Vegetation and climate near Lago Llanquihue in the Chilean Lake District between 20200 and 9500 14C yr BP

Radiocarbon-dated pollen records of two adjacent sediment cores from Canal de la Puntilla (40°57′09″S, 72°54′18″W) in the Chilean Lake District reveal that a sparsely vegetated landscape prevailed during the portion of the Last Glacial Maximum between 20200 and about 14800 ¹⁴C yr BP. Dominating the vegetation was Nothofagus, Gramineae and Compositae, along with taxa commonly found today above the Andean treeline (Perezia-type, Valeriana) and in Magellanic Moorlands (Donatia, Astelia). Nothofagus expanded between 20200 and 15800 ¹⁴C yr BP, interrupted by a reversal at 19200 ¹⁴C yr BP and followed by a prominent increase in Gramineae pollen between 15800 and about 14800 ¹⁴C yr BP. A major increase in Nothofagus started at about 14800 ¹⁴C yr BP, followed by an abrupt expansion of thermophilous Valdivian/North Patagonian Rain Forest taxa (Myrtaceae, Lomatia/Gevuina, Hydrangea, etc.) at about 14000 ¹⁴C yr BP. An opening of the rain forest and an expansion of Podocarpus nubigena, Misodendrum, and Maytenus disticha-type subsequently occurred between 11000 and 10000 ¹⁴C yr BP. These results suggest that mean annual temperature was 6–7°C colder than at present, with twice the modern annual precipitation between 20200 and 14000 ¹⁴C yr BP, implying a northward shift and intensification of the westerlies storm-tracks. Slight climate warming occurred between 20200 and 15800 ¹⁴C yr BP, featuring cooling reversals at 19200 ¹⁴C yr BP, and later at 15800 ¹⁴C yr BP. The warming of the last termination started at about 14800 ¹⁴C yr BP, and reached a total temperature rise of ≥5°C by 12400 ¹⁴C yr BP, followed by cooling between 11000 and 10000 ¹⁴C yr BP. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment Yield During Late Glacial and Holocene periods in the Lac Chambon Watershed,Massif Central,France

A sediment budget for the Late Glacial and Holocene periods was calculated for the Lac Chambon watershed which is located in a formerly glaciated temperate crystalline mountain area. It appears that over 15 500 years: (1) 69 per cent of eroded particles have been displaced by gravity processes and then stored within the watershed, compared to 31 per cent that have been displaced by running water and evacuated outward; (2) the mean mechanical erosion due to gravity processes on the slopes amounted to 16·1 ±6 m and only developed on a quarter of the watershed surface, whereas the mean mechanical erosion due to running water amounted 1·24 ± 0·37 m and involved the whole watershed surface. The mean sediment yields due to gravity processes on slopes were 2300 ± 1360, 1770 ± 960 and 380 ± 100 m³ km⁻³ a⁻¹, respectively, for basalts, and basic and acidic trachyandesites. Values of sediment yield due to running water were 49±15, 120±36 and 79±24 m³ km⁻² a⁻¹, respectively, during the Bôlling–Allerôd, the Younger Dryas and the Pre-Boreal–Boreal periods. They were 56±17 and 166±50 m³ km⁻² a⁻¹ during the Sub-Atlantic period before and after 1360 a BP , respectively. These values reflect variations in the natural environment and the impact of human-induced deforestation. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First evidence of an interglacial lake of Eemian age in northeast Italy

This paper assesses the age of the Tagliamento Morainic Amphitheatre (northeast Italy), one of the largest morainic bodies in the piedmont area of northern Italy, using new stratigraphical and thermoluminescence (TL) data obtained from a site located on the inner flank of the amphitheatre. Two samples from a 12-m-thick stratum of fluviolacustrine, non-varved, fine sand provided TL ages of approximately 110 ± 16 ka BP. This sandy layer lies below a 6-m-thick, massive (non-laminated), clayey stratum. It is hypothesised that a large but short-lived lake formed during the interglacial phase separating the penultimate and last glaciations. Assigning a ‘Riss’ age to the southeastern part of the amphitheatre therefore regains credence. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

