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

Sedimentological and molecular responses of Greenlandic lakes to Holocene climate changes and pastoral activities

Dans le cadre du changement climatique global, mieux comprendre les interactions Hommes/Environnement/Climat au sud-ouest du Groenland est aujourd’hui un enjeu majeur pour développer des stratégies d’adaptation tout en préservant au mieux les écosystèmes. Pour cela, une approche rétrospective a été réalisée sur trois séquences lacustres retraçant l’histoire paléo-environnementale sur les 5000 derniers millénaires. Le lac d’Igaliku (N61°00’22’’, O45°26’28’’), situé à 2 km de la capitale épiscopale médiévale au cœur de la région agricole groenlandaise, a une sédimentation principalement influencée par les activités anthropiques. Un inventaire moléculaire complet a été réalisé sur cette séquence pour caractériser les dynamiques agropastorales passées et leurs impacts sur les écosystèmes. Les biomarqueurs fécaux identifié ont notamment permis de mettre en évidence deux phases agropastorales majeures (la période d’occupation viking et la période récente) séparées par le Petit Âge Glaciaire (PAG), pratiquant un élevage prédominant d’ovins. Les biomarqueurs moléculaires de végétation (n-alcanes, acétates de triterpényles) couplées à des données palynologiques montrent une réduction du couvert arbustif au cours de ces deux phases. Par ailleurs, les biomarqueurs d’érosion des sols (TTHCs) couplées aux données sédimentaires indiquent une érosion drastique qu’autour des années 1980 lors de la création de parcelles de fourrage par labour mécanisé. De même, ce n’est que sur le dernier siècle qu’une altération de l’état trophique du lac d’Igaliku associée à des pratiques de fertilisation des parcelles de fourrage est observée avec une augmentation des chaines courtes d’n-alcanes et plus particulièrement des diatomées mésotrophes. Les lacs de Qallimiut (N60°43’27’’, O45°23’12’’) et de Little Kangerluluup (N60°38’32’’, O45°38’11’’), situés en contexte faiblement anthropisé, sont alimentés par des tributaires à forte variabilité hydrologique. Ils correspondent à des systèmes sédimentaires dominés par des apports clastiques sous contrôle climatique dominant. Afin d’améliorer la résolution spatiale et temporelle des changements climatiques holocènes dans cette région, une étude sédimentaire multi-paramètre a été réalisée sur ces deux sites. Des analyses pétrophysiques, granulométriques, minéralogiques et géochimiques ont mis en évidence des niveaux de crues fréquents au cours des épisodes froids et humides comme la transition Milieu/Fin de l’Holocène (ca. 2500 BC), la transition Sub-boréal/Sub-atlantique (ca. 700 BC) et le PAG (entre ca. 1300 AD et ca. 1900 AD), synchrones à des périodes de minimas solaires. Ces épisodes de détériorations climatiques ont particulièrement influencé les sociétés humaines successives installées dès ca. 2500 BC au Groenland. Un maximum de fréquence de crues et une baisse drastique des températures sont notamment enregistrés pendant le PAG, indiquant qu’il s’agit de l’épisode le plus froid enregistré au sud du Groenland au cours de la seconde moitié de l’Holocène, responsable en grande partie de l’abandon de ces terres par les agriculteurs vikings au milieu du XVème siècle.In the current context of global change, understanding the interactions between Human/Environment/Climate is necessary to develop adaptive strategies and preserve ecosystems. A retrospective approach is therefore realized in three lacustrine cores to reconstruct the paleo-environmental history during the last five millennia. Lake Igaliku (N61°00’22’’, W45°26’28’’), located at 2km from the medieval episcopal cathedral in the historical farming center, has a sedimentation mainly driven by anthropogenic activities. A complete molecular inventory has been made on this sequence to characterize past agropastoral dynamics and their impacts on south Greenlandic ecosystems. The identified fecal biomarkers revealed two agropastoral phases, during the Norse settlement and recently, separated by the Little Ice Age (LIA) and mainly characterized by sheep breeding. Vegetation molecular biomarkers (n-alkanes, triterpenyl acetates) and palynological data showed a reduction of trees and shrubs cover during these two periods especially. Erosion biomarkers (TTHCs) and sedimentological data identified only one drastic erosion in the 1980s synchronous with the mechanized creation of fodder parcels. Moreover, an eutrophication of the lake waters was recorded with short chain length n-alkanes and mesotrophic diatoms. Lake Qallimiut (N60°43’27’’, W45°23’12’’) and Little Kangerluluup (N60°38’32’’, W45°38’11’’), less impacted by anthropogenic activities, are fed by major streams influenced by hydrological variations. Their sedimentation is therefore mainly driven by climate changes. To improve the temporal and spatial resolution of climate changes during the Holocene, a multi-proxy sedimentological study was made on these two sites. Petrophysical, mineralogical and geochemical analyses have identified flood events especially occurring during cooler and wetter periods such as the Middle to Late Holocene transition (ca. 2500 BC), the Sub-boreal/Sub-atlantic transition (ca. 700 BC) and the LIA (between ca. AD 1300 et ca. AD 1900). These climate pejorations have impacted local human societies. For example, during the LIA, a maximum of flood events and drop of temperatures are recorded, partly responsible of the Norse demise

