Reconstructing hydrological variability from testate amoebae analysis in Carpathian peatlands

Peatlands offer the potential for high resolution records of water balance over Holocene timescales, yet this potential is under-exploited in many areas of the world. Within Europe, peatlands are mostly confined to areas north of 55° N, but several areas of southern and eastern Europe contain small peatlands which may be suitable for palaeoclimatic reconstruction. In this paper we test the potential of peatlands in the Carpathian region for deriving quantified estimates of water table changes using testate amoebae analysis. A training set for palaeohydrological reconstruction from testate amoebae assemblages was obtained by collecting surface samples from 13 peatlands, including 9 from Hungary and 4 from Transylvania (Romania). Using a simple measure of mean annual water tables estimated from staining of PVC tape, we found that some peatlands were heavily influenced by runoff and groundwater, and were therefore not suitable as modern analogues of ombrotrophic climatically sensitive sites. The relationship between the testate amoebae assemblages in the modern samples and the environmental variables was explored using CCA. The CCA biplot showed that the most important variables are depth to water table and moisture content, confirming that hydrology is a key control on taxon distribution. pH was a secondary gradient. A transfer function for % moisture and depth to water table was established and applied to fossil assemblages from a sequence from Fenyves-tető, Transylvania, Romania. The reconstructed water table shows a number of variations which have parallels with other palaeoclimatic records from Europe and the North Atlantic prominent phases of higher water tables are associated with the periods 8000–8300 cal BP, 3000–2500 cal BP and after 600 cal BP. We suggest that these were periods of particular intensification of westerly airflow which affected eastern Europe as well as western and central Europe.     

Holocene alluviation in Southeast England and some implications for palaeohydrological studies

Implicit in models of palaeohydrological reconstruction is the assumption that a close relationship exists between climate, hydrological regime, and fluvial systems. Unfortunately, there can be a number of complicating factors involved, some of which are becoming increasingly well known. Research into Holocene alluviation in southeast England has demonstrated some associated difficulties which range from the problem of relating anthropogenically modified drainage networks to an understanding of contemporary rates of floodplain development to the impact of prehistoric societies on valley sedimentation. A theoretical model is presented whereby varying geomorphic domains contributing to floodplain and valley fill construction can be recognized. It is suggested that attempts to apply this framework to palaeohydrological studies may assist in the realization of a more accurate reconstruction in which former hydrological responses are integrated within a broader palaeoenvironmental context.     

Geomorphological evolution of a Lowland valley system during the Weichselian

Weichselian geomorphological and fluvial evolution has been recorded in the valley fill of the Reusel, a small tributary of the lower Maas river. It has been studied by means of borehole sections. A first deep incision into the substratum occurred during the Early Weichselian-Lower Pleniglacial. This was followed by aggradation, at first by a braided river, at a later date by a meandering river, dating respectively from the Lower and Middle Pleniglacial. The Upper Pleniglacial aggradation again points to a braided river system. The end of the Pleniglacial is characterized by aeolian infilling of the valley and decreasing carrying capacity of the river.     

Channel avulsion and river metamorphosis: The case of the Thomson River,Victoria, Australia

Channel avulsion occurred on the Thomson River in Victoria, Australia, in 1952 along a 12 km length of the valley. A comparison of the old and new channels reveals considerable differences in channel characteristics. The old channel was perched above the floodplain on an alluvial ridge such that when bankfull capacity was exceeded, floodwaters concentrated on the lowest part of the floodplain some distance away. This is where the new channel formed. It is an incised channel with larger capacity and longer meander wavelength than the old channel and is also shorter and steeper. The new channel is subject to larger floodflows and a more variable flood regime than the old course because of the differences in the channel/floodplain relationship and channel capacity. The resulting concentration of stream power along the new course is responsible for the contrast in channel characteristics and for the more rapid meander migration. This example shows that river metamorphosis can occur without major environmental changes. Measures of channel geometry such as gradient, sinuosity, and meander wavelength therefore cannot be used in palaeohydrological work to infer climatic or other environmental changes without independent supporting evidence. Differences in channel geometry can arise simply from changes in the relationship between the channel and its loodplain.     

