Environment and climate change during the late Holocene in Hjaltadalur, Skagafjörður, northern Iceland
We present an overview of the local environmental development of the valley of Hjaltadalur, situated in Skagafjorour, northern Iceland. The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge about the valley region before and during human settlement in the ninth century. Four mires were investigated aft...
Published in: | Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography |
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Language: | English |
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Uppsala universitet, Kulturgeografiska institutionen
2020
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Online Access: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-316984 https://doi.org/10.1080/04353676.2020.1723984 |
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ftuppsalauniv:oai:DiVA.org:uu-316984 2023-05-15T16:46:03+02:00 Environment and climate change during the late Holocene in Hjaltadalur, Skagafjörður, northern Iceland Hellqvist, Magnus Hättestrand, Martina Norström, Elin Almgren, Elisabeth Johansson, Jenny N. Traustadottir, Ragnheidur 2020 application/pdf http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-316984 https://doi.org/10.1080/04353676.2020.1723984 eng eng Uppsala universitet, Kulturgeografiska institutionen Geoveta AB, Sollentuna, Sweden.;Univ Gothenburg, Dept Earth Sci, Gothenburg, Sweden. Department of Physical Geography,Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden;Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm,Sweden. Swedish Geological Survey, Uppsala, Sweden;Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University,Stockholm, Sweden Bromma, Sweden Geosigma, Stockholm, Sweden Fornleifafræðingur Antikva ehf., Garðabæ, Iceland Geografiska Annaler. Series A, Physical Geography, 0435-3676, 2020, 102:1, s. 68-82 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-316984 doi:10.1080/04353676.2020.1723984 ISI:000518348400001 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Late Holocene Iceland Hjaltadalur environmental development human settlement Physical Geography Naturgeografi Climate Research Klimatforskning Article in journal info:eu-repo/semantics/article text 2020 ftuppsalauniv https://doi.org/10.1080/04353676.2020.1723984 2023-02-23T21:53:53Z We present an overview of the local environmental development of the valley of Hjaltadalur, situated in Skagafjorour, northern Iceland. The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge about the valley region before and during human settlement in the ninth century. Four mires were investigated after which the Viovik peat bog was selected as the main site for evaluating changes in climate and landscape. The master core from Viovik (V-325) was dated and studied further through sediment analysis, loss-on-ignition (LOI), and pollen analysis. According to the age-depth model, based on three radiocarbon dates and analysis of two tephra layers, the 325 cm long Viovik core comprises approximately 5500 years. In the pollen percentage record, there is a decrease in birch (Betula) and an increase in grass (Poaceae) in the central part of the core, between Hekla 3 horizon at c. 2800 BP and the next dated level at c. 2000 BP. This change corresponds well with previously outlined environmental fluctuations, showing a transition from warm and dry climate to cool and humid climate at this time. Human activity is mainly reflected by a distinct peak in Lactucae pollen in the uppermost part of the core. This change in vegetation corresponds with earlier studies, showing that the vegetation changed dramatically after the colonization of Iceland in the ninth century (during Landnam period, 870-930 AD). The present study shows that a decline in birch started well before human settlement, although the subsequent Viking Age and later settlements continued the deforestation trend. Titel in accepted manuscript: Environment and climate change during the late Holocene in Hjaltadalur, Skagafjörður, north Iceland, interpreted from peat core analyses and pollen identification Hólarannsóknin Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Uppsala University: Publications (DiVA) Hjaltadalur ENVELOPE(-17.665,-17.665,65.522,65.522) Skagafjörður ENVELOPE(-19.561,-19.561,65.875,65.875) Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography 102 1 68 82 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Uppsala University: Publications (DiVA) |
op_collection_id |
ftuppsalauniv |
language |
English |
topic |
Late Holocene Iceland Hjaltadalur environmental development human settlement Physical Geography Naturgeografi Climate Research Klimatforskning |
spellingShingle |
Late Holocene Iceland Hjaltadalur environmental development human settlement Physical Geography Naturgeografi Climate Research Klimatforskning Hellqvist, Magnus Hättestrand, Martina Norström, Elin Almgren, Elisabeth Johansson, Jenny N. Traustadottir, Ragnheidur Environment and climate change during the late Holocene in Hjaltadalur, Skagafjörður, northern Iceland |
topic_facet |
Late Holocene Iceland Hjaltadalur environmental development human settlement Physical Geography Naturgeografi Climate Research Klimatforskning |
description |
We present an overview of the local environmental development of the valley of Hjaltadalur, situated in Skagafjorour, northern Iceland. The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge about the valley region before and during human settlement in the ninth century. Four mires were investigated after which the Viovik peat bog was selected as the main site for evaluating changes in climate and landscape. The master core from Viovik (V-325) was dated and studied further through sediment analysis, loss-on-ignition (LOI), and pollen analysis. According to the age-depth model, based on three radiocarbon dates and analysis of two tephra layers, the 325 cm long Viovik core comprises approximately 5500 years. In the pollen percentage record, there is a decrease in birch (Betula) and an increase in grass (Poaceae) in the central part of the core, between Hekla 3 horizon at c. 2800 BP and the next dated level at c. 2000 BP. This change corresponds well with previously outlined environmental fluctuations, showing a transition from warm and dry climate to cool and humid climate at this time. Human activity is mainly reflected by a distinct peak in Lactucae pollen in the uppermost part of the core. This change in vegetation corresponds with earlier studies, showing that the vegetation changed dramatically after the colonization of Iceland in the ninth century (during Landnam period, 870-930 AD). The present study shows that a decline in birch started well before human settlement, although the subsequent Viking Age and later settlements continued the deforestation trend. Titel in accepted manuscript: Environment and climate change during the late Holocene in Hjaltadalur, Skagafjörður, north Iceland, interpreted from peat core analyses and pollen identification Hólarannsóknin |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hellqvist, Magnus Hättestrand, Martina Norström, Elin Almgren, Elisabeth Johansson, Jenny N. Traustadottir, Ragnheidur |
author_facet |
Hellqvist, Magnus Hättestrand, Martina Norström, Elin Almgren, Elisabeth Johansson, Jenny N. Traustadottir, Ragnheidur |
author_sort |
Hellqvist, Magnus |
title |
Environment and climate change during the late Holocene in Hjaltadalur, Skagafjörður, northern Iceland |
title_short |
Environment and climate change during the late Holocene in Hjaltadalur, Skagafjörður, northern Iceland |
title_full |
Environment and climate change during the late Holocene in Hjaltadalur, Skagafjörður, northern Iceland |
title_fullStr |
Environment and climate change during the late Holocene in Hjaltadalur, Skagafjörður, northern Iceland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Environment and climate change during the late Holocene in Hjaltadalur, Skagafjörður, northern Iceland |
title_sort |
environment and climate change during the late holocene in hjaltadalur, skagafjörður, northern iceland |
publisher |
Uppsala universitet, Kulturgeografiska institutionen |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-316984 https://doi.org/10.1080/04353676.2020.1723984 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-17.665,-17.665,65.522,65.522) ENVELOPE(-19.561,-19.561,65.875,65.875) |
geographic |
Hjaltadalur Skagafjörður |
geographic_facet |
Hjaltadalur Skagafjörður |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_relation |
Geografiska Annaler. Series A, Physical Geography, 0435-3676, 2020, 102:1, s. 68-82 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-316984 doi:10.1080/04353676.2020.1723984 ISI:000518348400001 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1080/04353676.2020.1723984 |
container_title |
Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography |
container_volume |
102 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
68 |
op_container_end_page |
82 |
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1766036187118567424 |