Limnological controls on stable isotope records of late-Holocene palaeoenvironment change in SW Greenland:a paired lake study

Stable isotope records are increasingly being used in palaeoenvironmental studies of Arctic lakes. Here we compare stable isotope and elemental records (delta C-13, delta N-15 C/N) with high resolution XRF-derived geochemical and colour data from low Arctic lakes (SS1220 and SS85) in southwest Green...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Quaternary Science Reviews
Main Authors: Olsen, Jesper, John Anderson, N., Leng, M.J.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Southwest Greenland
Holocene
Lakes
Climate
Environment
Stable isotopes
XRF
KANGERLUSSUAQ SONDRE STROMFJORD
SEDIMENTARY ORGANIC-MATTER
WEST GREENLAND
CLIMATE EVOLUTION
LACUSTRINE RECORD
BAFFIN-ISLAND
DISKO-BUGT
ICE MARGIN
CARBON
GEOCHEMISTRY
Arctic
Baffin Island
Greenland
Kangerlussuaq
Baffin
Disko bugt
Sondre Stromfjord
Online Access:https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/limnological-controls-on-stable-isotope-records-of-lateholocene-palaeoenvironment-change-in-sw-greenland(98a91745-b144-4c2f-927f-20be4b12576d).html
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2012.10.043
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84881550714&partnerID=8YFLogxK
Description
Summary:Stable isotope records are increasingly being used in palaeoenvironmental studies of Arctic lakes. Here we compare stable isotope and elemental records (delta C-13, delta N-15 C/N) with high resolution XRF-derived geochemical and colour data from low Arctic lakes (SS1220 and SS85) in southwest Greenland. Lake SS1220 sediments are laminated gyttja whereas SS85 consist of homogeneous gyttja, both records cover the last c. 5000 years. delta C-13 and carbon content suggest that organic matter in both lakes is predominantly autochthonous. The C/N variability, ranging between 11 and 15, is interpreted to be a function of nitrogen deficiency which is further supported by delta N-15 values (at SS1220) falling close to atmospheric delta N-15(atmosphere). Although some changes in the geochemical stratigraphies presented here can be related to regional environmental change (i.e. hydrology, effective precipitation, aeolian activity), these effects are filtered through the lake catchments. These changes alter the nutrient supply and hence lake productivity which appear to be the primary controls on the stable isotope data. We suggest that information of past environmental change can only be gained from the stable isotope composition of lake sediments when there is a reasonable understanding of limnological processes, and records may be lake specific. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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