末次冰期以来雷州半岛北部C3/C4植物相对丰度变化及其驱动因素

末次冰期以来陆地植被中C₃/C₄植物相对丰度变化及其驱动因素是当前古生态古气候研究中的重要内容.本文利用雷州半岛北部下录和屋山两处泥炭沉积有机碳同位素组成(δ¹³C_org)重建了该区域末次冰期以来C₃/C₄植物相对丰度演化历史,并探讨了其可能的驱动因素.结果表明,在MIS-3阶段初期,屋山地区的植被以C₃和C₄混合植被为主,在此后的MIS-3阶段绝大部分时期,下录和屋山地区的植被主要为C₃植被,在个别时段C₄植物也曾一度有所扩张;在MIS-2阶段,下录地区C₃植物含量显著降低,区域植被以C₄植物为主;在全新世初期,下录地区的C₃植物含量呈现出增加趋势,气候环境变得有利于C₃植物生长.对比研究表明,由于在末次冰期乃至冰期最盛期阶段,雷州半岛地区的气温下降幅度可能仅在5~8℃左右,温度足以满足C₃/C₄植物的生长需要,从而使得受东亚夏季风强度直接影响的降水增多或减少成为控制本区域C₃/C₄植物相对丰度变化的主导因素.此外,大气CO₂浓度可能对该地区C₃/C₄植物相对丰度变化也具有一定的影响.     

萨拉乌苏河流域MGS4层段记录的末次冰期早冰阶气候波动

萨拉乌苏河流域米浪沟湾末次冰期早冰阶时期记录了5.5个由古沙丘砂与河流相、湖沼相构成的沉积旋回。对各沉积旋回的粒度及微量元素分析表明,河流相和湖沼相的平均粒径Mz、分选系数σ和SC/D的值明显高于古沙丘砂,河湖相中的微量元素Mn、P、Rb、Zr、V、Ni含量普遍较古沙丘砂含量高,而Ba、Co等则呈现相反的变化;这些气候代用指标的波动构成了与沉积旋回相对应的5.5个粒度及微量元素变化旋回,指示了该地末次冰期早冰阶至少经历了6次冷干和5次暖湿的气候波动,其中若干次气候回暖事件和冷干事件可与格陵兰冰芯和葫芦洞石笋等记录的D/O事件和Heinrich事件相对应。米浪沟湾剖面地层记录的千年尺度气候波动既是对东亚季风环流演变历史的体现,同时也是对全球气候变化的响应。     

Role of Antarctic ice mass balance in present-day sea-level change

The Antarctic ice sheet is arguably the most critical in terms of future sea-level rise, primarily because it contains 70% of the world's fresh water. While there exists evidence of accelerated ice-sheet ablation during the past decade, the possibility that the ice sheets contributed little to 20th century sea-level rise could result in Antarctica becoming the largest contributor to sea-level rise during the 21st century. Here we review the findings of studies published following the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) study, focusing on the role of Antarctica in present-day (1992–2006) sea-level rise. We show that the choice of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) model significantly affects GRACE-estimated Antarctic mass loss, adding 0.25–0.45 mm/yr to the estimate of sea-level rise. The current estimate of Antarctica's contribution to sea-level rise has a wide range: from −0.12 to +0.52 mm/yr. The discrepancy between observed sea-level trend of 1.8 mm/yr and those estimated from various geophysical sources (2.10 ± 0.99 mm/yr) is 0.30 mm/yr. The role of Antarctica in sea-level rise might be better constrained by lengthening satellite observations, using long-term GPS data to discriminate subglacial vertical motion from ice mass balance, and detecting the sea-level signal due to elastic loading from the melting ice-sheets.     

Relative size of fluvial and glaciated valleys in central Idaho

Quantitative comparisons of the morphometry of glaciated and fluvial valleys in central Idaho were used to investigate the differences in valley relief and width in otherwise similar geologic and geomorphic settings. The local relief, width, and cross-sectional area of valleys were measured using GIS software to extract information from USGS digital elevation models. Hillslope gradients were also measured using GIS software. Power-law relationships for local valley relief, width, and cross-sectional area as a function of drainage area were developed. Local valley relief in glaciated valleys relates to drainage area with a power-law exponent similar to fluvial valleys, but glaciated valleys are deeper for a given drainage area. Local valley width in glaciated valleys is greater than in fluvial valleys, but the exponent of the power-law relationship to drainage area is similar in both valley types. Local valley cross-sectional area in glaciated valleys increases with drainage area with a power-law exponent similar to fluvial valleys, however, glacial valleys have roughly 80% greater cross-sectional area. Steep valley walls in glaciated basins increase the potential for bedrock landsliding relative to fluvial basins. Both the Olympic Mountains of Washington and valleys in central Idaho show relationships in which glaciated valleys are up to 30% deeper than fluvial valleys despite differences in lithology, tectonic setting, and climate.     

