Lake Winnipeg: geological setting and sediment seismostratigraphy

Lake Winnipeg, the seventh largest lake in North America, is located at the boundary between the Interior Plains and the Canadian Shield in Manitoba, Canada. Seismic profiles were obtained in Lake Winnipeg on two geoscientific cruises in 1994 and 1996. These data indicate the morphology of the bedrock surface. In most cases, a clear distinction between low relief Paleozoic carbonate rock and high relief Precambrian rock can be made. In northern Lake Winnipeg, the eastern limit of Paleozoic rock is clearly demarcated 30 km west of the previous estimate of its position. In southern Lake Winnipeg, all or most of the Paleozoic sequence terminates at a prominent buried escarpment in the centre of the lake. This indicates that Paleozoic rock on the eastern shore, known from drilling and outcrops, is an outlier. Major moraines are apparent as abrupt, large ridges having a chaotic internal reflection pattern. These include the Pearson Reef Moraine, the George Island Moraine and the offshore extension of The Pas Moraine. Little evidence for extensive or thick till was observed. Instead, fine-grained sediments deposited in glacial Lake Agassiz rest directly on bedrock over most of the lake basin. Hence an episode of erosion to bedrock was associated with glaciation and/or deglaciation. The Agassiz Sequence sediments are well-stratified, drape underlying relief and in some areas are over 100 m thick. In places, stratification in these sediments is disrupted, perhaps by dewatering. Evidence of erosion of Agassiz Sequence sediments by recent currents was observed. The contact between the Agassiz Sequence and the overlying Winnipeg Sequence sediments is a marked angular unconformity. The Agassiz Unconformity indicates up to 10 m of erosion in places. The low-relief character of this unconformity precludes subaerial erosion and the lack of till, moraines, or extensive deformation precludes glacial erosion. Waves appear to be the most likely erosional agent, either in waning Lake Agassiz or early Lake Winnipeg time. Winnipeg Sequence sediments, in places very thin, mantle most of the lakefloor. These sediments were deposited in the present Lake Winnipeg and are faintly stratified to massive and reach about 10 m in thickness in deep water. On the surface of the Winnipeg Sequence, vigorous, episodic currents are thought to contribute to the construction of flow-transverse sand waves as much as 6 m high in a deep, narrow constriction in the lake.     

Holocone paleovegetation and paleohydrology of a prairie pothold in southern Saskatchewan, Canada

The Andrews site represents one of countless prairie potholes found in areas of hummocky moraine on the northern Great Plains. Sediments from a depth of 5.8 to 3.1 m at this 'kettle-fill' site in the Missouri Coteau upland of southern Saskatchewan, Canada, provides a record of vegetation, climate, and hydrologic changes within a small, ca 30 m diameter, closed-drainage basin from ca 10.2 to 5.8 ka. Plant macrofossil analyses of 67 samples, 6 ¹⁴C ages, and stratigraphy were used to identify 5 zones, representing the paleohydrological changes that followed deglaciation in southern Saskatchewan.Results of this study indicate that with the melting of residual stagnant ice a pond (>2 m deep) with abundant aquatic, emergent, and shoreline plants developed in the basin at ca 10.2 ka and persisted until at least ca 8.8 ka. During this time there was a shift in upland vegetation from a white spruce forest (Zone II) to a deciduous parkland at ca 10 ka (Zone III). As climate warmed, brackish and alkaline conditions developed coincident with shallowing of the pond at the end of Zone III. The perennial water phase ended at ca 8.8 ka and was followed by a low-water stand lasting ca 1100 years. Prairie fires and slopewash from unstable slopes were dominant sedimentological processes until ca 7.7 ka (Zone IV). Water levels began to rise and between ca 7.7 and 5.8 ka a semi-permanent pond was established in a grassland setting (Zone V). After ca 5.8 ka this prairie pothole wetland became ephemeral, to the point that plant macrofossils could not be preserved, a situation continuing today. Interactions between climate change, variability in local groundwater supply, and sedimentological processes likely account for the paleohydrologic events reconstructed at the Andrews site.     

