Arctic Siberia: Modern pollen dataset and pollen spectra changes over the last 7,000 years from a lacustrine sediment core (southern Taymyr region)

Palaeoecological investigations in the larch forest-tundra ecotone in northern Siberia have the potential to reveal Holocene environmental variations, which likely have consequences for global climate change because of the strong high-latitude feedback mechanisms. A sediment core, collected from a small lake (radius ~100 m), was used to reconstruct the development of the lake and its catchment as well as vegetation and summer temperatures over the last 7100 calibrated years. A multi-proxy approach was taken including pollen and sedimentological analyses. Our data indicate a gradual replacement of open larch forests by tundra with scattered single trees as found today in the vicinity of the lake. An overall trend of cooling summer temperature from a ~2 °C warmer-than-present mid-Holocene summer temperatures until the establishment of modern conditions around 3000 years ago is reconstructed based on a regional pollen-climate transfer function. The inference of regional vegetation changes was compared to local changes in the lake's catchment. An initial small water depression occurred from 7100 to 6500 cal years BP. Afterwards, a small lake formed and deepened, probably due to thermokarst processes. Although the general trends of local and regional environmental change match, the lake catchment changes show higher variability. Furthermore, changes in the lake catchment slightly precede those in the regional vegetation. Both proxies highlight that marked environmental changes occurred in the Siberian forest-tundra ecotone over the course of the Holocene.

Geochemistry at DSDP Leg 70 Holes

The hydrothermal mounds on the southern flank of the Galapagos Spreading Center are characterized by the following main features: 1) They are located over a young basement (0.5 to 0.85 m.y. of age) in a region known for its high sedimentation rate (about 5 cm/10**3 y.) because it is part of the equatorial high biological productivity zone. 2) They are located in a region with generally high heat flow (8 to 10 HFU). The highest heat-flow measurements (up to 10**3 HFU) correspond to mound peaks (Williams et al., 1979), where temperatures up to 15°C were measured during a dive of the submersible Alvin (Corliss et al., 1978). 3) They are often located on small vertical faults which displace the basement by a few meters (Lonsdale, 1977) and affect the 25- to 50-meter-thick sediment cover. Most of these characteristics have also been observed in the other three known cases of hydrothermal deposits with mineral parageneses similar to that of the Galapagos mounds. However, the case of the hydrothermal mounds south of the Galapagos Spreading Center is unique because of the unusual thickness of the hydrothermal deposits present. The mounds are composed of several, up to 4.5-meter-thick, layers of green clays which, in one case (Hole 509B), are overlain by about 1.4 meters of Mn-oxide crust. We suspect that such a large accumulation of hydrothermal products results from the "funnelling" of the hydrothermal solutions exiting from a highly permeable basement along the faults. This chapter reports a preliminary study of those green clays collected by hydraulic piston coring of the Galapagos mounds during Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Leg 70 of the D/V Glomar Challenger. Green clays have also been reported from three presently or recently active hydrothermal areas in or close to spreading centers.

Stable hydrogen isotopic composition (dD) and stable carbon isotopic composition (d13C) of sediment core GeoB9508-5 off Senegal

To reconstruct variability of the West African monsoon and associated vegetation changes on precessional and millennial time scales, we analyzed a marine sediment core from the continental slope off Senegal spanning the past 44,000 years (44 ka). We used the stable hydrogen isotopic composition (dD) of individual terrestrial plant wax n-alkanes as a proxy for past rainfall variability. The abundance and stable carbon isotopic composition (d13C) of the same compounds were analyzed to assess changes in vegetation composition (C3/C4 plants) and density. The dD record reveals two wet periods that coincide with local maximum summer insolation from 38 to 28 ka and 15 to 4 ka and that are separated by a less wet period during minimum summer insolation. Our data indicate that rainfall intensity during the rainy season throughout both wet humid periods was similar, whereas the length of the rainy season was presumably shorter during the last glacial than during the Holocene. Additional dry intervals are identified that coincide with North Atlantic Heinrich stadials and the Younger Dryas interval, indicating that the West African monsoon over tropical northwest Africa is linked to both insolation forcing and high-latitude climate variability. The d13C record indicates that vegetation of the western Sahel was consistently dominated by C4 plants during the past 44 ka, whereas C3-type vegetation increased during the Holocene. Moreover, we observe a gradual ending of the Holocene humid period together with unchanging ratio of C3 to C4 plants, indicating that an abrupt aridification due to vegetation feedbacks is not a general characteristic of this time interval.

