Empreintes climatiques et anthropiques sur le détritisme holocène : étude multiparamètres et intégrée de systèmes lacustres d'Europe Occidentale

The mechanical erosion of continental surfaces, or “detritism”, results from climatic forcing, but can be amplified by the anthropogenic one. Today, soil erosion represents therefore one of the major issue. The present work is thus focused on the interactions linking climate, human impacts and detrism, on Holocene continental environments. Associated with a multiparameter analytical approach, combining the quantification and the modelisation of soil erosion, the integrative study and the comparison of different lacustrines archives from Western Europe provide the following informations. At long time scale, the transition out of the Holocene Thermal Maximum towards the Neoglacial period is defined by the progressive establishment of a wetter climate within Western Europe. In Western French Alps, this is more particularly characterized by an increase of 800 mm per year of the mean annual precipitation. Human presence is first detected throughout the piedmont plain, and is synchronous across the Alps (Neolithic period). Human settlements are regulated by the accessibility, but also by negative climate feedbacks, at least up to the Iron Age. Over the Holocene, soil erosion is thereby mainly controlled by the climate but is also influenced by the human activities wihtin the piedmont plain, since the Neolithic period. This anthropogenic pressure explains up to 50% of the soil erosion quantified into the lacustrine archives from the French Prealps. It is more particularly important during the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the modern period.L’érosion mécanique des surfaces continentales, ou "détritisme", résulte du forçage climatique mais peut être amplifiée par le forçage anthropique. Cette érosion des sols, et sa compréhension, représentent aujourd’hui un questionnement sociétal majeur. Le présent travail s’est donc intéresse aux relations étroites liant climat, Homme et détritisme, dans les environnements continentaux holocènes. Associée à une démarche analytique multiparamètres, couplant quantification et modélisation de l’érosion des sols, l’étude intégrée et la comparaison de différents systèmes lacustres d’Europe occidentale, d’altitude et de piedmont, alpins et pyrénéens, a permis d’obtenir les informations suivantes. A long terme, la bipartition climatique Holocène (Optimum Climatique/Néoglaciaire) s’illustre par une augmentation de l’humidité, généralisée en Europe occidentale, et de l’ordre de 800 mm/an dans les Alpes françaises. Cette transition résulterait d’un relais entre le forçage solaire et le couplage océan/atmosphère. A court terme, l’Holocène est ponctué de périodes plus humides ou plus sèches, synchrones a l’échelle de l’Europe occidentale, et culminant avec le Petit Age Glaciaire. La présence humaine est d’abord mise en évidence dans les systèmes de piedmont et est synchrone a l’échelle des Alpes (Néolithique). Elle parait plus tardive dans les sites de haute altitude (Age du Bronze). L’implantation humaine en altitude et en piedmont est régulée par l’accessibilité aux sites, mais également par des rétroactions climatiques négatives. En piedmont, ces rétroactions négatives ne sont effectives que jusqu’à l’Age du Fer. Si le détritisme est dans un premier temps principalement controlé par le climat, il subit les conséquences de l’anthropisation des le Néolithique dans les Préalpes. Cette anthropisation est limitée aux systèmes de piedmont, ou elle explique jusqu’à 50% de l’érosion des sols, notamment pendant l’Age du Bronze, l’Age du Fer et le dernier siècle

Past Holocene detritism quantification and modeling from lacustrine archives in order to deconvoluate human-climate interactions on natural ecosystem over long time-scale

International audienceWater budget is one of the main challenges to paleoclimate researchers in relation to present-day global warming and its consequences for human societies

Impact of Holocene climate variability on lacustrine records and human settlements in South Greenland

International audienceDue to its sensitivity to climate changes, south Greenland is a particularly suitable area to study past global climate changes and their influence on locale Human settlements. A paleohydrological investigation was therefore carried out on two river-fed lakes: Lake Qallimiut and Little Kangerluluup, both located close to the Labrador Sea in the historic 5 farming center of Greenland. Two sediment cores (QAL-2011 and LKG-2011), spanning the last four millennia, were retrieved and showed similar thin laminae, described by high magnetic susceptibility and density, high titanium and TOC / TN atomic ratio, and coarse grain size. They are also characterized either by inverse grading followed by normal grading or by normal grading only and a prevalence of red amorphous particles 10 and lignocellulosic fragments, typical of flood deposits. Flood events showed similar trend in both records: they mainly occurred during cooler and wetter periods characterized by weaker Greenlandic paleo-temperatures, substantial glacier advances, and a high precipitation on the Greenlandic Ice Sheet and North Atlantic ice-rafting events. They can therefore be interpreted as a result of ice and 15 snow-melting episodes. They occurred especially during rapid climate changes (RCC) such as the Middle to Late Holocene transition around 2250 BC, the Sub-boreal/Sub-atlantic transition around 700 BC and the Little Ice Age (LIA) between AD 1300 and AD 1900, separated by cycles of 1500 years and driven by solar forcing. These global RCC revealed by QAL-2011 and LKG-2011 flood events may have influenced Human 20 settlements in south Greenland, especially the paleo-Eskimo cultures and the Norse settlement, and have been mainly responsible for their demise

