Millennial-scale vegetation changes in the north-eastern Russian Arctic during the Pliocene/Pleistocene transition (2.7–2.5 Ma) inferred from the pollen record of Lake El'gygytgyn

© 2016 Elsevier LtdThe sediment record of Lake El'gygytgyn (67°30′N, 172°05′E) spans the past 3.6 Ma and provides unique opportunities for qualitative and quantitative reconstructions of the regional paleoenvironmental history of the terrestrial Arctic. Millennial-scale pollen studies of the sediments that accumulated during the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene (ca. 2.7 to 2.5 Ma) demonstrate orbitally-driven vegetation and climate changes during this transitional interval. Pollen spectra show a significant vegetation shift at the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary that is, however, delayed by a few thousand years compared to lacustrine response. About 2.70–2.68 Ma the vegetation at Lake El'gygytgyn, currently a tundra area was mostly dominated by larch forests with some shrub pine, shrub alder and dwarf birch in understory. During the marine isotope stages G3 and G1, ca. 2.665–2.647 and 2.625–2.617 Ma, some spruce trees grew in the local larch-pine forests, pointing to relatively warm climate conditions. At the beginning of the Pleistocene, around 2.588 Ma, a prominent climatic deterioration led to a change from larch-dominated forests to predominantly treeless steppe- and tundra-like habitats. Between ca. 2.56–2.53 Ma some climate amelioration is reflected by the higher presence of coniferous taxa (mostly pine and larch, but probably also spruce) in the area. After 2.53 Ma a relatively cold and dry climate became dominant again, leading to open steppe-like and shrubby environments followed by climate amelioration between ca. 2.510 and 2.495 Ma, when pollen assemblages show that larch forests with dwarf birch and shrub alder still grew in the lake's vicinity. Increased contents of green algae colonies (Botryococcus) remains and Zygnema cysts around 2.691–2.689, 2.679–2.677, 2.601–2.594, 2.564–2.545, and 2.532–2.510 Ma suggest a spread of shallow-water environments most likely due to a lake-level lowering. These events occurred simultaneously with dry climate conditions inferred from broad distribution of steppe habitats with Artemisia and other herbs

Holocene coastal stratigraphy, coastal changes and potential palaeoseismological implications inferred from geo-archives in Central Chile (29–32° S)

Coastal geomorphology and the stratigraphy of coastal geoarchives record past coastal and fluctuations of coastal environments. In addition, these archives potentially store traces of past extreme events such as earthquakes and tsunamis, severe storms, and major flfl oodings of the coastal hinterland, e.g. due to El Niño conditions. Studying their characteristics may thus improve the knowledge of past frequency and magnitude patterns of such extreme events. For instance, large scaled spatial information about past earthquakes is needed for the understanding and estimation of seismo-tectonic processes. Misinterpretations in the size of preceding earthquakes may lead to incorrect strain balance estimations along megathrusts. Thus, fundamental research on the occurrence of past earthquakes is needed, which can be reflected in sudden or long-term coastal changes. Using sedimentological, geomorphological and microfaunal evidence, coeval geomorphodynamic and palaeoenvironmental changes at four different locations between 29° 50′ and 32° 20′ S in Central Chile were identififi ed in estuary systems, coastal swamps and coastal plains. The results may represent possible indirect evidence for palaeoseismicity, affecting the coastal system by vertical tectonic movements. Changes of coastline elevation, morphodynamic activity and/or coastal environments, as well as the formation of a liquefaction layer took place during the last c. 400 years. Moreover, major flfl ooding events related to strong El Niño conditions are assumed to have influenced the coastal stratigraphy by depositing high energy fluvial deposits. Our results suggest that the coastal environment, geomorphology and stratigraphy are considerably inflfl uenced by tectonic processes in the study area; a relation of the presented fifi ndings to the 1730 Great Valparaíso Earthquake is assumed. In general, the findings may encourage the implementation of comparable detailed studies, which may ultimately contribute to a better understanding of the Holocene coastal evolution and its relation to palaeoseismicity in Central Chile

Mass movement deposits in the 3.6 Ma sediment record of Lake El'gygytgyn, Far East Russian Arctic

This paper focuses on the characterization and genesis of mass movement deposits (MMDs) in the Quater- nary and Pliocene sediments of Lake El’gygytgyn, Far East Russian Arctic. Three partly overlapping holes were drilled into the 320 m long sediment record at International Conti- nental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) Site 5011-1 in the lake basin, recovering the Quaternary almost completely, and the Pliocene down to 3.6 Ma with 52 % recovery. Mass move- ment deposits were investigated in all three cores, based on macroscopical core descriptions, radiographic images, high- resolution magnetic susceptibility and gamma-ray density. Five different types of MMDs were identified: turbidites, grain-flow deposits, debrites, slumps and slides. These are formed by transitional mass movement processes, and thus can be co-generic. An initial slope failure is thought to trans- form into a debris flow that deforms frontal sediments, partly disintegrates and dilutes into a turbidity flow. Turbidites are by far the most frequent MMD type in the lake center. They occur throughout the record in all pelagic sedimentary fa- cies, but they are thinner in facies formed during cold cli- mate conditions. All other MMDs, by contrast, incise exclu- sively the pelagic facies deposited during warm climates. In the 123 m thick Quaternary composite sediment record 230 mass movement events are identified, comprising 33% of the sediment length. Turbidites contribute 93 % of the num- ber of Quaternary MMDs, but only 35 % of their thickness. In the Pliocene sediments between 123 and 320 m, 181 ad- ditional mass movement deposits are identified, which con- stitute ⇠ 33 % of the recovered sediments. The mean recur- rence interval for MMDs is 11 and 5 ka in the Quaternary and Pliocene, respectively

