird-affected ponds had elevated δ¹⁵N values relative to seabird-free sites elsewhere in the Arctic. In general, the chironomid δ¹⁵N profiles roughly paralleled those of bulk sediments in both study ponds, while the Daphnia profile remained relatively stable in contrast to the considerable variation recorded in the bulk sediments and chironomids. Interestingly, no apparent pattern emerged among δ¹⁵N values recorded in the bulk sediments, chironomids, and Daphnia between the two study ponds. The stability recorded in the δ¹⁵N profiles from bulk sediments relative to the more variable invertebrate profiles point towards the complexity of nitrogen uptake by chironomids and Daphnia at these sites. These data suggest that the bulk sediments are integrating the different fractions of the overall δ¹⁵N pool and thus may be most appropriate for reconstructing overall trends in lake trophic status.     

Biomonitoring past salinity changes in an athalassic subarctic lake

A short sediment core was taken from a small saline lake located on an intermontane plateau in the central Yukon Territory, Canada. In July 1990, chemical analyses indicated that, although the lake was shallow (Z_max=1.1 m), it was also chemically stratified, with hyposaline (9.9 to 10.0 g L⁻¹) surface waters and slightly mesosaline (22.0 g L⁻¹) deeper waters. The surface water was dominated by Na⁺ and HCO ₃ ⁻ . To our knowledge, this is the northernmost athalassic saline lake yet recorded. Quantification of algal (diatom, chrysophyte, and pigment) and invertebrate (chironomid, ceratopogonid, andChaoborus) fossils at four stratigraphic levels indicated that the lake sediments preserved numerous biological indicators that could be used to infer recent lake development. Many of the taxa are found in other athalassic salt lakes. The most striking stratigraphic change was a remarkable drop in the species richness of diatoms and invertebrates in the recent sediments, which parallels the elimination of species characteristic of less saline conditions. Halophilous taxa dominate the most recent sediments, indicating the development of more saline conditions. At the same time, a significant shift in chrysophyte cyst composition was observed. Fossil carotenoids and chlorophylls indicated a decrease in total algal abundance in recent sediments, as green and blue-green algae replaced diatoms and chrysophytes. Together, these paleolimnological data suggest a recent shift to drier conditions or increased evaporation in the central Yukon Territory.     

Textural attributes, mineralogy and provenance of sand dune fields in the greater Al Ain area, United Arab Emirates

Sand dunes and interdune sediments around Al Ain city have markedly high carbonate contents which increase towards Jabal Hafit mountain and the Arabian Gulf coast. The dunes are composed predominantly of well-sorted fine sands, consisting of unstrained quartz and carbonate grains together with minor proportions of chert and feldspars. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination reveals that quartz grains display various mechanically- and chemically-formed surface textures. The heavy minerals are dominated by opaques and pyroxenes with minor tourmaline, garnet, rutile, epidote, monazite, zircon, hornblende and staurolite.Interdune sediments consist of fine and very fine, poorly- to extremely poorly-sorted sands together with small concentrations of gravel, silt and clay. The light sand fractions compositionally resemble those of dunes but contain, in addition, gypsum, anhydrite, halite and celestite. Percentages of pyroxenes are higher whereas those of zircon, tourmaline and rutile are lower than in dunes. X-ray diffractometry reveals that the clay fractions consist solely of palygorskite. Generally, interdune sediments are much less mature texturally and mineralogically than dune sands; the maturity of both types of sediments decreases toward the NE of the study area.Sand dunes in the various districts of the greater Al Ain area are genetically related. Also, there is a partial genetic relationship between the dunes and interdune sediments; both are mainly multicyclic. Their major parts were brought mainly by the dominant north-west (El Shamal) winds from older dune fields in other localities in U.A.E., Qatar and El-Rub El-Khali. Local contributions to the dune fields from Jabal Hafit mountain, the Oman Mountains and the calcareous coast of the Arabian Gulf were, in cases, significant. Also, authigenesis by groundwater under highly evaporitic conditions played a major role in the formation of interdune sediments through the genesis of the clay and some nonclay minerals.     