Pastoral activities and soil erosion processes: calibration and confrontation of organic and minerogenic markers from Pyrenean archives (Orry de Théo and Troumouse peat bogs)

International audienceFor more accurate prediction of the consequences of current global warming, it is important to disentangle the past impact on ecosystems of climate variability and human activities, in both the long and short term (Dearing and Jones, 2003). The mechanical erosion of continental surfaces mainly results from climate forcing (precipitation/runoff, vegetation changes…), but may be initiated, amplified and accelerated by anthropization (deforestation, plowing, grazing…). High altitude ecosystems are sensitive and therefore constitute relevant targets in which soil-erosion quantification can be used both to reconstruct climate changes (Simonneau et al., 2014) and to document the local consequences of human activities. In addition, such human-induced soil erosion indirectly reflects socio-ecological trajectories over time. For thousands of years, grazing has affected Pyrenean areas and is considered to be the main biotic factor creating pressure on ecosystem structure and the dynamics of mountain pastures (Galop et al., 2004; Mazier et al., 2009). Indeed, recent studies suggest that pastoral activities increase soil erosion rates (Adler and Morales, 1999; Ayala and French, 2005), especially in mountainous regions (Hall et al., 1999). Yet, though such interaction between grazing and erosion can be hypothesized, the causal relationship has been neither established nor quantified (Thormes, 2007). Such proof, however, is essential if public policy in the field of land-use management is to be credible. With this in mind, the ongoing French research program " pastoralisM versus erosiOn: expLoration of molECULar biomarkers for tracking human/Environment interactions " (MOLECULE, Labex DRIIHM – CNRS INEE) clearly aims to reconstruct the impact of grazing on soil erosion during the Late Holocene. In well-dated peat bog archives (Orry de Théo and Troumouse, Pyrenees), soil erosion (from organic and minerogenic markers) is studied alongside pastoralism (from coprophilous fungi and fecal molecular biomarkers: bile acids and sterols). The peat bog archive from Orry de Théo (Eastern Pyrenees, fig. 1) over the last two centuries is used to calibrate fecal tracers. Quantitative evolution of pastoralism tracers is compared to size and composition of livestock populations as described in detail in local archives (Galop et al., 2011). The markers of pastoralism can thus be quantitatively related to proportions of the livestock (i.e. ovine versus bovine). The authors then explore any quantitative relationship between the number of tracers and the size of the livestock. Finally, it is hoped that crucial information will emerge concerning any latency or time lag in the recording of molecular tracers due to varying residence times in soils or to varying transportation times from source to the archive. The Troumouse peat bog (Central Pyrenees, fig. 1) covers the last 6000 years and is located only a few kilometers from Lake Barroude (fig. 1), where climate-induced erosion processes over the Holocene have been quantified. At Troumouse, soil erosion fluxes reveal six major detrital phases dated from 3910-3855, 3445-3225, 2780-2740, 2655-2525, 1700-1510 and 735-515 cal BP. Anthropogenic indicators suggest that human activities in the vicinity of the bog date from 5000 cal BP. Moreover, Louis Ramond de Carbonnières described intensive historical land-use management for grazing activities in the area but specified neither the type nor the number of animals involved in these practices. By applying our calibration to this new sequence and comparing local soil erosion fluxes, potentially influenced by grazing, to the local climate signal, the authors hope to demonstrate and quantify pastoralism and to establish whether or not it is a true agent of erosion

Archives lacustres de l'évolution du climat et des activités humaines récentes dans les Pyrénées ariégeoises au cours de l'Holocène (étang majeur, vallée du Haut-Vicdessos, Pyrénées, France)

