| 1. |
- Kylander, Malin E., et al.
(author)
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It's in your glass : a history of sea level and storminess from the Laphroaig bog, Islay (southwestern Scotland)
- 2020
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In: Boreas. - : Wiley. - 0300-9483 .- 1502-3885. ; 49:1, s. 152-167
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Severe winter windstorms have become an increasingly common occurrence over recent decades in northwestern Europe. Although there exists considerable uncertainty, storminess is projected to increase in the future. On centennial to millennial time scales in particular, the mechanisms forcing storminess remain unsettled. We contribute to available palaeostorm records by reconstructing changes over the last 6670 years using a coastal peat sequence retrieved from the ombrotrophic Laphroaig bog on Islay, southwestern Scotland. We use a combination of ash content, grain size and elemental chemistry to identify periods of greater storminess, which are dated to 6605, 6290-6225, 5315-5085, 4505, 3900-3635, 3310-3130, 2920-2380, 2275-2190, 2005-1860, 1305-1090, 805-435 and 275 cal. a BP. Storm signals in the first half of the record up to similar to 3000 cal. a BP are mainly apparent in the grain-size changes. Samples from this time period also have a different elemental signature than those later in the record. We speculate that this is due to receding sea levels and the consequent establishment of a new sand source in the form of dunes, which are still present today. The most significant events and strongest winds are found during the Iron Ages Cold Epoch (2645 cal. a BP), the transition into, and in the middle of, the Roman Ages Warm Period (2235 and 1965 cal. a BP) and early in the Little Ice Age (545 cal. a BP). The Laphroaig record generally agrees with regionally relevant peat palaeostorm records from Wales and the Outer Hebrides, although the relative importance of the different storm periods is not the same. In general, stormier periods are coeval with cold periods in the region as evidenced by parallels with increased ice-rafted debris in the North Atlantic, highlighting that sea-ice conditions could impact future storminess and storm track position.
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| 2. |
- Kylander, Malin E., 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Storm chasing : Tracking Holocene storminess in southern Sweden using mineral proxies from inland and coastal peat bogs
- 2023
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In: Quaternary Science Reviews. - : Elsevier BV. - 0277-3791 .- 1873-457X. ; 299, s. 107854-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Severe extratropical winter storms are a recurrent feature of the European climate and cause widespread socioeconomic losses. Due to insufficient long-term data, it remains unclear whether storminess has shown a notable response to changes in external forcing over the past millennia, which impacts our ability to project future storminess in a changing climate. Reconstructing past storm variability is essential to improving our understanding of storms on these longer, missing timescales. Peat sequences from coastal ombrotrophic bogs are increasingly used for this purpose, where greater quantities of coarser grained beach sand are deposited by strong winds during storm events. Moving inland however, storm intensity decreases, as does sand availability, muting potential paleostorm signals in bogs. We circumvent these issues by taking the innovative approach of using mid-infrared (MIR) spectral data, supported by elemental information, from the inorganic fraction of Store Mosse Dune South (SMDS), a 5000-year-old sequence from a large peatland located in southern Sweden. We infer past changes in mineral composition and thereby, the grain size of the deposited material. The record is dominated by quartz, whose coarse nature was confirmed through analyses of potential local source sediments. This was supported by further mineralogical and elemental proxies of atmospheric input. Comparison of SMDS with within-bog and regionally relevant records showed that there is a difference in proxy and site response to what should be similar timing in shifts in storminess over the-100 km transect considered. We suggest the construction of regional storm stacks, built here by applying changepoint modelling to four transect sites jointly. This modelling approach has the effect of reinforcing signals in common while reducing the influence of random noise. The resulting Southern Sweden-Storm Stack dates stormier periods to 4495-4290, 3880-3790, 2885-2855, 2300-2005, 1175-1065 and 715-425 cal yr BP. By comparing with a newly constructed Western Scotland-Storm Stack and proximal dune records, we argue that regional storm stacks allow us to better compare past storminess over wider areas, gauge storm track movements and by extension, increase our understanding of the drivers of storminess on centennial to millennial timescales.
