The Lateglacial to early Holocene tephrochronological record from Lake Haemelsee, Germany: a key site within the European tephra framework

• Published in: Boreas
• Main Authors: Jones, G., Lane, C.S., Brauer, A., Davies, S.M., de Bruijn, R., Engels, Stefan, Haliuc, A., Hoek, W.Z., Merkt, J., Sachse, D., Turner, F., Wagner-Cremer, F.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Wiley 2017
• Subjects: Department of Geography; Askja; Saksunarvatn; Iceland
• Online Access: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/41776/; https://doi.org/10.1111/bor.12250

Here we present the results of a detailed cryptotephra investigation through the Lateglacial to early Holocene transition, from a new sediment core record obtained from Lake Haemelsee, Germany. Two tephra horizons, the Laacher SeeTephra (Eifel Volcanic Field) and the Saksunarvatn Ash (Iceland), have been previously described in this partially varved sediment record, indicating the potential of the location as an important Lateglacial tephrochronological site in northwest Europe. We have identified three further tephra horizons, which we correlate to: the c. 12.1 ka BP Vedde Ash (Iceland), the c. 11 ka BP Ulmener Maar tephra (Eifel Volcanic Field) and the c. 10.8 ka BP Askja-S tephra (Iceland). Three additional cryptotephra deposits have been found (locally named H€AM_T1616, H€AM_T1470 and H€AM_T1456-1455), which cannot be correlated to any known eruption at present. Geochemical analysis of the deposits suggests that these cryptotephras most likely have an Icelandic origin. Our discoveries provide age constraints for the new sediment records from Lake Haemelsee and enable direct stratigraphical correlations to be made with other tephra-bearing sites across Europe. The new tephrostratigraphical record, within a partially varved Lateglacial sediment record, highlights the importance of Lake Haemelsee as a key site within the European tephra lattice.