Paleoecology of The Southern Chilean Lake District-Isla Grande de Chiloé During Middle–late Llanquihue Glaciation and Deglaciation

Subantarctic Parkland and Subantarctic–North Patagonian Evergreen Forest, embracing >40,000 ¹⁴ C years of middle and late Llanquihue glaciation, are reconstructed from pollen contained in multiple interdrift deposits and cores of lake sediments. The subantarctic plant communities at low elevations have since been replaced by temperate Valdivian Evergreen Forest. Data in support of the vegetation reconstruction derive from close-interval sampling (>1400 pollen analysed stratigraphic levels) and high-resolution chronology (>200 AMS and conventional radiocarbon-dated horizons). Pollen sequences are from 15 sites, eight of which are exposures and seven mires, located in relation to lobes of piedmont glaciers that occupied Lago Llanquihue, Seno Reloncav', Golfo de Ancud, and the east-central sector of Isla Grande de Chiloí at the northern limit of the Golfo Corcovado lobe. Recurring episodes of grass maxima representing Subantarctic Parkland, when grass and scrub became widespread among patches of southern beech (Nothofagus), bear a relationship to glacial advances. The implication of the maxima, prominent with advances at 22,400 and 14,800 ¹⁴C yr BP during late Llanquihue glaciation in marine oxygen-isotope Stage 2, is of successive intervals of cold climate with summer temperatures estimated at 6–8°C below the modern mean. The earliest recorded maximum at >50,000 ¹⁴C yr BP is possibly during late Stage 4. At the time of middle Llanquihue glaciation in Stage 3, cool, humid interstades on Isla Grande de Chiloé with Subantarctic Evergreen Forest, which under progressive cooling after 47,000 ¹⁴C yr BP was increasingly replaced by parkland. During stepwise deglaciation, when transitional beech woodland communities supplanting parkland became diversified by formation of thermophilous North Patagonian Evergreen Forest, warming in the order of 5–6°C was abrupt after 14,000 ¹⁴C yr BP . Closed-canopy North Patagonian Evergreen Forest was established by 12,500 ¹⁴C yr BP . Later, after c. 12,000 until 10,000 ¹⁴C yr BP , depending on location, forest at low elevations became modified by expansion of a cold-tolerant element indicative of ≥2–3°C cooler climate. This stepwise climatic sequence is seen at all late-glacial sites. Cool, humid interstadial conditions, punctuated by cold stadial climate, are characteristic of the last ≥40,000 ¹⁴C years of the Pleistocene at midlatitude in the Southern Hemisphere. Pollen sequences from southern South America and terrestrial–marine records from the New Zealand–Tasmania sector express a broad measure of synchrony of vegetational/climatic change for marine oxygen-isotope Stages 2–3. The data, combined with the timing of glacial maxima in the Southern Andes, Southern Alps of New Zealand, and in the Northern Hemisphere, are indicative of synchronous, millennial-scale, midlatitude climatic changes in the polar hemispheres.     

Origin and significance of diagenetic concretions in sediments of Laguna Potrok Aike, southern Argentina

Authigenic minerals can form in the water column and sediments of lakes, either abiotically or mediated by biological activity. Such minerals have been used as paleosalinity and paleoproductivity indicators and reflect trophic state and early diagenetic conditions. They are also considered potential indicators of past and perhaps ongoing microbial activity within sediments. Authigenic concretions, including vivianite, were described in late glacial sediments of Laguna Potrok Aike, a maar lake in southernmost Argentina. Occurrence of iron phosphate implies specific phosphorus sorption behavior and a reducing environment, with methane present. Because organic matter content in these sediments was generally low during glacial times, there must have been alternative sources of phosphorus and biogenic methane. Identifying these sources can help define past trophic state of the lake and diagenetic processes in the sediments. We used scanning electron microscopy, phosphorus speciation in bulk sediment, pore water analyses, in situ ATP measurements, microbial cell counts, and measurements of methane content and its carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C_CH4) to identify components of and processes in the sediment. The multiple approaches indicated that volcanic materials in the catchment are important suppliers of iron, sulfur and phosphorus. These elements influence primary productivity and play a role in microbial metabolism during early diagenesis. Authigenic processes led to the formation of pyrite framboids and revealed sulfate reduction. Anaerobic oxidation of methane and shifts in pore water ion concentration indicated microbial influence with depth. This study documents the presence of active microbes within the sediments and their relationship to changing environmental conditions. It also illustrates the substantial role played by microbes in the formation of Laguna Potrok Aike concretions. Thus, authigenic minerals can be used as biosignatures in these late Pleistocene maar sediments.     