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| 3. |
- Bertrand, Sebastien, et al.
(author)
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Inorganic geochemistry of lake sediments : a review of analytical techniques and guidelines for data interpretation
- 2024
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In: Earth-Science Reviews. - : Elsevier. - 0012-8252 .- 1872-6828. ; 249
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inorganic geochemistry is a powerful tool in paleolimnology. It has become one of the most commonly used techniques to analyze lake sediments, particularly due to the development and increasing availability of XRF core scanners during the last two decades. It allows for the reconstruction of the continuous processes that occur in lakes and their watersheds, and it is ideally suited to identify event deposits. How earth surface processes and limnological conditions are recorded in the inorganic geochemical composition of lake sediments is, however, relatively complex. Here, we review the main techniques used for the inorganic geochemical analysis of lake sediments and we offer guidance on sample preparation and instrument selection. We then summarize the best practices to process and interpret bulk inorganic geochemical data. In particular, we emphasize that log-ratio transformation is critical for the rigorous statistical analysis of geochemical datasets, whether they are obtained by XRF core scanning or more traditional techniques. In addition, we show that accurately interpreting inorganic geochemical data requires a sound understanding of the main components of the sediment (organic matter, biogenic silica, carbonates, lithogenic particles) and mineral assemblages. Finally, we provide a series of examples illustrating the potential and limits of inorganic geochemistry in paleolimnology. Although the examples presented in this paper focus on lake and fjord sediments, the principles presented here also apply to other sedimentary environments.
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| 4. |
- Capo, Eric, et al.
(author)
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Lake sedimentary dna research on past terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity: Overview and recommendations
- 2021
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In: Quaternary. - : MDPI. - 2571-550X. ; 4:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The use of lake sedimentary DNA to track the long-term changes in both terrestrial and aquatic biota is a rapidly advancing field in paleoecological research. Although largely applied nowadays, knowledge gaps remain in this field and there is therefore still research to be conducted to ensure the reliability of the sedimentary DNA signal. Building on the most recent literature and seven original case studies, we synthesize the state-of-the-art analytical procedures for effective sampling, extraction, amplification, quantification and/or generation of DNA inventories from sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) via high-throughput sequencing technologies. We provide recommendations based on current knowledge and best practises.
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| 5. |
- Capo, Eric, et al.
(author)
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Landscape setting drives the microbial eukaryotic community structure in four Swedish mountain lakes over the holocene
- 2021
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In: Microorganisms. - : MDPI. - 2076-2607. ; 9:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- On the annual and interannual scales, lake microbial communities are known to be heavily influenced by environmental conditions both in the lake and in its terrestrial surroundings. How-ever, the influence of landscape setting and environmental change on shaping these communities over a longer (millennial) timescale is rarely studied. Here, we applied an 18S metabarcoding approach to DNA preserved in Holocene sediment records from two pairs of co‐located Swedish mountain lakes. Our data revealed that the microbial eukaryotic communities were strongly influenced by catchment characteristics rather than location. More precisely, the microbial communities from the two bedrock lakes were largely dominated by unclassified Alveolata, while the peatland lakes showed a more diverse microbial community, with Ciliophora, Chlorophyta and Chytrids among the more predominant groups. Furthermore, for the two bedrock‐dominated lakes—where the oldest DNA samples are dated to only a few hundred years after the lake formation—certain Alveolata, Chlorophytes, Stramenopiles and Rhizaria taxa were found prevalent throughout all the sediment profiles. Our work highlights the importance of species sorting due to landscape setting and the persistence of microbial eukaryotic diversity over millennial timescales in shaping modern lake microbial communities.
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| 6. |
- Cooke, Colin A., et al.
