1 Recent Climate and Stable Isotopes in Modern Surface Waters of Northernmost Ungava Peninsula, Canada

• Main Authors: Émilie Saulnier-talbot, Melanie J. Leng, Reinhard Pienitz
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Key words Stable isotopes; δ18O; δD; lakes; Ungava; recent climate 3; Canada; Ungava Peninsula; Ungava peninsula
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.511.4618; http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/3512/1/Saulnier-Talbot_Leng_Pienitz_resubmission_.pdf

The isotope composition (δ18O and δD) of surface waters were measured over a 26-month period near three localities situated along the northern coast of Ungava Peninsula (Québec, Canada). In order to caracterize the present-day local hydrological settings, the oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios were measured from precipitation and these were compared to local and regional climate data. We show that the modern surface waters contain information on climate and that this relationship is likely to be transferred to biotic components within the lakes. These components, once sedimented, are therefore likely to form an archive of climate change. The new data presented here show the possibility of isotope paleoclimatic investigation based on lake sediments in the northern coastal region of Ungava Peninsula.