Hydrogeological investigation of mud-mound springs developed over a weathered basalt aquifer on the Liverpool Plains,New South Wales,Australia

The growth and collapse of mud mounds at a site on the Liverpool Plains in northern New South Wales, Australia has been observed over a 12-year period. The mud mounds appeared in a flat field for the first time in living memory in 1989, but their prior existence in the early Holocene is indicated by archaeological data. The piezometric head in bores drilled through a 7-m bed of clayey silt and screened in weathered basalt at a depth of 8 m was more than 2 m above ground level. Clay has been carried in suspension by water seeping to the ground surface where it has accumulated and formed a mound. Approximately eight years after their initial appearance, the growth of the mounds stopped and within a further three years they had almost completely disappeared.Mechanisms for the growth and decay of the mounds are reviewed. The chemistry of the shallow bore water and the water seeping from the surface of the mounds was dominated by sodium bicarbonate with a 4 mEq/l increase between the weathered basalt and the surface of the mound. Inverse modelling (PHREEQC) is used to determine possible chemical reactions that can account for this increase.

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Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10040-003-0278-0.

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Resumen Se ha observado durante 12 años el crecimiento y el colapso de montículos de lodo en un emplazamiento ubicado en las Llanuras de Liverpool, en el estado australiano de Nueva Gales del Sur. Según la memoria existente, los montículos de lodo aparecieron en un campo llano por vez primera en 1989, pero, por datos arqueológicos, se conoce de su existencia a comienzos del Holoceno. Los niveles piezométricos en sondeos perforados a través de 7 m de limos arcillosos y ranurados en el basalto meteorizado a 8 m son superiores en más de 2 m a la superficie del terreno. La arcilla es portada en suspensión por el agua que descarga hacia la superficie del terreno, donde se acumula y forma el montículo. Unos 8 años después de su aparición, el crecimiento de los montículos se detiene y éstos acaban prácticamente desapareciendo en otros 3 años.Se revisa los mecanismos que originan el crecimiento y desaparición de los montículos. La química de las aguas someras de los sondeos y del agua que se filtra desde la superficie de los montículos está dominada por bicarbonato sódico, con un incremento de 4 meq/L entre el basalto meteorizado y la superficie del montículo. Se utiliza la modelación inversa (PHREEQC) para determinar las reacciones químicas que pueden explicar dicho aumento.

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Résumé La croissance et l'effondrement de monticules de vase situés dans les plaines de Liverpool, dans le nord des Nouvelles Galles du Sud, ont été observés pendant 12 ans. Les monticules de vase sont apparus en terrain plat pour la première fois de mémoire d'homme en 1989; mais leur existence antérieure dès le début de l'Holocène est attesté par des données archéologiques. Le niveau piézométrique dans des forages traversant 7 m de silt argileux et recouvrant un basalte altéré à 8 m était de plus de 2 m au-dessus de la surface du sol. L'argile a été apportée en suspension par l'eau suintant à la surface du sol où elle s'est accumulée pour former un monticule. Environ 8 ans après leur première apparition, la croissance des monticules s'est arrêtée et ils ont presque complètement disparu dans les 3 ans qui ont suivi.Les mécanismes de croissance et de régression de ces monticules sont passés en revue. La chimie de l'eau des forages à proximité de la surface et de l'eau filtrant à la surface des monticules était dominée par le bicarbonate de sodium, avec une augmentation de 4 meq/l entre le basalte altéré et la surface du monticule. Une modélisation inverse (PHREEQC) a été mise en uvre pour déterminer les réactions possibles pouvant rendre compte de cet accroissement.