(author)
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Environmental archives of atmospheric Hg deposition : a review
- 2020
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In: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 709
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Environmental archives offer an opportunity to reconstruct temporal trends in atmospheric Hg deposition at various timescales. Lake sediment and peat have been the most widely used archives; however, new records from ice, tree rings, and the measurement of Hg stable isotopes, are offering new insights into past Hg cycling. Preindustrial Hg deposition has been studied over decadal to millennial timescales extending as far back as the late Pleistocene. Exploitation of mercury deposits (mainly cinnabar) first began during the mid to late Holocene in South America, Europe, and Asia, but increased dramatically during the Colonial era (1532-1900) for silver production. However, evidence for preindustrial Hg pollution is restricted to regions directly downwind or downstream of cinnabar or precious metal mining centers. Excluding these areas, there has been an approximately four-fold increase in atmospheric deposition globally over the industrial era (i.e., since 1800-1850), though regional differences exist, especially during the early 20th Century. Lake sediments, peat, ice, and tree rings are all influenced by (and integrate) a range of processes. For example, lake sediments are influenced by atmospheric deposition, sediment focusing, and the input of allochthonous material from the watershed, peat records reflect atmospheric deposition and biotic uptake, ice cores are a record of Hg scrubbed during precipitation, and tree rings record atmospheric concentrations. No archive represents an absolute record of past Hg deposition or concentrations, and post-depositional transformation of Hg profiles remains an important topic of research. However, natural archives continue to provide important insight into atmospheric Hg cycling over various timescales.
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| 7. |
- Guédron, S., et al.
(author)
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Reconstructing two millennia of copper and silver metallurgy in the Lake Titicaca region (Bolivia/Peru) using trace metals and lead isotopic composition
- 2021
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In: Anthropocene. - : Elsevier. - 2213-3054. ; 34
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Copper, silver, and gold exploitation has been a foundation of economic and socio-cultural development of Andean societies, at least for the last three millennia. The main centers of pre-colonial metallurgy are well-known from archeological artifacts, but temporal gaps inherent in this record handicap a finer understanding of the modalities of ore exploitation by succeeding civilizations. A continuous record over time of trace metals emitted during ore smelting operations make lake sediments excellent candidates to fill those gaps. Two millennia of metallurgy were reconstructed from atmospherically derived metals together with lead (Pb) isotope ratios in two dated sediment cores from Lake Titicaca. The first evidence for metallurgy is found during the apogee of the Tiwanaku state (AD 800–1150), with a higher copper (Cu) accumulation that can be attributed to the smelting of local Cu ores, based on Pb isotopic fingerprinting. During the Late Intermediate Period (AD 1150–1450), recorded peaks in metal deposition that persisted for ∼ twenty years show that mining activities were intensive but discontinuous. Pb isotope ratios suggest diversified extractive activities, mainly located in the southern part of the central Altiplano. Finally, the most intense mining epoch began during the Inca Empire (ca. AD 1500) and lasted until the end of the Colonial Period (AD 1830), with unprecedented metal deposition over this interval. Pb isotope fingerprinting shows that mining operations occurred mainly in the Lake Titicaca and Potosi areas and were responsible for metal emissions recorded in the entire Altiplano, as evidenced by other studies.
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| 8. |
- King, Connor, et al.
(author)
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Diatoms and other siliceous indicators track the ontogeny of a “bofedal” (Wetland) ecosystem in the peruvian andes
- 2021
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In: Botany. - : Canadian Science Publishing. - 1916-2790 .- 1916-2804. ; 99:8, s. 491-505
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent warming in the Andes is affecting the region’s water resources including glaciers and lakes, which supply water to tens of millions of people downstream. High-elevation wetlands, known locally as “bofedales”, are an understudied Andean ecosystem despite their key role in carbon sequestration, maintenance of biodiversity, and regulation of water flow. Here, we analyze subfossil diatom assemblages and other siliceous bioindicators preserved in a peat core collected from a bofedal in Peru’s Cordillera Vilcanota. Basal radiocarbon ages show the bofedal likely formed during a wet period of the Little Ice Age (1520–1680 CE), as inferred from nearby ice core data. The subfossil diatom record is marked by several dynamic assemblage shifts documenting a hydrosere succession from an open-water system to mature peatland. The diatoms appear to be responding largely to changes in hydrology that occur within the natural development of the bofedal, but also to pH and possibly nutrient enrichment from grazing animals. The rapid peat accretion recorded post-1950 at this site is consistent with recent peat growth rates elsewhere in the Andes. Given the many threats to Peruvian bofedales including climate change, overgrazing, peat extraction, and mining, these baseline data will be critical to assessing future change in these important ecosystems.