Pore water concentrations and solid phase concentrations of sediment cores from the Ligurian continental slope

In October 1979, a period of heavy rainfall along the French Riviera was followed by the collapse of the Ligurian continental slope adjacent to the airport of Nice, France. A body of slope sediments, which was shortly beforehand affected by construction work south of the airport, was mobilized and traveled hundreds of kilometers downslope into the Var submarine canyon and, eventually, into the deep Ligurian basin. As a direct consequence, the construction was destroyed, seafloor cables were torn, and a small tsunami hit Antibes shortly after the failure. Hypotheses regarding the trigger mechanism include (i) vertical loading by construction of an embankment south of the airport, (ii) failure of a layer of sensitive clay within the slope sequence, and (iii) excess pore fluid pressures from charged aquifers in the underground. Over the previous decades, both the sensitive clay layers and the permeable sand and gravel layers were sampled to detect freshened waters. In 2007, the landslide scar and adjacent slopes were revisited for high-resolution seafloor mapping and systematic sampling. Results from half a dozen gravity and push cores in the shallow slope area reveal a limited zone of freshening (i.e. groundwater influence). A 100-250 m wide zone of the margin shows pore water salinities of 5-50% SW concentration and depletion in Cl, SO4, but Cr enrichment, while cores east or west of the landslide scar show regular SW profiles. Most interestingly, the three cores inside the landslide scar hint towards a complex hydrological system with at least two sources for groundwater. The aquifer system also showed strong freshening after a period of several months without significant precipitation. This freshening implies that charged coarse-grained layers represent a permanent threat to the slope's stability, not just after periods of major rainfall such as in October 1979.

Thecosomata in late Quternary deposits of ODP Holes 134-830A and 134-831A

We undertook a quantitative study of Thecosomata shells (pelagic gastropods) and their remains in Quaternary foraminiferal oozes deposited on the tilted calcareous platform of the Bougainville Guyot (Hole 831 A), and in the late Quaternary volcanic siltstones, claystones and sandy interbeds on the upper forearc slope of the central New Hebrides Island Arc (Hole 830A). The distribution of the species is based on the identification of adult shells, juvenile stages, protoconchs, and characteristic shell fragments. By studying thecosomatous shells using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), we were able to specify the fine microstructure of the coiled Limacina inflata and compare it with the rod-type crossed-lamellar structure of some other Limacina species, as well as with the helical structure of the Cavoliniidae.

Radiocarbon ages and major n-alkane homologues of peat cores LVPS4 and LVPS5B, Russian Arctic

Coupled analyses of n-alkane biomarkers and plant macrofossils from a peat plateau deposit in the northeast European Russian Arctic were carried out to assess the effects of past hydrology on the molecular contributions of plants to the peat. The n-alkane biomarkers accumulated over 9.6 kyr of local paleohydrological changes in this complex peat profile in which a succession of vegetation changes occurred during a transition from a wet fen to a relatively dry peat plateau bog. This study shows that the contribution of the n-C31 alkane from rootlets to peat layers rich in fine and dark roots is important. The results further indicate that the n-alkane Paq and n-C23/n-C29 biomarker proxies that have been useful to reconstruct past water table levels in many peat deposits can be misleading when the contributions of Betula and Sphagnum fuscum to the peat are large. Under these conditions, the C23/(C27 + C31) n-alkane ratio seems to correct for the presence of Betula and S. fuscum and provides a better description for the relative amounts of moisture. The average chain length (ACL) n-alkane proxy also appears to be a good paleohydrology proxy in having larger values during dry and cold conditions in this Arctic bog setting.

Sediment geochemistry, foraminiferal fauna parameter, census counts and Varimax PC-factor loadings and scores of foraminiferal assemblages of sediment core GeoB12615-4

Analogous to West- and North Africa, East Africa experienced more humid conditions between approximately 12 to 5 kyr BP, relative to today. While timing and extension of wet phases in the North and West are well constrained, this is not the case for the East African Humid Period. Here we present a record of benthic foraminiferal assemblages and sediment elemental compositions of a sediment core from the East African continental slope, in order to provide insight into the regional shallow Indian Ocean paleoceanography and East African climate history of the last 40 kyr. During glacial times, the dominance of a benthic foraminiferal assemblage characterized by Bulimina aculeata, suggests enhanced surface productivity and sustained flux of organic carbon to the sea floor. During Heinrich Stadial 1 (H1), the Nuttallides rugosus Assemblage indicates oligotrophic bottom water conditions and therefore implies a stronger flow of southern-sourced AAIW to the study site. During the East African Humid Period, the Saidovina karreriana Assemblage in combination with sedimentary C/N and Fe/Ca ratios suggest higher river runoff to the Indian Ocean, and hence more humid conditions in East Africa. Between 8.5 and 8.1 kyr, contemporaneous to the globally documented 8.2 kyr Event, a severe reduction in river deposits implies more arid conditions on the continent. Comparison of our marine data with terrestrial studies suggests that additional moisture from the Atlantic Ocean, delivered by an eastward migration of the Congo Air Boundary during that time period, could have contributed to East African rainfall. Since approximately 9 kyr, the gaining influence of the Millettiana millettii Assemblage indicates a redevelopment of the East African fringe reefs.