The Réunion Subchron vegetation and climate history of the northeastern Russian Arctic inferred from the Lake El'gygytgyn pollen record

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. The 318-m-thick sediment record from Lake El'gygytgyn provides unique opportunities for a detailed examination of environmental changes during the Réunion Subchron polarity reversal event (2.1384-2.1216. Myr. BP) in the northeastern Russian Arctic. The paper describes vegetation and climate fluctuations between ~. 2.15 and 2.10. Myr. BP as inferred from palynological data. Biome reconstructions indicate that throughout this interval the tundra (TUND) biome generally has higher affinity scores as compared to cold steppe (STEP) or cold deciduous forest (CLDE). An exception is the climatic optimum between ~. 2.139 and 2.131. Myr. BP, coinciding with Marine Isotope Stage 81 (approximately the Réunion Subchron), when the CLDE biome has the highest scores. Landscape-openness indices suggest that more closed vegetation characterized most of the interval between 2.146 and 2.127. Myr. BP, when deciduous forest and shrubs expanded in the regional vegetation and climate was relatively warm and wet. Peaks in green algal colonies (Botryococcus) and Zygnema-type spores ~. 2.150-2.146, ~. 2.131-2.123, and ~. 2.112-2.102. Myr. BP indicate expansions of shallow-water habitats and lowered lake levels. Comparisons with biome reconstructions from other interglacial intervals at Lake El'gygytgyn suggest that precession-related summer insolation intensity and obliquity-related duration of summer daylight are major controls on the onset of interglaciations, whereas obliquity probably plays a more significant role on vegetation succession at northern high latitudes during the Pleistocene

High-latitude vegetation and climate changes during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition inferred from a palynological record from Lake El'gygytgyn, NE Russian Arctic

© 2017 Collegium Boreas.A continuous pollen record from Lake El'gygytgyn (northeastern Russian Arctic) provides detailed information concerning the regional vegetation and climate history during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), between 1091 ka (end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 32) and 715 ka (end of MIS 18). Pollen-based qualitative vegetation reconstruction along with biome reconstruction indicate that the interglacial regional vegetation history during the MPT is characterized by a gradual replacement of forest and shrub vegetation by open herbaceous communities (i.e. tundra/cold steppe). The pollen spectra reveal seven vegetation successions that have clearly distinguishable glacial-interglacial cycles. These successions are represented by the intervals of cold deciduous forest (CLDE) biome scores changing from high to low, which are basically in phase with the variations of obliquity from maxima to minima. The dominating influence of obliquity forcing on vegetation successions contradicts with the stronger power of eccentricity, as demonstrated by the result of wavelet analysis based on landscape openness reconstruction. This discrepancy shows that a single index is insufficient for catching signals of all the impacting factors. Comparisons with vegetation and environmental changes in the Asian interior suggest that global cooling during the MPT was probably the key force driving long-term aridification in the Arctic region. The accelerated aridification after MIS 24-22 was probably caused by the additional effect of the Tibetan Plateau uplift, which played an important role on intensification of the Siberian High and westerly jet systems

PALEOLIMNOLOGICAL TRANSECT (PLOT) PROJECT: THE PREGLACIAL TO POSTGLACIAL HISTORY OF THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY POLLEN RESULTS

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Impact processes, permafrost dynamics, and climate and environmental variability in the terrestrial Arctic as inferred from the unique 3.6 Myr record of Lake El'gygytgyn, Far East Russia – A review