Holocene lake-level fluctuations and beach-ridge development along the northern shore of Lake Michigan, USA

Geomorphology of a beach-ridge complex and adjacent lake basins along the northern shore of Lake Michigan records fluctuations in the level of Lake Michigan for the last 8000 to 10 000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. (radiocarbon years Before Present). A storm berm at 204.7–206 m (671.6–675.9 ft) exposed in a sandpit provides evidence of a pre-Chippewa Low lake level that is correlated with dropping water levels of Glacial Lake Algonquin (c. 10 300–10 100 ¹⁴C yr B.P.). Radiocarbon dates from organic material exposed in a river cutbank and basal sediments from Elbow Lake, Mackinac Co., Michigan, indicate a maximum age of a highstand of Lake Michigan at 6900 ¹⁴C yr B.P., which reached as high as 196.7 m (645 ft), during the early-Nipissing transgression of Lake Michigan. Basal radiocarbon dates from beach swales and a second lake site (Beaverhouse Lake, Mackinac Co.) provide geomorphic evidence for a subsequent highstand which reached 192.6 m (632 ft) at 5390±70 ¹⁴C yr B.P.Basal radiocarbon dates from a transect of sediment cores, along with tree-ring data, and General Land Office Surveyor notes of a shipwreck, c. A.D. 1846, reveal a late-Holocene rate for isostatic rebound of 22.6 cm/100 radiocarbon years (0.74 ft/100 radiocarbon years) for the northern shore of Lake Michigan, relative to the Lake Michigan-Lake Huron outlet at Port Huron, Michigan. Changes in sediment stratigraphy, inter-ridge distance, and sediment accumulation rates document a mid- to late-Holocene retreat of the shoreline due to isostatic rebound. This regression sequence was punctuated by brief, periodic highstands, resulting in progressive development over the past 5400 ¹⁴C yr of 75 pairs of dune ridges and swales each formed over an interval of approximately 72 years. Times of lake-level fluctuation were identified at 3900, 3200, and 1000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. based on changes in inter-ridge spacing, shifts in the course of Millecoquins River, and reorientation of beach-ridge lineation. Soil type, dune development, and selected pollen data provide supporting evidence for this chronology. Late-Holocene beach-ridge development and lake-level fluctuations are related to a retreat of the dominant Pacific airmass and the convergence of the Arctic and Tropical airmasses resulting in predominantly meridional rather than zonal air flow across the Great Lakes region.This is the 13th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

Periodicity of magnetic intensities in magnetic anomaly profiles: the Cenozoic of the South Atlantic

Spectral analyses of several published magnetic anomaly profiles from Candé & Kent (1992a) were undertaken prior to analysing, in the same way, raw magnetic anomaly data from similar parts of the South Atlantic. It was found that similar and distinct medium and short wavelengths were present in both the published and raw data. When these are converted into the time domain using the average rate of spreading for each profile, these periodicities appear similar, possibly identical, to those expected from the long-term eccentricity orbital parameters (Fischer, DeBoer & Premoli Silva 1990). While such correlations are not necessarily causative, they suggest that magnetohydro-dynamical processes near the core-mantle boundary may be affected by gravitational changes due to planetary orbital perturbations.     

Strontium isotopic geochemistry of the Devils Lake drainage system, North Dakota: a preliminary study and potential paleoclimatic implications

A series of water samples (precipitation, surface water and ground water) from the Devils Lake drainage basin in central North Dakota have been analyzed for their ¹⁸O and D and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. The ¹⁸O and D of snow and most ground water samples fall near the meteoric water line, with the ground water being isotopically heavier than the snow, indicating that a portion of the recharge must come from non-winter precipitation events. One ground water and all the surface water samples fall below the meteoric water line, demonstrating extensive evaporation. The 87Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of the snow is more radiogenic than those of the ground water samples, indicating that the ground water has increased its ⁸⁶Sr content by the dissolution of mafic rock in the aquifer. Stump Lake has a much more radiogenic Sr isotopic ratio than the waters of Devils Lake suggesting a source of water different from that of Devils Lake. The East Stump Lake water, on the other hand, appears to be either a mix of Devils Lake and Stump Lake waters, or Devils Lake water diluted with precipitation.     

