2.8 Million Years of Arctic Climate Change from Lake El’gygytgyn, NE Russia

Melles, Martin; Brigham‐Grette, Julie; Minyuk, P. S.; Nowaczyk, Norbert R; Wennrich, Volker; DeConto, Robert M.; Anderson, Patricia M.; Andreev, Andrei A.; Coletti, Anthony; Cook, Timothy L.; Haltia-Hovi, Eeva; Kukkonen, Maaret; Ложкин, А. В.; Rosén, Peter; Tarasov, Pavel E.; Vogel, Hendrik; Wagner, Bernd

doi:10.1126/science.1222135

Cited by 457 publications

(700 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…More variable climate parameters were reconstructed for the Quaternary interglacials. Whilst July temperatures and annual precipitation around Lake El'gygytgyn during MIS 1 and MIS 5e were only slightly elevated compared to the modern values, during MIS 11.3 and MIS 31 they were about 4-5 • C and 300 mm higher than in the present day (Melles et al, 2012). According to GCM climate simulations the latter values could not readily be explained by interglacial greenhouse gas concentrations and orbital parameters alone; rather they are traced back to feedback mechanisms potentially involving ice sheet disintegrations in the Antarctic (Melles et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 69%

“…Initial results documenting physical properties from the upper part of the lake sediment succession down to 2.8 Myr BP have provided a complete record of glacial/interglacial change in the Arctic (Melles et al, 2012). According to this study glacial settings with temperatures at least 4 • C lower than today, allowing perennial lake-ice coverage, first commenced at Lake El'gygytgyn at the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary about 2.6 Myr BP.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Building on the initial studies of Melles et al (2012) and Brigham-Grette et al (2013), this paper provides a more complete record and a more detailed discussion of climatical and environmentally driven vegetation changes in the northeastern Russian Arctic between ∼ 3.58 and ∼ 2.15 Myr BP. Their papers are based on the original work presented here.…”

Section: A a Andreev Et Al: Late Pliocene And Early Pleistocene Vementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within the scope of the El'gygytgyn Drilling Project of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), three holes were drilled in the center of the lake (Fig. 2) between March and May 2009, penetrating about 318 m of lake sediments and 200 m into the underlying impact rocks (Melles et al, 2011(Melles et al, , 2012.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene vegetation history of northeastern Russian Arctic inferred from the Lake El'gygytgyn pollen record

et al. 2014

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Abstract. The 318 m thick lacustrine sediment record from Lake El'gygytgyn, northeastern Russian Arctic cored by the international El'gygytgyn Drilling Project provides unique opportunities for the time-continuous reconstruction of the regional paleoenvironmental history for the past 3.6 Myr. Pollen studies of the lower 216 m of the lacustrine sediments demonstrate their value as an excellent archive of vegetation and climate changes during the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. About 3.5-3.35 Myr BP, the vegetation at Lake El'gygytgyn, now an area of tundra was dominated by spruce-larch-fir-hemlock forests. After ca. 3.35 Myr BP dark coniferous taxa gradually disappeared. A very pronounced environmental change took place ca. 3.31-3.28 Myr BP, corresponding to the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) M2, when treeless tundra-and steppe-like habitats became dominant in the regional vegetation. Climate conditions were similar to those of Late Pleistocene cold intervals. Numerous coprophilous fungi spores identified in the pollen samples suggest the presence of grazing animals around the lake. Following the MIS M2 event, larch-pine forests with some spruce mostly dominated the area until ca. 2.6 Myr BP, interrupted by colder and drier intervals ca. 3.043-3.025, 2.935-2.912, and 2.719-2.698 Myr BP. At the beginning of the Pleistocene, ca. 2.6 Myr BP, noticeable climatic deterioration occurred. Forested habitats changed to predominantly treeless and shrubby environments, which reflect a relatively cold and dry climate. Peaks in observed green algae colonies (Botryococcus) around 2.53, 2.45, 2.32-2.305, 2.20 and 2.16-2.15 Myr BP suggest a spread of shallow water environments. A few intervals (i.e., 2.55-2.53, ca. 2.37, and 2.35-2.32 Myr BP) with a higher presence of coniferous taxa (mostly pine and larch) document some relatively shortterm climate ameliorations during Early Pleistocene glacial periods.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: A a Andreev Et Al: Late Pliocene And Early Pleistocene Vementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene vegetation history of northeastern Russian Arctic inferred from the Lake El'gygytgyn pollen record