© 2016 Elsevier LtdLake El'gygytgyn in Far East Russia is a 3.6 Myr old impact crater lake. Located in an area that has never been affected by Cenozoic glaciations nor desiccation, the unique sediment record of the lake represents the longest continuous sediment archive of the terrestrial Arctic. The surrounding crater is the only impact structure on Earth developed in mostly acid volcanic rocks. Recent studies on the impactite, permafrost, and sediment sequences recovered within the framework of the ICDP “El'gygytgyn Drilling Project” and multiple pre-site surveys yielded new insight into the bedrock origin and cratering processes as well as permafrost dynamics and the climate and environmental history of the terrestrial Arctic back to the mid-Pliocene. Results from the impact rock section recovered during the deep drilling clearly confirm the impact genesis of the El'gygytgyn crater, but indicate an only very reduced fallback impactite sequence without larger coherent melt bodies. Isotope and element data of impact melt samples indicate a F-type asteroid of mixed composition or an ordinary chondrite as the likely impactor. The impact event caused a long-lasting hydrothermal activity in the crater that is assumed to have persisted for c. 300 kyr. Geochemical and microbial analyses of the permafrost core indicate a subaquatic formation of the lower part during lake-level highstand, but a subaerial genesis of the upper part after a lake-level drop after the Allerød. The isotope signal and ion compositions of ground ice is overprinted by several thaw-freeze cycles due to variations in the talik underneath the lake. Modeling results suggest a modern permafrost thickness in the crater of c. 340 m, and further confirm a pervasive character of the talik below Lake El'gygytgyn. The lake sediment sequences shed new leight into the Pliocene and Pleistocene climate and environmental evolution of the Arctic. During the mid-Pliocene, significantly warmer and wetter climatic conditions in western Beringia than today enabled dense boreal forests to grow around Lake El'gygytgyn and, in combination with a higher nutrient flux into the lake, promoted primary production. The exceptional warmth during the mid-Pliocene is in accordance with other marine and terrestrial records from the Arctic and indicates a period of enhanced “Arctic amplification”. The favourable conditions during the mid-Pliocene were repeatedly interrupted by climate deteriorations, e.g., during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) M2, when pollen data and sediment proxies indicate a major cooling and the onset of local permafrost around the lake. A gradual vegetation change after c. 3.0 Ma points to the onset of a long-term cooling trend during the Late Pliocene that culminated in major temperature drops, first during MIS G6, and later during MIS 104. These cold events coincide with the onset of an intensified Northern Hemisphere (NH) glaciation and the largest extent of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, respectively. After the Pliocene/Pleistocene transition, local vegetation and primary production in Lake El'gygtygyn experienced a major change from relatively uniform conditions to a high-amplitude glacial-to-interglacial cyclicity that fluctuated on a dominant 41 kyr obliquity band, but changed to a 100 kyr eccentricity dominance during the Middle Pleistocene transition (MPT) at c. 1.2–0.6 Ma. Periods of exceptional warming in the Pleistocene record of Lake El'gygytgyn with dense boreal forests around and peaks of primary production in the lake are assigned to so-called “super-interglacial” periods. The occurrence of these super-interglacials well corresponds to collapses of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) recorded in ice-free periods in the ANDRILL core, which suggests strong intrahemispheric teleconnections presumably driven by changes in the thermocline ocean circulation

Determination of nutrient salts by automatic methods both in seawater and brackish water: the phosphate blank

9 páginas, 2 tablas, 2 figurasThe main inconvenience in determining nutrients in seawater by automatic methods is simply solved: the preparation of a suitable blank which corrects the effect of the refractive index change on the recorded signal. Two procedures are proposed, one physical (a simple equation to estimate the effect) and the other chemical (removal of the dissolved phosphorus with ferric hydroxide).Support for this work came from CICYT (MAR88-0245 project) and Conselleria de Pesca de la Xunta de GaliciaPeer reviewe

Second asymptomatic carotid surgery trial (ACST-2): a randomised comparison of carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy

Background: Among asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis but no recent stroke or transient cerebral ischaemia, either carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can restore patency and reduce long-term stroke risks. However, from recent national registry data, each option causes about 1% procedural risk of disabling stroke or death. Comparison of their long-term protective effects requires large-scale randomised evidence. Methods: ACST-2 is an international multicentre randomised trial of CAS versus CEA among asymptomatic patients with severe stenosis thought to require intervention, interpreted with all other relevant trials. Patients were eligible if they had severe unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis and both doctor and patient agreed that a carotid procedure should be undertaken, but they were substantially uncertain which one to choose. Patients were randomly allocated to CAS or CEA and followed up at 1 month and then annually, for a mean 5 years. Procedural events were those within 30 days of the intervention. Intention-to-treat analyses are provided. Analyses including procedural hazards use tabular methods. Analyses and meta-analyses of non-procedural strokes use Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN21144362. Findings: Between Jan 15, 2008, and Dec 31, 2020, 3625 patients in 130 centres were randomly allocated, 1811 to CAS and 1814 to CEA, with good compliance, good medical therapy and a mean 5 years of follow-up. Overall, 1% had disabling stroke or death procedurally (15 allocated to CAS and 18 to CEA) and 2% had non-disabling procedural stroke (48 allocated to CAS and 29 to CEA). Kaplan-Meier estimates of 5-year non-procedural stroke were 2·5% in each group for fatal or disabling stroke, and 5·3% with CAS versus 4·5% with CEA for any stroke (rate ratio [RR] 1·16, 95% CI 0·86–1·57; p=0·33). Combining RRs for any non-procedural stroke in all CAS versus CEA trials, the RR was similar in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (overall RR 1·11, 95% CI 0·91–1·32; p=0·21). Interpretation: Serious complications are similarly uncommon after competent CAS and CEA, and the long-term effects of these two carotid artery procedures on fatal or disabling stroke are comparable. Funding: UK Medical Research Council and Health Technology Assessment Programme