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- Wolfe, Alexander P., et al.
(författare)
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Stratigraphic expressions of the Holocene-Anthropocene transition revealed in sediments from remote lakes
- 2013
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Ingår i: Earth-Science Reviews. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-6828 .- 0012-8252. ; 116, s. 17-34
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stratigraphic boundaries are ideally defined by distinct lithological, geochemical, and palaeobiological signatures, to which a chronological framework can be applied. We present a range of observations that illustrate how the Holocene-Anthropocene transition meets these criteria in its expression in sediments from remote arctic and alpine lakes, removed from direct, catchment-scale, anthropogenic influences. In glaciated lake basins, the retreat of glaciers commonly leads to lithological successions from proglacial clastic sedimentation to non-glacial organic deposition. Sediments from the majority of lakes record marked depletions in the nitrogen stable isotopic composition of sediment organic matter, reflecting anthropogenic influences on the global nitrogen cycle. In all cases, siliceous microfossil assemblages (diatoms and chrysophytes) change markedly and directionally, with regional nuances. These stratigraphic fingerprints begin to appear in the sediment record after AD 1850, but accelerate in pulses between AD 1950 and 1970 and again after AD 1980. Our review indicates that recent environmental changes associated with humankind's dominance of key global biogeochemical cycles are sufficiently pervasive to be imprinted on the sediment record of remote lakes. Moreover, these changes are of sufficient magnitude to conclude that the Holocene has effectively ended, and that the concept of Anthropocene more aptly describes current planetary dynamics. The synthesis of these observations pertains directly to ongoing discussions concerning the eventual formalization of a new stratigraphic boundary. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Polyak, Leonid, et al.
(författare)
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History of sea ice in the Arctic
- 2010
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Ingår i: Quaternary Science Reviews. - : Elsevier BV. - 0277-3791 .- 1873-457X. ; 29:15-16, s. 1757-1778
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Arctic sea-ice extent and volume are declining rapidly. Several studies project that the Arctic Ocean may become seasonally ice-free by the year 2040 or even earlier. Putting this into perspective requires information on the history of Arctic sea-ice conditions through the geologic past. This information can be provided by proxy records from the Arctic Ocean floor and from the surrounding coasts. Although existing records are far from complete, they indicate that sea ice became a feature of the Arctic by 47 Ma, following a pronounced decline in atmospheric pCO(2) after the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Optimum, and consistently covered at least part of the Arctic Ocean for no less than the last 13-14 million years. Ice was apparently most widespread during the last 2-3 million years, in accordance with Earth's overall cooler climate. Nevertheless, episodes of considerably reduced sea ice or even seasonally ice-free conditions occurred during warmer periods linked to orbital variations. The last low-ice event related to orbital forcing (high insolation) was in the early Holocene, after which the northern high latitudes cooled overall, with some superimposed shorterterm (multidecadal to millennial-scale) and lower-magnitude variability. The current reduction in Arctic ice cover started in the late 19th century, consistent with the rapidly warming climate, and became very pronounced over the last three decades. This ice loss appears to be unmatched over at least the last few thousand years and unexplainable by any of the known natural variabilities.
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