Core M1‐A from Mljet Island, Croatia, was retrieved from a submerged sinkhole to investigate tephra and reconstruct past sea levels. Eleven tephra layers were found, out of which six are macroscopically visible, while five are cryptotephra. For two of the tephra layers, glass shard concentrations were below the critical amount necessary for reliable analysis, while two more originated from a stratigraphical interval likely disturbed by drilling operations. Major and trace element compositions of glass shards were determined by wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) using an electron microprobe analyser (EMPA) and by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS). The tephra discrimination relied on a novel approach based on a multivariate analysis of element selection and the use of log‐ratio scatterplots and common bivariate plots. The results enabled correlation of five tephra to known eruptions originating from Somma‐Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei. Specifically, we identified Avellino Pumice, Mercato, Agnano Monte Spina and Neapolitan Yellow Tuff, extending known distributions for Avellino and Agnano Monte Spina. Moreover, our findings possibly support an earlier proposition that Agnano Monte Spina tephra originated from two eruptions with a pause of a few decades in between. Based on the tephra correlations and radiocarbon dating, an age‐depth model was compiled that provided chronological constraints for the sea level during the formation of the lake (10.7 cal. ka BP, 49 m b.s.l.) and sea intrusion (2.3 cal. ka BP, 2.5 m b.s.l.).
The drivers of organic carbon (OC) burial efficiency are still poorly understood despite their key role in reliable projections of future climate trends. Here, we provide insights on this issue by presenting a paleoclimate time series of sediments, including the OC contents, from Lake Veliko jezero, Croatia. The Sr/Ca ratios of the bulk sediment are mainly derived from the strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca) concentrations of needle-like aragonite in Core M1-A and used as paleotemperature and paleohydrology indicators. Four major and six minor cold and dry events were detected in the interval from 8.3 to 2.6 calibrated kilo anno before present (cal ka BP). The combined assessment of Sr/Ca ratios, OC content, carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios, stable carbon isotope (δ13C) ratios, and modeled geochemical proxies for paleoredox conditions and aeolian input revealed that cold and dry climate states promoted anoxic conditions in the lake, thereby enhancing organic matter preservation and increasing the OC burial efficiency. Our study shows that the projected future increase in temperature might play an important role in the OC burial efficiency of meromictic lakes.
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