Réponses sédimentaires et moléculaires des remplissages lacustres groenlandais aux changements climatiques holocènes et à l'évolution des pratiques agropastorales

In the current context of global change, understanding the interactions between Human/Environment/Climate is necessary to develop adaptive strategies and preserve ecosystems. A retrospective approach is therefore realized in three lacustrine cores to reconstruct the paleo-environmental history during the last five millennia. Lake Igaliku (N61°00’22’’, W45°26’28’’), located at 2km from the medieval episcopal cathedral in the historical farming center, has a sedimentation mainly driven by anthropogenic activities. A complete molecular inventory has been made on this sequence to characterize past agropastoral dynamics and their impacts on south Greenlandic ecosystems. The identified fecal biomarkers revealed two agropastoral phases, during the Norse settlement and recently, separated by the Little Ice Age (LIA) and mainly characterized by sheep breeding. Vegetation molecular biomarkers (n-alkanes, triterpenyl acetates) and palynological data showed a reduction of trees and shrubs cover during these two periods especially. Erosion biomarkers (TTHCs) and sedimentological data identified only one drastic erosion in the 1980s synchronous with the mechanized creation of fodder parcels. Moreover, an eutrophication of the lake waters was recorded with short chain length n-alkanes and mesotrophic diatoms. Lake Qallimiut (N60°43’27’’, W45°23’12’’) and Little Kangerluluup (N60°38’32’’, W45°38’11’’), less impacted by anthropogenic activities, are fed by major streams influenced by hydrological variations. Their sedimentation is therefore mainly driven by climate changes. To improve the temporal and spatial resolution of climate changes during the Holocene, a multi-proxy sedimentological study was made on these two sites. Petrophysical, mineralogical and geochemical analyses have identified flood events especially occurring during cooler and wetter periods such as the Middle to Late Holocene transition (ca. 2500 BC), the Sub-boreal/Sub-atlantic transition (ca. 700 BC) and the LIA (between ca. AD 1300 et ca. AD 1900). These climate pejorations have impacted local human societies. For example, during the LIA, a maximum of flood events and drop of temperatures are recorded, partly responsible of the Norse demise.Dans le cadre du changement climatique global, mieux comprendre les interactions Hommes/Environnement/Climat au sud-ouest du Groenland est aujourd’hui un enjeu majeur pour développer des stratégies d’adaptation tout en préservant au mieux les écosystèmes. Pour cela, une approche rétrospective a été réalisée sur trois séquences lacustres retraçant l’histoire paléo-environnementale sur les 5000 derniers millénaires. Le lac d’Igaliku (N61°00’22’’, O45°26’28’’), situé à 2 km de la capitale épiscopale médiévale au cœur de la région agricole groenlandaise, a une sédimentation principalement influencée par les activités anthropiques. Un inventaire moléculaire complet a été réalisé sur cette séquence pour caractériser les dynamiques agropastorales passées et leurs impacts sur les écosystèmes. Les biomarqueurs fécaux identifié ont notamment permis de mettre en évidence deux phases agropastorales majeures (la période d’occupation viking et la période récente) séparées par le Petit Âge Glaciaire (PAG), pratiquant un élevage prédominant d’ovins. Les biomarqueurs moléculaires de végétation (n-alcanes, acétates de triterpényles) couplées à des données palynologiques montrent une réduction du couvert arbustif au cours de ces deux phases. Par ailleurs, les biomarqueurs d’érosion des sols (TTHCs) couplées aux données sédimentaires indiquent une érosion drastique qu’autour des années 1980 lors de la création de parcelles de fourrage par labour mécanisé. De même, ce n’est que sur le dernier siècle qu’une altération de l’état trophique du lac d’Igaliku associée à des pratiques de fertilisation des parcelles de fourrage est observée avec une augmentation des chaines courtes d’n-alcanes et plus particulièrement des diatomées mésotrophes. Les lacs de Qallimiut (N60°43’27’’, O45°23’12’’) et de Little Kangerluluup (N60°38’32’’, O45°38’11’’), situés en contexte faiblement anthropisé, sont alimentés par des tributaires à forte variabilité hydrologique. Ils correspondent à des systèmes sédimentaires dominés par des apports clastiques sous contrôle climatique dominant. Afin d’améliorer la résolution spatiale et temporelle des changements climatiques holocènes dans cette région, une étude sédimentaire multi-paramètre a été réalisée sur ces deux sites. Des analyses pétrophysiques, granulométriques, minéralogiques et géochimiques ont mis en évidence des niveaux de crues fréquents au cours des épisodes froids et humides comme la transition Milieu/Fin de l’Holocène (ca. 2500 BC), la transition Sub-boréal/Sub-atlantique (ca. 700 BC) et le PAG (entre ca. 1300 AD et ca. 1900 AD), synchrones à des périodes de minimas solaires. Ces épisodes de détériorations climatiques ont particulièrement influencé les sociétés humaines successives installées dès ca. 2500 BC au Groenland. Un maximum de fréquence de crues et une baisse drastique des températures sont notamment enregistrés pendant le PAG, indiquant qu’il s’agit de l’épisode le plus froid enregistré au sud du Groenland au cours de la seconde moitié de l’Holocène, responsable en grande partie de l’abandon de ces terres par les agriculteurs vikings au milieu du XVème siècle