International audienceDans le cadre de l'Observatoire Hommes Milieux Haut-Vicdessos, des archives lacustres sont utilisées pour distin-guer les impacts de l'Homme ou du climat dans les Pyrénées (Ariège, 42°N). Associée à la cartographie acoustique de l'Étang Majeur, les analyses des sols et des sédi-ments lacustres mettent en évidence une sédimentation Tardiglaciaire riche en ti-tane, qui contraste avec une sédimentation Holocène de type dy résultant de l'érosion diffuse des tourbes présentes en amont du lac. L'enregistrement indique des périodes plus humides, datées en 1200, 1950, 3400 et 4550 cal BP et associées aux apports d'un canyon drainant les zones d'altitude. Depuis 1907, le niveau d'eau du lac est ré-gulé par deux barrages hydroélectriques. Il en résulte un marnage de 10 m affec-tant jusqu'à 37 % du bassin. Ceci a pour conséquences de remobiliser le matériel issu des berges, et d'augmenter la produc-tivité algaire et les taux d'accumulation

Mass-movement and flood-induced deposits in Lake Ledro, southern Alps, Italy: implications for Holocene palaeohydrology and natural hazards

International audienceHigh-resolution seismic profiles and sediment cores from Lake Ledro combined with soil and riverbed samples from the lake's catchment area are used to assess the recurrence of natural hazards (earthquakes and flood events) in the southern Italian Alps during the Holocene. Two welldeveloped deltas and a flat central basin are identified on seismic profiles in Lake Ledro. Lake sediments have been finely laminated in the basin since 9000 cal. yr BP and frequently interrupted by two types of sedimentary events (SEs): lightcoloured massive layers and dark-coloured graded beds. Optical analysis (quantitative organic petrography) of the organic matter present in soil, riverbed and lacustrine samples together with lake sediment bulk density and grainsize analysis illustrate that light-coloured layers consist of a mixture of lacustrine sediments and mainly contain algal particles similar to the ones observed in background sediments. Light-coloured layers thicker than 1.5 cm in the main basin of Lake Ledro are synchronous to numerous coeval mass-wasting deposits remoulding the slopes of the basin. They are interpreted as subaquatic mass-movements triggered by historical and pre-historical regional earthquakes dated to AD2005, AD1891, AD1045 and 1260, 2545, 2595, 3350, 3815, 4740, 7190, 9185 and 11 495 cal. yr BP. Darkcoloured SEs develop high-amplitude reflections in front of the deltas and in the deep central basin. These beds are mainly made of terrestrial organic matter (soils and lignocellulosic debris) and are interpreted as resulting from intense hyperpycnal flood event. Mapping and quantifying the amount of soil material accumulated in the Holocene hyperpycnal flood deposits of the sequence allow estimating that the equivalent soil thickness eroded over the catchment area reached up to 5mm during the largest Holocene flood events. Such significant soil erosion is interpreted as resulting from the combination of heavy rainfall and snowmelt. The recurrence of flash flood events during the Holocene was, however, not high enough to affect pedogenesis processes and highlight several wet regional periods during the Holocene. The Holocene period is divided into four phases of environmental evolution. Over the first half of the Holocene, a progressive stabilization of the soils present through the catchment of Lake Ledro was associated with a progressive reforestation of the area and only interrupted during the wet 8.2 event when the soil destabilization was particularly important. Lower soil erosion was recorded during the mid-Holocene climatic optimum (8000-4200 cal. yr BP) and associated with higher algal production. Between 4200 and 3100 cal. yr BP, both wetter climate and human activities within the drainage basin drastically increased soil erosion rates. Finally, from 3100 cal. yr BP to the present-day, data suggest increasing and changing human land use

Orbital changes, variation in solar activity and increased anthropogenic activities: controls on the Holocene flood frequency in the Lake Ledro area, Northern Italy

International audienceTwo lacustrine sediment cores from Lake Ledro in northern Italy were studied to produce chronologies of floodevents for the past 10 000 yr. For this purpose, we have developed an automatic method that objectively identifies the sedimentary imprint of river floods in the downstream lake basin. The method was based on colour data extracted from processed core photographs, and the count data were analysed to capture the flood signal. Flood frequency and reconstructed sedimentary dynamics were compared with lake-level changes and pollen inferred vegetation dynamics. The results suggest a record marked by low flood frequency during the early and middle Holocene (10 000–4500 cal BP). Only modest increases during short intervals are recorded at ca. 8000, 7500, and 7100 cal BP. After 4500–4000 cal BP, the record shows a shift toward increased flood frequency. With the exception of two short intervals around 2900–2500 and 1800–1400 cal BP, which show a slightly reduced number of floods, the trend of increasing flood frequency prevailed until the 20th century, reaching a maximum between the 16th and the 19th centuries. Brief-flood frequency increases recorded during the early and middle Holocene can be attributed to climatic oscillations. On a centennial time scale, major changes in flood frequency, such as those observed after ca. 4500/4000 and 500 cal BP, can be attributed to large-scale climatic changes such as the Neo-glacial and Little Ice Age, which are under orbital and possibly solar control. However, in the Bronze Age and during the Middle Ages and modern times, forest clearing and land use probably partially control the flood activity