Geochronology of detrital muscovite and zircon constrains the sediment provenance changes in the Yangtze River during the late Cenozoic

The geometry and evolution of rivers originating from the Tibetan plateau are influenced by topography and climate change during the India‐Asia collision. The Yangtze River is the longest among these rivers and formed due to capturing many rivers on the eastern Tibetan Plateau by the middle Yangtze. The timing of these capture events is still controversial. Here, we use detrital muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and zircon U–Pb ages to constrain the provenance of late Cenozoic sediments in the Jianghan Basin in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The combined data suggest that late Pliocene sediments were mainly derived from a local source in the Jianghan Basin including the Dabie Shan. The middle Pleistocene sediments were derived from the Min River west of the Three Gorges. This implies that at least one river, perhaps the palaeo‐Han River, originating from the Dabie Shan region, flowed through the centre of the Jianghan Basin during the late Pliocene. The appearance of sediment from the Min River in the Jianghan Basin somewhere between late Pliocene and middle Pleistocene suggests that the Three Gorges section of the Yangtze River was formed somewhere between late Pliocene and middle Pleistocene (N₂– Q₂).     

Sediment focusing in six small lakes inferred from radionuclide profiles

Sediment focusing in six small lake basins is inferred from sedimentary radionuclide profiles. The activities of¹³⁷Cs and⁹⁺²⁴⁰Pu do not decrease to zero above the sub-surface maximum but tail off gradually. Similar behavior is observed in the sediments of three lakes for¹³⁴Cs and⁶⁰Co, which were added only to the lake. This upward tailing is not caused by bioturbation or erosion from the watershed. Sediment focusing is the likely cause, further substantiated by inventories in deep sediments of⁹⁺²⁴⁰Pu and²¹⁰Pb that are twice as high as expected from atmospheric fallout. Inventories in deep sediments of¹³⁷Cs are in several cases lower than expected from atmospheric fallout, and cannot be explained by hydraulic flushing from the lakes, as this would require unreasonable flushing rates. The low¹³⁷Cs inventories and the sedimentary profiles of the¹³⁷Cs/⁹⁺²⁴⁰Pu ratio are consistent with¹³⁷Cs removal from the water column by boundary scavenging to shallow sediments. The profiles and inventories of all three nuclides could be reproduced with a simple three box model, assuming focusing of shallow sediments (50–60% of total sediment area) to deep sediments with a rate constant of 5–10% yr^–1.This is the seventh of a series of papers to be published by this journal following the 20 ^th anniversary of the first application of²¹⁰Pb dating of lake sediment. Dr P. G. Appleby is guest editing this series.     

The hydrochemistry of the inland waters of Argentina: a review

The major ion chemistry of 639 aquatic localities in Argentina is presented and discussed. Salinities range from quite fresh (<3 g L^–1) to highly saline (>300 g L^–1); a variety of ion dominances occur but NaCl predominates in highly saline waters. The principal mechanisms controlling water chemistry are rock dominance and evaporation; atmospheric contributions are less important.     

