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Varved Lacustrine Sediments in Japan: Recent Progress

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Varved Lacustrine Sediments in Japan: Recent Progress 第 四 紀 研 究(The Quaternary Research) 38 (3) p. 237-243 June 1999 Varved Lacustrine Sediments in Japan: Recent Progress Hitoshi Fukusawa* Annually laminated (varved) lacustrine sediments provide a potentially continu- ous, high-resolution records of the last glacial and Holocene paleoenvironments. In 1991-1993, long sequences of laminated lacustrine sediments were successfully taken from two lakes in southwestern Japan, Lake Suigetsu and LakeTougouike. Based on lamina counting and AMS 14C dating, we clarified that these laminated sediments were varves. Clay mineral composition in these varved sediments would be reflected by eolian dust concentrations, transported from Chinese Loess Plateau, and by precipitations around both lakes. Also, formation of iron sulfides and carbonates in varves would be caused by cyclic changes of sea-water invasion, originated from sea-level changes. Annual to decadal oscillations of dust and iron mineral concentra- tions since the last glacial were detected in varved sequences of both lake sediments. These detailed sedimentological analysis of these sediments revealed varve chronol- ogy, process of varve formation and annual to decadal changes of sea-level and climate. Some of the climatic changes may correlate with abrupt changes (Younger Dryas and Heinrich events) observed in Greenland ice cores and marine sediments. Key Words: varved lacustrine sediments, climate, sea-level, Asian monsoon, Younger Dryas, Heinrich events located along the coast of the Sea of Japan and I. Introduction brackish water lakes since the Post Glacial. In The aim of this article is to review the nature our recent works, many sediment cores includ- and formation of Japanese lacustrine varves ing continuously and/or partly varve se- with reference to global climatic changes. quences were also taken from other brackish Varves of Japan provide annual chronology water lakes of Japan. since the last interglacial with detailed records The annual character of lamination was con- of paleoenvironmental changes which are com- firmed by observation of bio-clastic micro- parable to that of Greenland ice cores such as structures under optical and scanning electron GRIP and GISP 2. microscopes (Fukusawa, 1995; Kitagawa et al., Our research group took light to dark grey 1995; Fukusawa et al., in press) (Fig. 1) and laminated clay sediments from Lake Suigetsu high-resolution accelerator mass spectrometry (35°35'N,135°53'E) in 1991-1993 and Lake (AMS) 14C measurements of macrofossil sam- Tougouike (35°28'N,135°55'E) in 1992. Lake ples from the upper section (34.96m below the Suigetsu is 10 km around the perimeter and top sediments) of a 75m long core from Lake covers 4.3km2. It is a typical kettle-type lake, Suigetsu (Kitagawa and van der Plicht, 1998 a, nearly flat at the center, ca. 33.5m deep. Lake b) and from a 39.97m long core from Lake Tougouike which capture most of the allo- Tougouike (Fukusawa, 1998; Fukusawa et al., chthonous materials is presently ca. 2m deep; 1999). Presently the varve chronologies from nearly flat and 4.1km2 in area. Both lakes are Lake Suigetsu and Lake Tougouike extend to Recieved January 31, 1999. Accepted March 7, 1999. * Department of Geography , Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Minami-Osawa 1-1, Hachioji,192-0397, Japan. 238 Hitoshi Fukusawa June 1999 glacial streams (de Geer, 1912). However, most terms of "varve" are now used to describe structures formed by different process in dif- ferent environments. O'Sullivan (1983) shows that annually laminated sediments may be biochemical or bioclastic deposits in origin and contain several kinds of laminae at non-glacial region. The group of these laminations are identified as "non-glacial varve" (O'Sullivan, 1983). O'Sullivan (1983) divided laminations of varves into four types. Lamination of auto- chthonous sediments is produced by interac- tion of the climate and internal lake processes, and is either ferrogenic, calcareous, biogenic or clastic laminations (Boygle, 1993). Calcareous varve cannot be recognized in most of Japa- nese lake, because the nature of fresh water shows low level of pH due to infux of acidic water from the surrounding area of many volcanoes and springs. In Holocene varves sediments of Lake Suigetsu and Lake Tou- gouike, we could identified two kind of types as following biogenic and ferro-biogenic com- posite laminations (Fig. 1). We have identified two types of structures in the Holocene varve sediments from Lake Suigetsu and Lake Tougouike as well as other Japanese lakes; biogenic and ferro-biogenic lamination. Based on investigations of bio- Fig. 1 Varved lacustrine sediment with inter- clastic composition and micro sedimentary calated tephra and flood layers from Lake structures, an annual layer is divided into three Tougouike, southwestern Japan units (I, II, and III) (Fukusawa, 1998) (Fig. 2). From Fukusawa (1998). The Unit I is the light grey and white layer consisting