Quantitative palynofacies analysis as a new tool to study transfers of fossil organic matter in recent terrestrial environments

International audienceClassical palynofacies method, which consists in an organic concentrate microscopic qualitative observation after mineral phase dissolution, is commonly used in order to study sedimentary organic matter. In the present study we develop a new quantitative palynofacies method that allows organic particles mass concentrations to be determined in studied samples. This method was developed to help quantify the input of fossil organic matter (FOM) into modern environments as a result of sedimentary rocks weathering. Studied samples were collected from different pools, like bedrocks, weathering profiles, soils and riverine particles in an experimental watershed "Le Laval". This watershed overlying Callovo-Oxfordian marls (1 km² in area) is located near Digne, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in France. In addition to palynofacies techniques, Rock-Eval 6 pyrolysis and Al2O3 content measurements (inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry) were carried out on the samples. Obtained results show that this quantitative palynofacies method is suitable for FOM studies in modern environments, and FOM particles are quantified in the different pools. Results also give evidence that FOM alteration depends on the type of weathering, but also on the kind of organic particles. Soil formation under vegetation, resulting from the (bio)chemical weathering, lead to fossil organic particles concentration losses that do not exceed 30%. Elsewhere, mechanical weathering appears extremely fast and has no qualitative or quantitative influence on the observed FOM particles, which feeds directly into riverine stocks. FOM appears to be very resistant to weathering processes, this highlights its occurrence into supergene pools and then into carbon cycle. Quantitative palynofacies analysis is a new method adapted to a such study, but can also be applied to other palynological, paleoenvironmental or archeological studies

A 2000 year long seasonal record of floods in the southern European Alps

International audienceKnowledge of past natural flood variability and controlling climate factors is of high value since it can be useful to refine projections of the future flood behavior under climate warming. In this context, we present a seasonally resolved 2000 year long flood frequency and intensity reconstruction from the southern Alpine slope (North Italy) using annually laminated (varved) lake sediments. Floods occurred predominantly during summer and autumn, whereas winter and spring events were rare. The all-season flood frequency and, particularly, the occurrence of summer events increased during solar minima, suggesting solar-induced circulation changes resembling negative conditions of the North Atlantic Oscillation as controlling atmospheric mechanism. Furthermore, the most extreme autumn events occurred during a period of warm Mediterranean sea surface temperature. Interpreting these results in regard to present climate change, our data set proposes for a warming scenario, a decrease in summer floods, but an increase in the intensity of autumn floods at the South-Alpine slope

Holocene land-use evolution and associated soil erosion in the French Prealps inferred from Lake Paladru sediments and archaeological evidences

International audienceA source-to-sink multi-proxy approach has been performed within Lake Paladru (492 m a.s.l., French Prealps) catchment and a six-meter long sediment sequence retrieved from the central lacustrine basin. The combination of minerogenic signal, specific organic markers of autochthonous and allochthonous supply and archaeological data allows the reconstruction of a continuous record of past human disturbances. Over the last 10000 years, the lacustrine sedimentation was dominated by autochthonous carbonates and the watershed was mostly forest-covered. However, seven phases of higher accumulation rate, soil erosion, algal productivity and landscape disturbances have been identified and dated from 8400-7900, 6000-4800, 4500-3200, 2700-2050 cal BP as well as AD 350-850, AD 1250-1850 and after AD 1970. Before 5200 cal BP, soil erosion is interpreted as resulting from climatic deterioration phases toward cooler and wetter conditions. During the Mid-Late Holocene period, erosion fluxes and landscape disturbances are always associated with prehistorical and historical human activities and amplified by climatic oscillations. Such changes in human land-used led to increasing minerogenic supply and nutrients loading that affected lacustrine trophic levels, especially during the last 1600 years. In addition, organic and molecular markers document previously unknown human settlements around Lake Paladru during the Bronze and the Iron Ages