Biomarqueurs moléculaires de l'anthropisation : simples traceurs, indicateurs de pollutions, ou polluants ?

International audienc

Late Holocene Environmental History and Norse Settlement in Outer Fjords from South Greenland: A Case Study at Lake Qallimiut

To complement discussions about vegetation history and climate variations in south Greenland, especially during the Norse settlement, we developed a sedimentological multiproxy approach to study a 4300-year-old lacustrine core comprising pollen analysis, NPPs analysis, physical measurements (magnetic susceptibility, density, and grain size), and geochemical analyses (X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and elemental analyses). Sediment archives were retrieved from a river-fed lake, Lake Qallimiut, located in the outer fjords of the Vatnahverfi area. The pollen analysis indicated a transition from juniper and willow cover to a dwarf birch forest. Non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) suggested grazing pressure and the presence of wild herbivores between 2300 and 1800 cal. BC. From ca. 1000 cal. AD, the presence of Norse farmers was evidenced in this area by archaeological surveys, and pollen analyses confirm the presence of human activities from the 11th century to the end of the 13th century. However, human impact progressively vanished between the 12th and 13th centuries, much earlier than at the other Vatnahverfi sites

Temperature, precipitation, and vegetation changes in the Eastern Mediterranean over the last deglaciation and Dansgaard-Oeschger events

