Linda Ampel

Rapid ecosystem response to abrupt climate changes during the last glacial period in western Europe, 40-16 ka

We present a high-resolution and independently dated multiproxy lake sediment record from the paleolake at Les Echets in southeastern France that displays synchronous changes in independent limnic and terrestrial ecosystem proxies, in concert with millennial-scale climate oscillations during the last glacial period. Distinct lake-level fluctuations, low lake organic productivity, and open, treeless vegetation indicate cold and dry conditions in response to Heinrich events. Alternating phases of higher and low lake organic productivity, stratified surface waters and long-lasting lake ice cover, decreased or increased catchment erosion, and tree-dominated or herb-dominated vegetation resemble Dansgaard-Oeschger interstadialstadial variability. Transitions between different ecological states occurred in as little as 40–230 yr and seem to have been controlled by the position of the Polar Front. Ecosystem response after 30 ka suggests that local climate conditions became more important. Our results demonstrate that all parts of the terrestrial system responded to the abrupt and dramatic climatic changes associated with Dansgaard-Oeschger and Heinrich events, and that regional factors modulated ecosystem response.

Major earthquake at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in Lake Vättern, southern Sweden

Lake Vattern, Sweden, is within a graben that formed through rifting along the boundary between two Precambrian terrains. Geophysical mapping and geological coring show that substantial tectonic movements along the Lake Vattern graben occurred at the very onset of the Holocene. This is evident from deformation structures in the soft sediment accumulated on the lake floor. Our interpretation of these structures suggests as much as 13 m of vertical tectonic displacements along sections of a >80-km-long fault system. If these large displacements are from one tectonic event, Lake Vattern must have had an earthquake with seismic moment magnitudes to 7.5. In addition, our geophysical mapping shows large landslides along sections of the steep lake shores. Pollen analysis of sediment infillings of some of the most prominent sediment deformation structures places this major seismic event at the Younger Dryas-Preboreal transition, ca. 11.5 ka. We suggest that this event is mainly related to the rapid release of ice-sheet load following the deglaciation. This paleoseismic event in Lake Vattern ranks among the larger known intraplate tectonic events in Scandinavia and attests to the significance of glacio-isostatic unloading.

Regional deglaciation and postglacial lake development as reflected in a 74 m sedimentary record from Lake Vättern, southern Sweden

The withdrawal of the Late Weichselian ice sheet and rapid isostatic uplift in southern Scandinavia led to the entrainment of large volumes of melt water within the proglacial Baltic Ice Lake (BIL). The eventual western outpost of BIL, Lake Vättern, has been a focal point for studying the dynamic retreat history of the Late Weichselian ice sheet in south central Sweden. This part of the deglacial history is described from an abundance of terrestrial studies, but, to date, no complimentary long sediment cores from Lake Vättern have been available. Here, we present the results from a unique, 74 m borehole in southern Lake Vättern that recovered a Late Pleistocene to Holocene sedimentary sequence. Physical and chemical analyses of the sediment and pore water, together with geophysical mapping, reveal glacial as well as postglacial imprints implying an oscillating ice sheet margin, evidence for neotectonic activity and one or more marine incursions into the lake during deglaciation. We attribute the glaciotectonic deformation of the sediments at 54 m below the lake floor to an ice readvance that likely occurred at the same time or before the advance that formed the Levene moraine (∼13.8–13.4 cal. ka BP). After this event, potential readvances were likely restricted to a more northerly position in the basin. We identify the final drainage of the BIL, but find evidence for an earlier marine incursion into the Vättern basin (∼13.0 cal. ka BP), indicating water exchange between the North Atlantic and the Baltic Ice Lake during the late Alleröd.

The lithostratigraphy of the Les Echets basin, France: tentative correlation between cores

Two new long sediment cores (EC1 and EC3), recovered from different locations within the infilled basin at Les Echets, France, provide a new high-resolution record of terrestrial and lacustrine responses to climatic changes during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3 and 2. The lithologies of the cores are described in detail and correlated with each other by stratigraphic marker horizons, fluctuations in organic matter and AMS radiocarbon ages. The tentative correlation of the new cores to those described and analysed by de Beaulieu et al. (1980) and de Beaulieu & Reille (1984a) provides a preliminary chronostratigraphic framework. Sedimentation during MIS3 started with accumulation of sands and silts and was followed by alternating gyttja and clayey gyttja silts. Exceptionally high sedimentation rates during MIS2 led to the infilling of the basin. Alternating organic-rich and minerogenicrich sediments appear to coincide with changes in pollen assemblages (de Beaulieu & Reille 1984a) and suggest that millennial-scale climatic changes controlled lake productivity and catchment stability during most of MIS3.

Ecosystem response to abrupt climate change during the last glacial period in Western Europe – The Lacustrine Sequence of Les Echets

Beyond feasibility: Linking the Mediterranean regions renewable energy resources to Europe – a roadmap for addressing the policy challenges Anthony Patt, A Battaglini, N Komendantova et al. Hypoxia in the changing marine environment J Zhang, G Cowie and S W A Naqvi Recent bark beetle outbreaks have little impact on streamflow in the western United States Kimberly M Slinski, Terri S Hogue, Aaron T Porter et al. Assessing confidence in management adaptation approaches for climate-sensitive ecosystems J M West, S H Julius and C P Weaver A watershed modeling approach to streamflow reconstruction from tree-ring records Laurel Saito, Franco Biondi, Jose D Salas et al. Effects of drought conditions on the carbon dioxide dynamics in a temperate peatland Magnus Lund, Torben R Christensen, Anders Lindroth et al. Risk of severe climate change impact on the terrestrial biosphere Ursula Heyder, Sibyll Schaphoff, Dieter Gerten et al. Ecosystem response to abrupt climate change during the last glacial period in Western Europe – The Lacustrine Sequence of Les Echets