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| 9. |
- Kylander, Malin E., et al.
(author)
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Late glacial (17,060-13,400 cal yr BP) sedimentary and paleoenvironmental evolution of the Sekhokong Range (Drakensberg), southern Africa
- 2021
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 16:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Southern Africa sits at the junction of tropical and temperate systems, leading to the formation of seasonal precipitation zones. Understanding late Quaternary paleoclimatic change in this vulnerable region is hampered by a lack of available, reliably-dated records. Here we present a sequence from a well-stratified sedimentary infill occupying a lower slope basin which covers 17,060 to 13,400 cal yr BP with the aim to reconstruct paleoclimatic variability in the high Drakensberg during the Late Glacial. We use a combination of pollen, total organic carbon and nitrogen, delta C-13, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectral and elemental data on contiguous samples with high temporal resolution (10 to 80 years per sample). Our data support a relatively humid environment with considerable cold season precipitation during what might have been the final stage of niche-glaciation on the adjoining southern aspects around 17,000 cal yr BP. Then, after an initial warmer and drier period starting similar to 15,600 cal yr BP, we identify a return to colder and drier conditions with more winter precipitation starting similar to 14,380 cal yr BP, which represents the first local evidence for the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR) in this region. On decadal to centennial timescales, the Late Glacial period was one marked by considerable climatic fluctuation and bi-directional environmental change, which has not been identified in previous studies for this region. Our study shows complex changes in both moisture and thermal conditions providing a more nuanced picture of the Late Glacial for the high Drakensburg.
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| 10. |
- Lin, Qi, et al.
(author)
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Organic carbon burial in a large, deep alpine lake (southwest China) in response to changes in climate, land use and nutrient supply over the past ~100 years
- 2021
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In: Catena (Cremlingen. Print). - : Elsevier. - 0341-8162 .- 1872-6887. ; 202
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inland waterbodies play an important role in the global carbon cycle, acting both as carbon sources with organic carbon (OC) mineralization and as sinks with OC burial in sediments. Under recent impacts of global warming, anthropogenic land-use change and nutrient supply, however, there is a limited knowledge regarding OC dynamics in sediments of large, deep lakes especially in subtropical alpine regions. Here, we studied the patterns of OC burial and the potential regulating factors using multiple sedimentary proxies and observational records in Lugu Lake (southwest China) over the past ~100 years. Comparisons of 15 sediment cores in different areas of the lake reveal similar temporal trends in OC content and other sediment parameters, indicating coherent patterns of whole-lake sedimentary environmental change dominated by watershed human perturbation. Based on C/N ratios and δ13Corg analyses, the sediment OC has primarily been autochthonous in source. OC accumulation rates (OCAR) increased during 1880–1980, from ~14 to 43 g C m−2 yr−1 in a central core (LGS), mainly resulting from elevated primary production under increased phosphorus input and soil erosion. Subsequently, OCAR decreased considerably to ~15 g C m−2 yr−1, although the phosphorus supply and lake primary productivity remained high. We infer the OCAR decline likely resulted from increased organic matter decomposition and OC mineralization in the water column because of climate warming and lake-water thermal stratification. This phenomenon might mask the positive contribution of primary production to OC burial. Our findings suggest that the commonly observed synergistically positive effects of warming and eutrophication on sediment OC burial may be impaired in deep lakes, which needs further investigations across ecological, climatic and land-use gradients.
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