Land use and disturbance effects on the dynamics of natural ecosystems of the Monte Desert: Implications for their management

The complex interactions between human activity and natural processes determine non-linear dynamics in ecosystems that can difficult their management. Human settlements in arid lands contribute to the modification of disturbance regimes, including the introduction of new disturbances and the elimination of others. In consequence, they can alter the functional mechanisms that allow systems to overcome limiting factors, leading to desertification. In this revision, we evaluated the effects of the changes on disturbance regimes produced by the different forms of land transformation on the structure and function of ecosystems of the Monte Biogeographical Province, in Argentinean arid west. Two approaches were used: the analysis of land use history and the analysis of the effects of the main disturbances on the dynamics of different communities. We concluded that throughout the history of the Monte Desert, the joint action of natural and anthropic agents has resulted in complex dynamics that lead most area of the Monte to a moderate to severe status of desertification. The modification of the disturbance regime had strong consequences for several aspects of the dynamics of communities, such as species composition and diversity, water dynamics, soil conditions, trophic structure and productivity of Monte Desert ecosystems. However, disturbance regimes could be managed to promote favorable transitions in ecosystems and, therefore, could be a tool for optimizing productivity of agro-ecosystems, and recovering and conserving natural ecosystems.     

The chemical composition and sources of the bulk deposition on Lake Kinneret (The Sea of Galilee), Israel

The chemical composition of the bulk deposition into Lake Kinneret, Israel was determined for the three hydrological years from 1992 to 1995. The fluxes of the elements and ions in the bulk deposition around the lake are fairly uniform although some local effects due to anthropogenic activity are observed; temporal effects are more pronounced. Na and Cl fluxes are greatly affected by rainfall that has passed over the Mediterranean Sea whilst Ca fluxes increase during dust storm episodes. The amount of each of the determined constituents entering the lake was calculated. The major chemical constituent entering the lake (except Ca) is SO₄ whose main source is long-range transport from Europe. Enrichment factor analysis shows that the insoluble portion of the bulk deposition has the same characteristics as regional (and Saharan) dust storms, whilst the soluble portion is strongly affected by the marine environment. Significant additions to the previously known input of nitrogen and phosphorous enter the lake due to bulk deposition: 10% for nitrogen and 40% for phosphorous. The Pb content of the lake sediments correlates with Pb usage in petrol. Full experimental results are given in the electronic appendices.     

Camel grazing affects species diversity and community structure in the deserts of the UAE

Camel grazing plays a crucial role in the desert ecosystems of the UAE. In this study, we compare areas grazed by small antelope (Al Maha Resort – the AMR) with areas grazed by both camels and small antelope (Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve – the DDCR). A total of 126 plots were selected during the growing season 2006/07 on three soil substrates: gravel plains, sand flats and sand dunes. In each plot, several vegetation parameters were assessed: density, frequency, percent cover and diversity indices. The replacement of camels with wild antelope has significantly increased the number of species on gravel plains, vegetation density on sand dunes and diversity indices on both sand flats and sand dunes, but significantly decreased plant cover on sand flats and sand dunes. The increase in species diversity in the AMR was attributed to moderate grazing by antelope. Replacement of camels by antelope in the AMR has resulted in change in plant community composition of the three substrate types. Species recovered after protection from camel grazing are palatable, especially for camels, except Heliotropium kotschyi and Aerva javanica. The absence of most of the palatable species from the DDCR was attributed to both selective foraging and overgrazing by camels.