(Table 1) Moisture content of buried snowpack deposit samples from Pearse Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys

Buried snowpack deposits are found within the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, which offers the opportunity to study these layered structures of sand and ice within a polar desert environment. Four discrete buried snowpacks are studied within Pearse Valley, Antarctica, through in situ observations, sample analyses, O-H isotope measurements and numerical modelling of snowpack stability and evolution. The buried snowpack deposits evolve throughout the year and undergo deposition, melt, refreeze, and sublimation. We demonstrate how the deposition and subsequent burial of snow can preserve the snowpacks in the Dry Valleys. The modelled lifetimes of the buried snowpacks are dependent upon subsurface stratigraphy but are typically less than one year if the lag thickness is less than c. 7 cm and snow thickness is less than c. 10 cm, indicating that some of the Antarctic buried snowpacks form annually. Buried snowpacks in the Antarctic polar desert may serve as analogues for similar deposits on Mars and may be applicable to observations of the north polar erg, buried ice at the Mars Phoenix landing site, and observations of buried ice throughout the martian Arctic. Numerical modelling suggests that seasonal snows and subsequent burial are not required to preserve the snow and ice on Mars.

Species-specific consequences of ocean acidification for the calcareous tropical green algae Halimeda, 2011

Ocean acidification (OA), resulting from increasing dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) in surface waters, is likely to affect many marine organisms, particularly those that calcify. Recent OA studies have demonstrated negative and/or differential effects of reduced pH on growth, development, calcification and physiology, but most of these have focused on taxa other than calcareous benthic macroalgae. Here we investigate the potential effects of OA on one of the most common coral reef macroalgal genera,Halimeda. Species of Halimeda produce a large proportion of the sand in the tropics and are a major contributor to framework development on reefs because of their rapid calcium carbonate production and high turnover rates. On Palmyra Atoll in the central Pacific, we conducted a manipulative bubbling experiment to investigate the potential effects of OA on growth, calcification and photophysiology of 2 species of Halimeda. Our results suggest that Halimeda is highly susceptible to reduced pH and aragonite saturation state but the magnitude of these effects is species specific. H. opuntiasuffered net dissolution and 15% reduction in photosynthetic capacity, while H. taenicola did not calcify but did not alter photophysiology in experimental treatments. The disparate responses of these species to elevated CO2 partial -pressure (pCO2) may be due to anatomical and physiological differences and could represent a shift in their relative dominance in the face of OA. The ability for a species to exert biological control over calcification and the species specific role of the carbonate skeleton may have important implications for the potential effects of OA on ecological function in the future.

Concentration and composition of aerosols in the near-water atmosphere layer above the Laptev Sea in July-September 1995

During the ARK-XI/1 expedition of R/V Polarstern in July-September 1995 12 samples of aerosols were collected in lower atmosphere layer over the Laptev Sea by filtration of air through AFA-HA filters. Element composition of the samples was determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Average atmospheric concentrations of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn and As are higher than in other regions of the Arctic. This can be explained by natural reasons: (1) by input of particles from the surface microlayer of sea water enriched by many chemical elements, (2) by atmospheric transfer of organic matter and lithogenic material from the land, and (3) by resuspension of particles from ice-rafted sediments. In some samples anthropogenic pollution was registered.

Benthic oxygen isotopes, Zr/Al and grain size fractions over the Miocene-Pliocene boundary in the Gulf of Cadiz

During the latest Messinian, hemipelagic sediments exhibiting precession-induced climate variability were deposited. These are overlain by Pliocene sediments deposited at a much higher sedimentation rate, with much higher and more variable XRF-scanning Zr/Al ratios than the underlying sediment, and that show evidence of winnowing, particle sorting and increasing grain size, which we interpret to be related to the increasing flow of MOW. Pliocene sedimentary cyclicity is clearly visible in both the benthic d18O record and the Zr/Al data and is probably also precessionally controlled. On the basis of these results, we conclude that contouritic sedimentation, associated with weak Mediterranean-Atlantic exchange, began in the Gulf of Cadiz virtually at or shortly after the Miocene-Pliocene boundary, with two contouritic bigradational sandy-beds within the fourth precession cycle after the Miocene-Pliocene boundary.

