Vegetation and climate changes in northwestern Russia during the Lateglacial and Holocene inferred from the Lake Ladoga pollen record

The new pollen record from the upper 12.75 m of a sediment core obtained in Lake Ladoga documents regional vegetation and climate changes in northwestern Russia over the last 13.9 cal. ka. The Lateglacial chronostratigraphy is based on varve chronology, while the Holocene stratigraphy is based on AMS ¹⁴C and OSL dates, supported by comparison with regional pollen records. During the Lateglacial (c. 13.9–11.2 cal. ka BP), the Lake Ladoga region experienced several climatic fluctuations as reflected in vegetation changes. Shrub and grass communities dominated between c. 13.9 and 13.2 cal. ka BP. The increase in Picea pollen at c. 13.2 cal. ka BP probably reflects the appearance of spruce in the southern Ladoga region at the beginning of the Allerød interstadial. After c. 12.6 cal. ka BP, the Younger Dryas cooling caused a significant decrease in spruce and increase in Artemisia with other herbs, indicative of tundra‐ and steppe‐like vegetation. A sharp transition from tundra‐steppe habitats to sparse birch forests characterizes the onset of Holocene warming c. 11.2 cal. ka BP. Pine forests dominated in the region from c. 9.0 to 8.1 cal. ka BP. The most favourable climatic conditions for deciduous broad‐leaved taxa existed between c. 8.1 and 5.5 cal. ka BP. Alder experiences an abrupt increase in the local vegetation c. 7.8 cal. ka BP. The decrease in tree pollen taxa (especially Picea) and the increase in herbs (mainly Poaceae) probably reflect human activity during the last 2.2 cal. ka. Pine forests have dominated the region since that time. Secale and other Cerealia pollen as well as ruderal herbs are permanently recorded since c. 0.8 cal. ka BP.     

Vendian tectono-magmatic events in mantle ophiolitic complexes of the polar Urals: U-Pb dating of zircon from chromitite

Geological and isotopic evidence of Late Vendian magmatic events in restitic ultramafic mantle rocks of the Voikar-Syn’ya ophiolitic massif are considered and correlated with events at the eastern margin of the East European Platform. The geological and isotopic data show that the ophiolitic complexes of the Polar Urals were formed during several stages. The percolation of melts through peridotites was recorded in the newly formed mineral assemblages, for example, olivine + chromite ± zircon. Zircon crystallized from the residual fraction of the evolved basic melt that impregnated peridotite. The active interaction of hot restitic harzburgite with the migrating melt resumed repeatedly and could have led to the formation of several generations of chromite-bearing dunite. An important geological inference can be made from this suggestion: There is a high probability that isotopic markers of different age have been retained in restitic mantle complexes of ophiolites. The U-Pb dating of zircons with a SHRIMP-2 ion microprobe has shown that the isotopic age of seven grains is 585.3 ± 6 Ma (MSWD is 0.036 and the probability of concordance is 0.85). The obtained age of zircon from chromitite marks a Vendian tectonomagmatic event that occurred in the upper mantle of the transitional zone between the East European Plate and the oceanic basin. The island-arc complexes of the Polar Urals developed on the tectonically juxtaposed fragments of the Early Paleozoic and pre-Paleozoic oceanic crust. These crustal rocks were reworked during younger magmatic events related to the origin of the Middle Paleozoic island arcs. As a result, the rocks that formed in different geological epochs were locally retained in the restitic mantle complexes of a spatially indivisible ophiolitic association.     

Polychronous formation of mantle complexes in ophiolites

The paper presents new determinations of the U-Pb zircon age of high-Al chromitite from dunite of the mantle section of the Voikar-Synya massif at the Kershor site in the boundary zone with rocks of the dunite-wehrlite-clinopyroxenite complex. The high-Cr chromitite from dunite in the central part of the same massif contains zircon dated at ca. 0.6 Ga [10]. It is suggested that Paleoproterozoic (2.0?1.9 Ga) zircons from chromitites of the mantle section near the petrological Moho boundary were formed in the course of partial melting of peridotites and/or their interaction with migrating MORB-type melts. The occurrence of Vendian and Paleoproterozoic zircons in chromitites from different parts of the mantle section, as well as previously published petrological, geochemical, and geological data [2, 11, 22] allow us to suggest a complex multistage evolution of the mantle section in ophiolites. The arguments stated below show that chromitites and host dunites could have been formed at different times and were probably related to different processes. Thus, not only various complexes of the pre-Paleozoic oceanic crust reworked in the suprasubduction setting differ in age, but also the mantle rock of similar petrography, vary in the time of their formation.     