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in surface sediments from lakes of western Ireland: implications for inferring past lake productivity and nitrogen loading

We used statistical analyses to determine which subset of 36 environmental variables best explained variations in surface sediment δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N from 50 lakes in western Ireland that span a human-impact gradient. The factors controlling lake sediment δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N depended on whether organics in the lake sediment were mostly derived from the lake catchment (allochthonous) or from productivity within the lake (autochthonous). Lake sediments with a dominantly allochthonous organic source (high C:N ratio sediments) produced δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N measurements similar to values from catchment vegetation. δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N measurements from lake sediments with a dominantly autochthonous organic source (low C:N ratio sediments) were influenced by fractionation in the lake and catchment leading up to assimilation of carbon and nitrogen by lacustrine biota. δ¹³C values from lake sediment samples in agricultural catchments were more negative than δ¹³C values from lake sediment samples in non-impacted, bogland catchments. Hypolimnetic oxygen concentrations and methane production had a greater influence on δ¹³C values than fractionation due to algal productivity. δ¹⁵N from lake sediment samples in agricultural catchments were more positive than δ¹⁵N in non-impacted bogland catchments. Lower δ¹⁵N values from non-impacted lake catchments reflected δ¹⁵N values of catchment vegetation, while higher δ¹⁵N values in agricultural catchments reflected the high δ¹⁵N values of cattle manure and inorganic fertilisers. The influence of changing nitrogen sources and lake/catchment fractionation processes were more important than early diagenesis for lake sediment δ¹⁵N values in this dataset. The results from this study suggest a possible influence of bound inorganic nitrogen on the bulk sediment δ¹⁵N values. We recommend using a suitable method to control for bound inorganic nitrogen in lake sediments, especially when working with clay-rich sediments. This study confirms the usefulness of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N from bulk lake sediments, as long as we are mindful of the multiple factors that can influence these values. This study also highlights how stable isotope datasets from lake surface sediments can complement site-specific isotope source/process studies and help identify key processes controlling lake sediment δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N in a study area.     

A 16-ka δ18O record of lacustrine sugar biomarkers from the High Himalaya reflects Indian Summer Monsoon variability

We investigated a late glacial–Holocene lacustrine sediment archive located at 4,050 m a.s.l. in the small carbonate-free catchment of Lake Panch Pokhari, Helambu Himal, Nepal. A δ¹⁸O sugar biomarker record was established by applying novel compound-specific δ¹⁸O analysis of plant sugar biomarkers (Zech and Glaser in Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 23:3522–3532, 2009). This method overcomes analytical challenges such as extraction and purification faced by previous methods aimed at using δ¹⁸O of aquatic cellulose as a paleoclimate proxy. The δ¹⁸O results for sugar biomarkers arabinose, xylose and fucose agree well and reveal a pronounced trend towards lower δ¹⁸O values during the deglaciation and the onset of the Bølling/Allerød interstadial. By contrast, the period of the Younger Dryas is characterized by higher δ¹⁸O values. The early Holocene again reveals lower δ¹⁸O values. We suggest that our lacustrine δ¹⁸O record reflects coupled hydrological and thermal control. It is strongly related to changes in the oxygen isotopic composition of paleo-precipitation and resembles the δ¹⁸O records of Asian speleothems. With respect to the ‘amount effect,’ the record is interpreted as reflecting the Indian Summer Monsoon intensity. The precipitation signal is, however, amplified in our record by evaporative ¹⁸O enrichment that is controlled by the ratio of precipitation to evaporation. We suggest that our δ¹⁸O record reflects the variability of the Indian Summer Monsoon, which was strong during the Bølling/Allerød interstadial and early Holocene, but weak during the Younger Dryas stadial. This interpretation is corroborated by a pollen-based index for Lake Panch Pokhari that estimated the strength of the Indian Summer Monsoon versus the strength of the Westerlies. Millennial-scale synchronicity with the Greenland δ¹⁸O temperature records highlights the previously suggested strong teleconnections between the Asian Monsoon system and North Atlantic climate variability.     

GEOFEATURES AND RESOURCE ELEMENT COMBINATION OF TUMEN RIVER ECONOMIC GROWTH TRIANGLE

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