We here estimate past temperature and hydroclimate variations in eastern Anatolia for marine isotope stages 4 to 1 (MIS4 to MIS1) respectively using branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) and the hydrogen isotopic composition of n-C29 leaf-wax n-alkanes (δ2Hwax) stored in the sedimentary record of Lake Van (Turkey). Our millennial-scale lipid biomarker records reflect warm and wet conditions during interstadials/interglacials and colder and dryer periods with increased evapotranspiration and aridity during stadials/glacials. The degree of methylation of the 5-methyl brGDGTs (MBT´5me) indicates increasing mean annual air temperatures (MAT) during stadial/interstadial transitions, that characterize Dansgaard-Oeschger events, and during the last glacial termination. Based on the effects of changes in precipitation amount on apparent enrichment factors between the δ2H of the C29 n-alkanes and δ2H of precipitation, a total increase in annual precipitation of about 200 mm during transitions from stadials to interstadials, and of 300–350 mm during glacial-interglacial transitions can be determined, in line with previous paleoclimate reconstructions for the Eastern Mediterranean. High sterol concentrations in sediments deposited during warm and humid interstadials reflect increases in lake level, vegetation density and algal blooms, whereas lower values of the branched versus isoprenoid tetraethers ratio (BIT) likely reflects the increased niche of Thaumarchaeota resulting from enhanced windiness and mixing of the water column during colder periods. This quantitative hydroclimate reconstruction from Lake Van (Turkey), as it is optimally situated to respond to North Atlantic climate change via changes in the large-scale wind fields shed light into millennial-scale global climate variability

Temperature, precipitation, and vegetation changes in the Eastern Mediterranean over the last deglaciation and Dansgaard-Oeschger events

We here estimate past temperature and hydroclimate variations in eastern Anatolia for marine isotope stages 4 to 1 (MIS4 to MIS1) respectively using branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) and the hydrogen isotopic composition of n-C29 leaf-wax n-alkanes (δ2Hwax) stored in the sedimentary record of Lake Van (Turkey). Our millennial-scale lipid biomarker records reflect warm and wet conditions during interstadials/interglacials and colder and dryer periods with increased evapotranspiration and aridity during stadials/glacials. The degree of methylation of the 5-methyl brGDGTs (MBT´5me) indicates increasing mean annual air temperatures (MAT) during stadial/interstadial transitions, that characterize Dansgaard-Oeschger events, and during the last glacial termination. Based on the effects of changes in precipitation amount on apparent enrichment factors between the δ2H of the C29 n-alkanes and δ2H of precipitation, a total increase in annual precipitation of about 200 mm during transitions from stadials to interstadials, and of 300–350 mm during glacial-interglacial transitions can be determined, in line with previous paleoclimate reconstructions for the Eastern Mediterranean. High sterol concentrations in sediments deposited during warm and humid interstadials reflect increases in lake level, vegetation density and algal blooms, whereas lower values of the branched versus isoprenoid tetraethers ratio (BIT) likely reflects the increased niche of Thaumarchaeota resulting from enhanced windiness and mixing of the water column during colder periods. This quantitative hydroclimate reconstruction from Lake Van (Turkey), as it is optimally situated to respond to North Atlantic climate change via changes in the large-scale wind fields shed light into millennial-scale global climate variability.ISSN:0031-0182ISSN:1872-616

Environmental responses of past and recent agropastoral activities on south Greenlandic ecosystems through molecular biomarkers

International audiencePaleoenvironmental studies previously performed on Lake Igaliku revealed two agropastoral phases in south Greenland: the Norse settlement from AD 986 to ca. AD 1450 and the recent installation of sheep farmers, since the 1920s. To improve the knowledge of the timing and magnitude of the Greenlandic agropastoral activities, a lipid inventory was realized and compared with biological and geochemical data. During the 12th century, a major increase in deoxycholic acid (DOC) and coprophilous fungal spores revealed a maximum of herbivores. Synchronously, a minimum of the n-C29/n-C31 alkane ratio and tree and shrub pollen and a maximum of triterpenyl acetates showed a reduction in the tree and shrub cover, because of grazing activities. Lupanone, produced by angiosperms, appeared simultaneously in the molecular content, probably revealing an introduction of plant species by the Norse, as it has been the case for Rumex spp. No major erosion was recorded by trimethyl-tetrahydrocrysenes (TTHCs) and titanium (Ti) fluxes. No massive algal production, identified by the n-C17/total n-alkane ratio and mesotrophic diatoms, was either revealed. After the Norse abandon (around AD 1450), a return of the vegetation to quasi-pristine conditions was observed in the molecular content. Finally, a re-introduction of sheep in the 1920s provoked major impacts between the 1970s and the 1990s. A major decrease in the n-C29/n-C31 alkane ratio and tree and shrub pollen associated with maxima of triterpenyl acetates, TTHCs, Ti fluxes, and mesotrophic diatoms highlighted a reduction in the tree and shrub cover, a strong soil mobilization, and algal blooms, probably linking to the recent mechanized creation of hay fields and the massive use of fertilizers. In this study, molecular biomarkers revealed two periods of major impacts: the 12th century and between the 1970s and the 1990s, separated by centuries without agropastoral practices, allowing a quasi-resilience of the vegetation