Late Pleistocene dune construction in the Central Sand Plain of Wisconsin, USA

Wisconsin's Central Sand Plain east of the Wisconsin River is composed of eolian sand forming high-relief dunes surrounded by sand sheets and scattered low-relief dunes. To establish a maximum age for dune formation, three samples for optical dating were taken from glacial Lake Wisconsin lacustrine sediment that underlies eolian sand. These age estimates range from 19.3 to 13.6ka. Age estimates taken from within or at the base of the dunes range from 14.0 to 10.6ka. Samples taken from < 2m of the ground surface were slightly younger, indicating dunes were stabilized between 11.8 and 5.5ka. The younger ages near the surface of some dunes were most likely the result of pedoturbation or localized problems with applying the optical dating method. The majority of the optical age estimates from dunes (18 of 21) indicated that most of the dunes were active between 14 and 10ka and that most dune activity ended by 10ka. These ages suggest that localized activity on dune crests may have occurred in the Holocene but would have been limited to < 1m of sand accumulation. The timing of dune activity and the lack of any significant Holocene reactivation suggest that dune activation in this setting cannot be attributed solely to changes in aridity. Instead, we attribute dune formation to changes in sediment availability from either sand inputs from the Wisconsin River or the melting of permafrost.     

POST-DRAINAGE ICE DAM RESPONSE AT LAKE MERZBACHER, INYLCHEK GLACIER, KYRGYZSTAN

The Inylchek glacier system in Central Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan, comprises a large glacier‐dammed lake which usually drains once a year through a subglacial drainage system. Detailed GPS measurements on the ice dam and the analysis of Aster scenes from several subsequent years provide insight into the post‐drainage dam response and the changed ice dynamic conditions. We demonstrate that during high water levels in the lake a large part of the ice dam is afloat, lifting the ice surface up to almost 20 m in the central dam region. During this phase of extensive flotation strong calving is facilitated, which is supported by the high density of ice debris in the lake. In general, surface ice velocities are about 1.5‐2 times higher during summer than winter. Closer to the lake, however, ice velocities increase considerably after the drainage event, showing values more than three times the annual mean. The increased mass flux during the phase of high lake level needs to be compensated by replenishment of the lost ice from the dam. Therefore the ice velocities show compressive flow during the remaining part of the year. These results show that Southern Inylchek glacier is strongly influenced by the existence of the lake.     

A 17,900-year multi-proxy lacustrine record of Lago Puyehue (Chilean Lake District): introduction

This paper introduces the background and main results of a research project aimed at unravelling the paleolimnological and paleoclimatological history of Lago Puyehue (40° S, Lake District, Chile) since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), based on the study of several sediment cores from the lake and on extensive fieldwork in the lake catchment. The longest record was obtained in an 11-m-long piston core. An age-depth model was established by AMS ¹⁴C dating, ²¹⁰Pb and ²³⁷Cs measurements, identification of event-deposits, and varve-counting for the past 600 years. The core extends back to 17,915 cal. yr. BP, and the seismic data indicate that an open-lake sedimentary environment already existed several thousands of years before that. The core was submitted to a multi-proxy analysis, including sedimentology, mineralogy, grain-size, major geochemistry and organic geochemistry (C/N ratio, δ¹³C), loss-on-ignition, magnetic susceptibility, diatom analysis and palynology. Along-core variations in sediment composition reveal that the area of Lago Puyehue was characterized since the LGM by a series of rapid climate fluctuations superimposed on a long-term warming trend. Identified climate fluctuations confirm a.o. the existence of a Late-Glacial cold reversal predating the northern-hemisphere Younger Dryas cold period by 500–1,000 years, as well as the existence of an early southern-hemisphere Holocene climatic optimum. Varve-thickness analyses over the past 600 years reveal periodicities similar to those associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, as well as intervals with increased precipitation, related to an intensification of the El Niño impact during the southern-hemisphere equivalent of the Little Ice Age.