Sedimentology and geochemistry of core GIK23258-2 in the Barents Sea

At the western continental margin of the Barents Sea, 75°N, hemipelagic sediments provide a record of Holocene climate change with a time resolution of 10-70 years. Planktic foraminifera counts reveal a very early Holocene thermal optimum 10.7-7.7 kyr BP, with summer sea surface temperatures (SST) of 8°C and a much enhanced West Spitsbergen Current. There was a short cooling between 8.8 and 8.2 kyr BP. In the middle and late Holocene summer, SST dropped to 2.5°-5.0°C, indicative of reduced Atlantic heat advection, except for two short warmings near 2.2 and 1.6 kyr BP. Distinct quasi-periodic spikes of coarse sediment fraction (with large portions of lithic grains, benthic and planktic foraminifera) record cascades of cold, dense winter water down the continental slope as a result of enhanced seasonal sea ice formation and storminess on the Barents shelf over the entire Holocene. The spikes primarily cluster near recurrence intervals of 400-650 and 1000-1350 years, when traced over the entire Holocene, but follow significant 885-/840- and 505-/605-year periodicities in the early Holocene. These non-stationary periodicities mimic the Greenland-[Formula: See Text]Be variability, which is a tracer of solar forcing. Further significant Holocene periodicities of 230, (145) and 93 years come close to the deVries and Gleissberg solar cycles.

Pollen analyses of sediment core GeoB9508-5

Millennial-scale dry events in the Northern Hemisphere monsoon regions during the last Glacial period are commonly attributed to southward shifts of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) associated with an intensification of the northeasterly (NE) trade wind system during intervals of reduced Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Through the use of high-resolution last deglaciation pollen records from the continental slope off Senegal, our data show that one of the longest and most extreme droughts in the western Sahel history, which occurred during the North Atlantic Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1), displayed a succession of three major phases. These phases progressed from an interval of maximum pollen representation of Saharan elements between ~19 and 17.4 kyr BP indicating the onset of aridity and intensified NE trade winds, followed by a millennial interlude of reduced input of Saharan pollen and increased input of Sahelian pollen, to a final phase between ~16.2 and 15 kyr BP that was characterized by a second maximum of Saharan pollen abundances. This change in the pollen assemblage indicates a mid-HS1 interlude of NE trade wind relaxation, occurring between two distinct trade wind maxima, along with an intensified mid-tropospheric African Easterly Jet (AEJ) indicating a substantial change in West African atmospheric processes. The pollen data thus suggest that although the NE trades have weakened, the Sahel drought remained severe during this time interval. Therefore, a simple strengthening of trade winds and a southward shift of the West African monsoon trough alone cannot fully explain millennial-scale Sahel droughts during periods of AMOC weakening. Instead, we suggest that an intensification of the AEJ is needed to explain the persistence of the drought during HS1. Simulations with the Community Climate System Model indicate that an intensified AEJ during periods of reduced AMOC affected the North African climate by enhancing moisture divergence over the West African realm, thereby extending the Sahel drought for about 4000 years.

Seawater carbonate chemistry and coverage and dry weight of Ecklonia radiata during experiments, 2010

Predictions about the ecological consequences of oceanic uptake of CO2 have been preoccupied with the effects of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms, particularly those critical to the formation of habitats (e.g. coral reefs) or their maintenance (e.g. grazing echinoderms). This focus overlooks the direct effects of CO2 on non-calcareous taxa, particularly those that play critical roles in ecosystem shifts. We used two experiments to investigate whether increased CO2 could exacerbate kelp loss by facilitating non-calcareous algae that, we hypothesized, (i) inhibit the recovery of kelp forests on an urbanized coast, and (ii) form more extensive covers and greater biomass under moderate future CO2 and associated temperature increases. Our experimental removal of turfs from a phase-shifted system (i.e. kelp- to turf-dominated) revealed that the number of kelp recruits increased, thereby indicating that turfs can inhibit kelp recruitment. Future CO2 and temperature interacted synergistically to have a positive effect on the abundance of algal turfs, whereby they had twice the biomass and occupied over four times more available space than under current conditions. We suggest that the current preoccupation with the negative effects of ocean acidification on marine calcifiers overlooks potentially profound effects of increasing CO2 and temperature on non-calcifying organisms.