Carbon-14 release and speciation during corrosion of irradiated steel under radioactive waste disposal conditions

Carbon-14 is a key radionuclide in the safety assessment of deep geological repositories (DGR) for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (L/ILW). Irradiated metallic wastes generated during the decommissioning of nuclear power plants are an important source of 14C after their disposal in a DGR. The chemical form of 14C released from the irradiated metallic wastes determines the pathway of migration from the DGR into the environment. In a long-term corrosion experiment with irradiated steel simulating the hyper-alkaline, anoxic conditions of a cement-based DGR, total inorganic (TI14C2) and organic 14C contents (TO14C) in the liquid and gas phases (TG14C), as well as individual 14C-bearing carbon compounds by compound-specific radiocarbon analysis (CSRA), were quantified using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The AMS-based quantification allows the determination of 14C in the pico- to femtomolar concentration range. An initial increase in TO14C was observed, which could be attributed partially to the release of 14C-bearing oxygenated carbon compounds. In the long term, TO14C and the TI14C remain constant, while TG14C increases over time according to a corrosion rate of steel of 1 nm/yr. In solution, 14C-bearing carboxylic acids (CAs) contribute ~40% to TO14C, and they are the main 14C carriers along with 14C-bearing carbonate (14CO32−). The remaining fraction of TO14C (~ 60%) is likely due to the presence of as yet non-identified polymeric or colloidal organic material. In the gas phase, 14CH4 accounts for more than 80% of the TG14C, while only trace amounts of 14CO, and other small 14C-bearing hydrocarbons have been detected. In a DGR, the release of 14C will be mainly in gaseous form and migrate via the gas pathway from the repository near field to the surrounding host rock and eventually to the environment

Fecal biomarker imprints as indicators of past human land uses: Source distinction and preservation potential in archaeological and natural archives

International audienceThis paper presents the potential of 5β-stanols and bile acids to act as fecal source biomarkers in order to identify and characterize past agropastoral activities in archaeological and natural archives. First of all, a molecular inventory of 5β-stanols and bile acids was made on fresh fecal human and domestic animal samples, using the same methodology to define the specificity of these molecular biomarkers. The selected species were cow, horse, pig and sheep as they are the major domestic species present in European archaeological sites. To our knowledge, our work constitutes the first report on fecal biomarkers in sheep feces. Bile acids can distinguish diet regime and species having the same diet with greater specificity than 5β-stanols. Fresh human fecal material and historical/archaeological fecal material were analyzed to assess their stability through time by calculating the coprostanol/epi-coprostanol (Cp/epi-Cp) and deoxycholic acid/cholic acid (DOC/C) ratios. Results show that bile acids are more resistant to diagenesis than 5β-stanols, at least on a 700-year time scale. Human and domestic animal fecal molecular imprints were then compared to the molecular content of 65 samples retrieved from archaeological sites, soils and lacustrine sediments to test their ability to trace past land-use dynamics. This study is the first to combine bile acids and 5β-stanols to identify a source of fecal material in lacustrine sediments. The combination of sterols and bile acids can be used in a variety of natural archives and archaeological contexts to define the origin of fecal material, to specify land-use, and to reconstruct past pastoral practices at various spatio-temporal scales