predominately of diatom frustules ca. 40,000 and 35,000 years before the present without ferric and terrigenous materials. The (BP, relative to 1950), respectively. Unit II is dark grey layers consisting of large These varved sequences permit us to recon- crystals of iron sulfides such as pyrite (FeS2) or struct high-resolution paleoenvironmental re- iron carbonates such as siderite (FeCO3) formed cords since the Last Interglacial. Here, we in- in anoxic water conditions as well as remains troduce 1) process of varve formations with of diatom frustules and clay-size terrigenous reference to speeds of environmental changes materials. The Unit III is grey layer consist- and 2) annual to decadal climatic and sea-level ing of small size diatom frustules and terrige- changes of Japan, possibly related to global nous materials, and contain organic remains climatic change. such as fallen leaves from the surrounding area of lake. II. Structure and formation of varved The monomictic and meromictic lakes in the lacustrine sediments in Japan southwestern Japan such as Lake Suigetsu and A classical varve consists of rhythmic alter- Lake Tougouike show seasonal changes in bio- nations of two laminae deposited annually by chemical and physical conditions. In spring 1999年6月 Varved lacustrine sediments in Japan: Recent progress 239 Fig. 2 Photomicrograph showing seasonal changes in non-glacial varve of Lake Tougouike, southwestern Japan Fig. 3 Sketches of thin sections and sequential From Fukusawa (1998). changes of varve structures from Lake Suigetsu, southwestern Japan From Fukusawa et al. (in press). and autumn, light grey-white layers of diatom frustules (Unit I and Unit III) are formed by phytoplankton blooming relating to overturns III. Abrupt climatic changes in Japan of lake water. Although dark laminas in Eu- detected from varves ropean lake sediments are closely related to anoxic condition during ice covering season, During the late glacial period, we identified the anoxic condition in the Japanese lake en- four types of lamina in the varved lacustrine courages the dark-grey precipitation of iron sediments from Lake Suigetsu and Lake sulfides or carbonates from the bottom water Tougouike; (1) clastic varve, (2) clastic varve in summer. including resting spores, (3) bio-clastic varve An interesting finding is the appearance of including resting spores, (4) biogenic varve the crowding layers of resting spores of (Fukusawa et al., in press) (Fig. 3). The forma- Chaetoceros spp. or Chrysophyte cysts in tion of four types of lamina can be relevant to winter deposition, probably relating to ex- the change in environment and climate in this tremely cold winter or ice cover in the some- regions. time of Holocene. The population of resting Type (1) shows clastic lamination consisting spores can be related to free NO3- (Kuwata, of alternations between light grey coarser 1989) by no overturns of lake waters. terrigenous lamina intercalating siderite (FeCO3) crystals and fine terrigenous lamina. 240 Hitoshi Fukusawa June 1999 The lamination formed mainly from allochtho- in the other sediment section. The increase of nous matter often arose in oligotrophic lakes terrestrial-origin organic remains in sediments where other sources of suspended matter were seems to correspond to the reduction of forest minute (Boygle, 1993). This formation mecha- by the climatic cooling. The turbidites may nism is similar to that of classical varves (de be episodically occurred by the strong precipi- Geer, 1912). Type (2) is clastic laminations tation, related to intensive Asian summer mon- with siderite intercalations including resting soon. spores. Type (3) is characterized in alterna- The abrupt cooling event at about 11,320 tions between diatomaceous lamina including years BP by AMS 14C dating (Kitagawa and siderite crystals and terrigenous lamina. It is van der Plicht, 1998b) may correspond to about formed by weak blooming of diatom prior to 100 years long cooling event from 11,300 to siderite precipitation in summer. Existence of 11,400 years ago recorded in the Greenland ice diatom-poor lamina in type (3) suggests that core (GISP 2) (Stuiver et a1., 1995). The possi- absence of diatom blooming occurs in three ble teleconnection of the abrupt cooling events seasons except summer due to the colder cli- in the East Asia and the Greenland is re- mate than the Holocene climates. Type (4) is cognized and suggests that abrupt climatic biogenic lamination observed in Holocene changes did not only occur at high latitudes varves. It is formed by seasonal changes in such as North Atlantic around the Greenland, diatom productivity and/or seasonal break- but also at low latitudes. down of the stratified water column. IV. Abrupt changes of the Asian Supply of nutrients such as NO3- and PO42- sonsoon and the Westerlies caused blooming of diatom continuously oc- activities reconstructed curs in Lake Suigetsu, because many organic from sediment fluxes materials originating from forest vegetations and soils are decomposed and then flow into The climate in the East Asia is influenced by lake water.
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