     

Late Glacial and Holocene Palaeoenvironmental Changes in the Rostov-Yaroslavl’ Area, West Central Russia

Three lake sediment sequences (lakes Nero, Chashnitsy, Zaozer’e) from the Rostov-Jaroslavl’ region north of Moscow were studied to provide information on palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental changes during the past 15,000 cal yr. The multi-proxy study (i.e., pollen, macrofossils, mineral magnetic measurements, total carbon, nitrogen and sulphur) is chronologically constrained by AMS ¹⁴C measurements. Lake Nero provided the longest sedimentary record back to ca. 15,000 cal yr BP, while sediment accumulation began around ca. 11,000 cal yr BP in the two other lakes, possibly due to melting of permafrost. Limnic plant macrofossil remains suggest increased lake productivity and higher mean summer temperatures after 14,500 cal yr BP. While the late glacial vegetation was dominated by Betula and Salix shrubs and various herbs, it appears that Betula sect. Albae became established as early as 14,000 cal yr BP. Major hydrological changes in the region led to distinctly lower lake levels, starting 13,000 cal yr BP in Lake Nero and ca. 9000 cal yr BP in lakes Chashnitsy and Zaozer’e, which are situated at higher elevations. These changes resulted in sedimentary hiatuses in all three lakes that lasted 3500–4500 cal yr. Mixed broad-leaved – coniferous forests were widespread in the area between 8200 and 6100 cal yr BP and developed into dense, species-rich forests between 6100 and 2500 cal yr BP, during what was likely the warmest interval of the studied sequences. Agricultural activity is documented since 500 cal yr BP, but probably began earlier, since Rostov was a major capital by 862 A.D. This apparent gap may be caused by additional sedimentary hiatuses around 2500 and 500 cal yr BP.     

Palaeoflood hydrology of the Salt river,Arizona

Geomorphic evidence along bedrock-confined reaches of the Salt River in east-central Arizona provides a record of the river's largest flood events. Fine-grained flood slackwater deposits accumulated at channel margin irregularities several metres above the low-flow channel. Discharges associated with flow events responsible for the deposits were estimated by computer flow modelling. These estimates document flood magnitudes in excess of gauged historic streamflows. Relative and radiocarbon dating suggest that a flood record in excess of 600 y is preserved in the slackwater sequences. A prominent flood scar cut into grussy hillslope soils allows the extension of the prehistoric flood record to several thousand years. A maximum discharge estimate of 4600 m³s^?1 affixed to the flood scar represents the largest flood event in the record, and is given a minimum recurrence interval of 1000–2000 y. The 1952 flood is the largest historic flow event experienced along the study reach and is estimated at 2900 m³s^?1. Two palaeoflood events preserved in the slackwater stratigraphy exceed the 1952 event, and are given recurrence intervals of 300 and 600 y. The latter flood event had an estimated discharge of 3200 m³s^?1. It is apparent that discharge estimates affixed to these infrequent, large-magnitude flood events approach a maximum with decreased probabilities (large recurrence intervals). This suggests that a physical limit on discharge may exist within the Salt River drainage basin and is perhaps directly related to drainage basin size.     

Using multiple archives to understand past and present climate–human–environment interactions: the lake Erhai catchment,Yunnan Province,China

