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Pleistocene-Holocene Palaeoenvironmental

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Pleistocene-Holocene Palaeoenvironmental Irina D. Streletskaya1*, Еvgeny А. Gusev3,4, Alexander A. Vasiliev2, Gleb E. Oblogov2, Anatoly N. Molodkov5 1Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Geography, 119991, Moscow, Leninskie Gory 1, Russia, e-mail: [email protected] *Corresponding author 2Earth Cryosphere Institute SB RAS, 625000, Tyumen, p/o box 1230, Russia; e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 3VNIIOkeangeologia, 190121 St. Petersburg Angliyskii pr. 1, Russia; e-mail: [email protected] GEOGRAPHY 4St. Petersburg State University, 199034, St. Petersburg, Universitetskaya nab. 7–9, Russia 60 5Research Laboratory of Geochronology of the Quaternary Period, Institute of Geology, Tallinn Technical University, Estonia, 5, Ehitjate Street. 19086 Tallinn. Estonia; e-mail: [email protected] PLEISTOCENE-HOLOCENE PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL RECORDS FROM PERMAFROST SEQUENCES AT THE KARA SEA COAST (NW SIBERIA, RUSSIA) ABSTRACT. The Kara Sea coasts were INTRODUCTION studied using comprehensive stratigraphic Accumulation of Late Pleistocene sediments and geocryological methods. The paper in climatic conditions similar or colder than presents the new analytical studies of present ones, and wide distribution of ground ice and Quaternary deposits of polygonal ground ice exclude the presence Western Taymyr and presents the results of of large ice sheet in the north of West Siberia spore and pollen, foraminifera, grain-size, [Svendsen at al., 2004]. There is evidence of mineralogical, geochemical, oxygen isotopic, marine conditions in the lower Yenisey River and other analyses. Several stratigraphic- during the entire MIS5, which excludes the geocryological transects from Yenisey and glaciation around 90 kBP [Gusev and Molodkov, Gydan Bays enable us to refine the stratigraphy 2012]. Such contradictions in currently existing and palaeogeographical reconstruction of the models of development of northern West environments and freezing of Late Pleistocene- Siberia in the Middle-Late Pleistocene indicate Holocene sediments. Marine sedimentation the need for a more detailed comprehensive conditions during the late Kargino time (MIS3) study of Quaternary deposits and ground ice changed to continental conditions in MIS2 and sediments of the North. MIS1. Marine sediments were frozen syn- and epigenetically with cryotexture and ground ice The Yenisey Gulf and Gydan Peninsula formation. Ice wedges formation corresponds regions are characterized by severe climatic to the end of the Pleistocene (MIS2) and during conditions, continuous permafrost, and cooler periods of the Holocene. low ground temperatures. The coasts are composed of fine grained sediments with KEY WORDS: Arctic coasts; permafrost; high ice content and are constantly modified tabular massive ground ice; stable by thermodenudation, thermoabrasion, and isotopes; syngenetic polygonal ice wedges; slope processes. Geological sections on slopes palaeoclimate. and surfaces of watersheds are completed gi313.indd 60 26.08.2013 9:22:20 by a layer of continental sediments with Quaternary complexes. The distance syngenetic polygonal ice wedges (SPIW). between the northern (village Dikson) and Thick SPIW is part of the section of the southern points (Cape Sopochnaya Karga) second alluvial terrace of the Yenisey River. is about 150 km, and the distance between Parental bedrocks are subjected to intense the western (Ery-Maretayakha River mounth) cryogenic weathering and are composed and eastern points (Cape Sopochnaya Karga) mostly of fine-grain saline marine Quaternary is about 250 km (Fig. 1). sediments with a thickness of more than 100 m [Matyukhin and Streletskaya, 2012]. Complex field and analytical investigation Saline marine sediments contain ground ice: included dating of sediments, determination GEOGRAPHY tabular massive ground ice bodies (TMGI) of ice content, particle size and mineralogical (large tabular ice bodies with volumetric composition, total salinity and composition 61 ice content around 100%) and segregation of water-soluble