A climate shift in seasonal values of meteorological and hydrological parameters for Northeastern Asia

The well-known climate shift that occurred around 1976/1977 in the marine ecosystem of North Pacific Ocean was preceded by changes in the early 1970s over Northeastern Asia. In this paper long-term variability of Siberian High and Aleutian Low parameters, seasonal discharge of Siberian rivers and air temperature and precipitation regime in their watersheds are examined in data sets covering 1945–1995. It was found that the change in seasonal values of Siberian river discharges is a consequence of an atmospheric climatic shift that occurred in the early 1970s over North Asia. This shift was induced by a change in atmospheric circulation pattern in the Eurasian sector and Pacific sector of the Northern Hemisphere after 1970. It resulted in changes in position and intensity of the Siberian High and Aleutian Low before and after the 1970s, which induced a different pattern of precipitation in West and East Siberia. There was an increase in winter precipitation over West Siberia but a decrease over East Siberia. The period after 1970s is characterized by higher amplitude of all parameters and increases in the year-to-year variability.     

New data about structure and time of formation of the Khamar-Daban terrane: U-Pb LA-ICP-MS zircon ages

This paper provides new data on the age of detrital zircons from metaterrigenous rocks of the Khamardaban Group (Kornilovskaya and Shubutuiskaya formations) which crown the succession of the Khamar-Daban terrain. It was established that the accumulation of the protoliths of both formations occurred in the interval between the Late Riphean and Early Ordovician. In this case, there is a difference between sequences of Shubutuiskaya and Kornilovskaya formations due to a sharp change in a provenance area and depositional conditions, which is a consequence of the change in the paleogeodynamic environment. In addition, this indicates the tectonic juxtaposition of these sequences and probability of accumulation of deposits of the Shubutuiskaya Formation within Dzhida island arc system.     

Lateglacial and Holocene environmental history of the central Kola region,northwestern Russia revealed by a sediment succession from Lake Imandra

Bolshaya Imandra, the northern sub-basin of Lake Imandra, was investigated by a hydro-acoustic survey followed by sediment coring down to the acoustic basement. The sediment record was analysed by a combined physical, biogeochemical, sedimentological, granulometrical and micropalaeontological approach to reconstruct the regional climatic and environmental history. Chronological control was obtained by ¹⁴C dating, ¹³⁷Cs, and Hg markers as well as pollen stratigraphy and revealed that the sediment succession offers the first continuous record spanning the Lateglacial and Holocene for this lake. Following the deglaciation prior to c. 13 200 cal. a BP, the lake's sub-basin initially was occupied by a glacifluvial river system, before a proglacial lake with glaciolacustrine sedimentation established. Rather mild climate, a sparse vegetation cover and successive retreat of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS) from the lake catchment characterized the Bølling/Allerød interstadial, lasting until 12 710 cal. a BP. During the subsequent Younger Dryas chronozone, until 11 550 cal. a BP, climate cooling led to a decrease in vegetation cover and a re-advance of the SIS. The SIS disappeared from the catchment at the Holocene transition, but small glaciers persisted in the mountains at the eastern lake shore. During the Early Holocene, until 8400 cal. a BP, sedimentation changed from glaciolacustrine to lacustrine and rising temperatures caused the spread of thermophilous vegetation. The Middle Holocene, until 3700 cal. a BP, comprises the regional Holocene Thermal Maximum (8000–4600 cal. a BP) with relatively stable temperatures, denser vegetation cover and absence of mountain glaciers. Reoccurrence of mountain glaciers during the Late Holocene, until 30 cal. a BP, presumably results from a slight cooling and increased humidity. Since c. 30 cal. a BP Lake Imandra has been strongly influenced by human impact, originating in industrial and mining activities. Our results are in overall agreement with vegetation and climate reconstructions in the Kola region.     

Unprecedented Ozone Depletion in the Arctic Stratosphere during Winter–Spring of 2020

Doklady Earth Sciences - Unprecedentedly long and intense depletion in stratospheric ozone over the Arctic observed from January to April 2020 is analyzed. For analysis of the parameters, we...