Holocene climate variability on the Kola Peninsula, Russian Subarctic, based on aquatic invertebrate records from lake sediments

Abstract

Sedimentary records of invertebrate assemblages were obtained from a small lake in the Khibiny Mountains, Kola Peninsula. Together with a quantitative chironomid-based reconstruction of mean July air temperature, these data provide evidence of Holocene climate variability in the western sector of the Russian Subarctic. The results suggest that the amplitude of climate change was more pronounced in the interior mountain area than near the White Sea coast. A chironomid-based temperature reconstruction reflects a warming trend in the early Holocene, interrupted by a transient cooling at ca. 8500–8000 cal yr BP with a maximum drop in temperature (ca. 1°C) around 8200 cal yr BP. The regional Holocene Thermal Maximum, characterized by maximum warmth and dryness occurred at ca. 7900–5400 cal yr BP. During this period, July temperatures were at least 1°C higher than at present. The relatively warm and dry climate persisted until ca. 4000 cal yr BP, when a pronounced neoglacial cooling was initiated. Minimum temperatures, ca. 1–2°C lower than at present, were inferred at ca. 3200–3000 cal yr BP. Faunal shifts in the stratigraphic profile imply also that the late-Holocene cooling was followed by a general increase in effective moisture.

Investigating molecular changes in organic matter composition in two Holocene lake‐sediment records from central Sweden using pyrolysis‐GC/MS

“…With an estimated time of deglaciation of 8500 ± 500 B.C. [ Geological Survey of Sweden , ], the development for the conventional OM variables is characteristic for recently deglaciated lakes [ Engstrom et al , ; Fritz and Anderson , ] and can be linked to the establishment and development of catchment vegetation, reduced catchment erosion, and increased in‐lake productivity [e.g., Reuss et al , ; Ilyashuk et al , ; Chmiel et al , ; Meyer‐Jacob et al , ; Rantala et al , ]. Declines in δ 13 C may be the result of increased aquatic respiration and supply of δ 13 C‐depleated plant OM but can also represent a reduced influence of inorganic C (IC) from glacial debris [ Hammarlund , ; Wolfe et al , ].…”

“…Another difference between the lakes during this period is that increases in the relative abundances of intact molecules from plants (e.g., lignin oligomers and phenols) and algae (i.e., chlorophylls and N compounds) are accompanied by a substantial decrease of the degraded OM pool in Lång-Älgsjön, as shown by the relative abundances of n-alkanes, n-alkenes, alka-2-ones, and (poly)aromatics, while for Dragsjön the abundances of these Py-compound classes indicative of degraded OM remain stable. [Geological Survey of Sweden, 2016], the development for the conventional OM variables is characteristic for recently deglaciated lakes [Engstrom et al, 2000;Fritz and Anderson, 2013] and can be linked to the establishment and development of catchment vegetation, reduced catchment erosion, and increased in-lake productivity [e.g., Reuss et al, 2010;Ilyashuk et al, 2013;Chmiel et al, 2015;Meyer-Jacob et al, 2015;Rantala et al, 2015b]. Declines in δ 13 C may be the result of increased aquatic respiration and supply of δ 13 C-depleated plant OM but can also represent a reduced influence of inorganic C (IC) from glacial debris [Hammarlund, 1993;Wolfe et al, 1999].…”

Climate Change in the Kola Peninsula, Arctic Russia, during the Last 50 Years from Meteorological Observations

“…The climate is subject to the moderating influence of the ocean, being dominated by the advection of heat and moisture from the North Atlantic, and in particular the North Atlantic Current that flows along its northern shore (e.g., Filatov et al 2005;Matishov et al 2012). As a consequence, the regional climate comprises cool, rainy summers and relatively mild winters (Ilyashuk et al 2013). Moreover, the Kola Peninsula is affected by the passage of a large number of cyclones, making the weather highly changeable.…”

Routes of Evolutionary Geography

“…Данные палинологического анализа (Solovieva et al 2005, Sëppa et al, 2008 и изучения палеокомплексов хирономид (Ilyashuk et al, 2005(Ilyashuk et al, , 2013 показывают, что ранний голоцен отличался теплыми и влажными условиями, средний -теплыми и засушливыми, а поздний -прохладными и влажными. При этом есть региональные особенности: в прибрежных частях Кольского п-ова температуры выше современных реконструируются уже на самых ранних этапах голоцена (Ilyashuk et al 2005, Sëppa et al, 2008, тогда как в Хибинах начало голоцена было прохладным, а затем происходит быстрый рост реконструируемых значений температуры июля (Ilyashuk et al, 2013).…”

“…При этом есть региональные особенности: в прибрежных частях Кольского п-ова температуры выше современных реконструируются уже на самых ранних этапах голоцена (Ilyashuk et al 2005, Sëppa et al, 2008, тогда как в Хибинах начало голоцена было прохладным, а затем происходит быстрый рост реконструируемых значений температуры июля (Ilyashuk et al, 2013). Это может быть связано с особенностями дегляциации: более поздним таянием ледников в пределах горных массивов Хибин и Ловозер.…”