et al. 2014

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“…Recently the basin fill was cored and a unique 312 m long Pliocene-Pleistocene lake sediment record (core 5011-1) was retrieved, which is being explored for palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction (Melles et al, 2012;Brigham-Grette et al, 2013). Additionally, a 141 m long permafrost core (core 5011-3) was taken from the western crater margin for studying catchment-lake interaction in the past (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Past freeze and thaw cycling in the margin of the El'gygytgyn crater deduced from a 141 m long permafrost record

Schwamborn

Meyer²,

Schirrmeister³

et al. 2014

Clim. Past

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Abstract. The continuous sediment record from Lake El'gygytgyn in the northeastern Eurasian Arctic spans the last 3.6 Ma and for much of this time permafrost dynamics and lake level changes have likely played a crucial role for sediment delivery to the lake. Changes in the ground-ice hydrochemical composition (δ 18 O, δD, pH, electrical conductivity, Na + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , K + , HCO − 3 , Cl − , SO − 4 ) of a 141 m long permafrost record from the western crater plain are examined to reconstruct repeated periods of freeze and thaw at the lake edge. Stable water isotope and major ion records of ground ice in the permafrost reflect both a synsedimentary palaeo-precipitation signal preserved in the near-surface permafrost (0.0-9.1 m core depth) and a post-depositional record of thawing and refreezing in deeper layers of the core (9.1-141.0 m core depth). These lake marginal permafrost dynamics were controlled by lake level changes that episodically flooded the surfaces and induced thaw in the underlying frozen ground. During times of lake level fall these layers froze over again. At least three cycles of freeze and thaw are identified and the hydrochemical data point to a vertical and horizontal talik refreezing through time. Past permafrost thaw and freeze may have destabilised the basin slopes of Lake El'gygytgyn and this has probably promoted the release of mass movements from the lake edge to the deeper basin as known from frequently occurring turbidite layers in the lake sediment column.

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The “warm” Marine Isotope Stage 31 in the Labrador Sea: Low surface salinities and cold subsurface waters prevented winter convection

2016

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Surface and subsurface conditions in the Labrador Sea during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 31 at the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1305 off southwest Greenland are reconstructed based on dinocyst and foraminifer assemblages. Isotopic compositions of planktonic (Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, Np) and benthic (Cibicides wuellerstorfi, Cw, and Oridorsalis umbonatus, Ou) foraminifera provide further information about water properties in the mesopelagic layer as well as at the seafloor. Dinocyst proxy reconstructions indicate low salinities (32-34.5), cool winters (3-6°C), and mild summers (10-15°C) in the surface water layer during the MIS 31 "optimum". However, planktonic foraminifer assemblages largely dominated by Np suggest relatively cold subsurface conditions in winter and summer (<4°C). Lower δ 13 C values in Np versus Cw further suggest either a lesser-ventilated mesopelagic layer than the bottom one or high organic matter oxidation rates at Np habitat depth. The dinocyst and planktonic foraminifer records together suggest a strong stratification between the surface and subsurface water layers. Isotopic and micropaleontological data thus converge toward paleoceanographical conditions unsuitable for convection and intermediate or deep water formation in the Labrador Sea during the warm MIS 31 interglacial, a situation comparable to the one that prevailed during the warm MIS 5e. the micropaleontological content of sediments from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site AUBRY ET AL. MIS 31 IN THE LABRADOR SEA 1206 PUBLICATIONS Paleoceanography

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2.8 Million Years of Arctic Climate Change from Lake El’gygytgyn, NE Russia

Cited by 457 publications

References 98 publications

Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene vegetation history of northeastern Russian Arctic inferred from the Lake El'gygytgyn pollen record

Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene vegetation history of northeastern Russian Arctic inferred from the Lake El'gygytgyn pollen record

Past freeze and thaw cycling in the margin of the El'gygytgyn crater deduced from a 141 m long permafrost record

The “warm” Marine Isotope Stage 31 in the Labrador Sea: Low surface salinities and cold subsurface waters prevented winter convection

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