A 6.48 m sediment core sequence from Erhai lake, Yunnan Province, provides a multi-proxy record of Holocene environmental evolution and human activity in southwest China. These sedimentary records provide proxy time series for catchment vegetation, flooding, soil erosion, sediment sources and metal workings. They are complemented by independent regional climate time-series from speleothems, archaeological records of human habitation, and a detailed documented environmental history. The article attempts to integrate these data sources to provide a Holocene scale record of environmental change and human–environment interactions. These interactions are analysed in order to identify the roles of climate and social drivers on environmental change, and the lessons that may be learned about the future sustainability of the landscape. The main conclusions are: lake sediment evidence for human impacts from at least 7,500 cal year BP is supported by a terrestrial record of cultural horizons that may extend back to ∼9,000 cal year BP. A major shift in the pollen assemblage, defined by detrended correspondence analysis, at ∼4,800 cal year BP marks the transition from a ‘nature-dominated’ to a ‘human-dominated’ landscape. From 4,300 cal year BP, a change in river discharge responses may signal the beginning of hydraulic modification through drainage and irrigation. Major increases in disturbed land taxa and loss of forest taxa from 2,200 cal year BP onward, also associated with the start of significant topsoil erosion, register the expansion of agriculture by Han peoples. It is also the start of silver smelting linked to trade along the SW Silk Road with Dali becoming a regional centre. Peak levels of disturbed land taxa, topsoil and gully erosion are associated with the rise and fall of the Nanzhao (CE 738–902) and Dali (CE 937–1253) Kingdoms, and the documented environmental crisis that occurred in the late Ming and Qing dynasties (CE 1644–1911). The crisis coincides with a stronger summer monsoon, but exploitation of marginal agricultural land is the main driver. These historical perspectives provide insight into the resilience and sustainability of the modern agricultural system. The largest threat comes from high magnitude-low frequency flooding of lower dry farmed terraces and irrigated valley plains. A sustainable future depends on reducing the use of high altitude and steep slopes for grazing and cultivation, maintaining engineered flood defences and terraces, and anticipating the behaviour of the summer monsoon. This article is based on a keynote address delivered by John Dearing at the 10th International Paleolimnology Symposium, June 2006, Duluth, Minnesota, USA.     

南疆博斯腾湖近12.0kaB.P.以来古气候与古水文状况的变化

对南疆博斯腾湖相沉积物多手段的综合研究，揭示了近12．0KaB.P，以来古气候与古水文状况的变化与特征。结果表明，其气候的演化特征具有明显的西风型环境演变特征。研究还发现气候120ka、10.0ka、4.0ka和1.5kaB.P.存在显著的阶梯式增暖变干特征，其中暖峰主要出现于11．5－11．0ka、9.4ka、7.5-7.0ka、6.5-6.0ka、3.0ka和2.0kaB.P.,气候特征以干暖为主，湖泊水文特征总体表现为盐度增加、水位下降、湖面缩小；而冷峰主要出现于11．0－10．0ka、8．8ka5．0－4．5ka和1．5kaB.P.,此时湖泊膨胀淡化，湖面上升。在7．0－5．0kaB.P.期间出现的相对暖湿环境特征可能是全新世大暖期最盛期暖湿气候特征的反映，可能与此时西南夏季风势力增强有关，湖泊水文状况明显变好。     

Hydrological response of a dryland ephemeral river to southern African climatic variability during the last millennium

A long-term flood record from the Buffels River, the largest ephemeral river of NW South Africa (9250 km²), was reconstructed based on interpretation of palaeoflood, documentary and instrumental rainfall data. Palaeoflood data were obtained at three study reaches, with preserved sedimentary evidence indicating at least 25 large floods during the last 700 yr. Geochronological control for the palaeoflood record was provided by radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Annual resolution was obtained since the 19th century using the overlapping documentary and instrumental records. Large floods coincided in the past within three main hydroclimatic settings: (1) periods of regular large flood occurrence (1 large flood/~30 yr) under wetter and cooler prevailing climatic conditions (AD 1600–1800), (2) decreasing occurrence of large floods (1 large flood/~100 yr) during warmer conditions (e.g., AD 1425–1600 and after 1925), and (3) periods of high frequency of large floods (~ 4–5 large floods in 20–30 yr) coinciding with wetter conditions of decadal duration, namely at AD 1390–1425, 1800–1825 and 1915–1925. These decadal-scale periods of the highest flood frequency seem to correspond in time with changes in atmospheric circulation patterns, as inferred when comparing their onset and distribution with temperature proxies in southern Africa.