salts, organic carbon ice. The genesis of the TMGI and the content, and palynological analyses of micro enclosing clay deposits is a subject of the and macro faunas in the sediments. The debate [Danilov, 1969, 1978; Kaplyanskaya sediments from the sections were sampled and Tarnogradsky, 1986; Solomatin, 1982; at intervals of 30 cm – 1 m for grain-size and Streletskaya at al., 2009]. TMGI are classified for the investigation of organic matter and as buried or intrasedimental in origin. biostratigraphic indicators – foraminifers, ostracodes, spores and pollen, diatoms. Peat, SPIW and TMGI have unique natural features. wood fragments, and bones were picked for They provide important paleogeographic 14C age determination. information and are used in paleoclimatic reconstructions. Along with recording sediment descriptions, the gravimetric ice content was estimated The main objective of the work presented he- immediately after thawing by relating the rein was reconstruction of the paleogeogra- weight of the frozen sample to the weight phic conditions and sedimentation envi- of the dry sample, expressed as weight ronment in the Late Pleistocene-Holocene percentage (wt%). based on comprehensive research of permafrost exposures along the Kara Sea Grain size was determined by sieving coasts [Danilov, 1969; Oblogov et al., 2012; and pipette analysis. The chemistry: Romanenko et al., 2001; Streletskaya et aqueous migrate (Makarov: water extract) al., 2007; Streletskaya and Vasiliev, 2009; analyses were conducted using standard Streletskaya et al., 2011; Streletskaya et al., methods in the Laboratory of Lithology 2012]. Generalization of analytical studies and Geochemistry of All-Russian Research of ground ice and the sediments with Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources application of new techniques supported of the World Ocean (VNIIOceangeologiya) in by dating of Quaternary sediments allows St. Petersburg, Russia. revising the Quaternary stratigraphy and paleogeographic reconstruction of the The determination of organic carbon conditions on the Yenisey North in the contents (OCC) were carried out using the Pleistocene and Holocene. laboratory mill “Retsch” (Germany) sample preparation. MATERIAL AND METHODS Radiocarbon dating using the accelerator The scope of work included investigation of mass spectrometry (AMS) was determined sections of coastal cliffs with a total length at the laboratories of the Sobolev Institute of more than 30 km at five sites which of Geology and Mineralogy of the allowed detail characterization of permafrost Russian Academy of Sciences and Saint features in the main geologic and genetic Petersburg State University. All radiocarbon ggi313.inddi313.indd 6611 226.08.20136.08.2013 99:22:21:22:21 GEOGRAPHY 62 Fig. 1. Location of the study area in Northern Siberia in the Yenisey Gulf and Gydan Bay. The sites are described in the text dates through this paper are reported as deuterium excess (d = δD – 8δ18O) introduced uncalibrated ages. by Dansgaard [1964] is an indicator for non- equilibrium fractionation processes. The chemical and isotope compositions of ground ice (δ 18O and δ D) were determined THE STUDY SITES AND RESULTS in samples of melted water from the ice- wedges and intrasedimental ice. The stable The exposure near Sopochnaya Karga Cape isotope composition of ground ice was determined at the Isotope Laboratory of the Pleistocene and Holocene sediments contai- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine ning large inclusions of ground ice as well Research, Research Unit Potsdam. δD and δ18O as sediments with no visible ice inclusions values give the respective permil-difference were previously studied in several exposures relative to the international standard Vienna along 6 km segment of the Yenisey Gulf Standard Mean Ocean Water (V-SMOW). The coast on Cape Sopochnaya Karga (Fig. 2 and internal 1s errors are <0.8% for δD and <0.1% Fig. 3) [Streletskaya at al., 2007, 2009, 2011, for δ18O for all measurements (Meyer et al., Streletskaya and Vasiliev, 2009]. 2000). Stable isotope data of ice and water are generally displayed relative to the Global Sands from the northern part of the cliff Meteoric Water Line (GMWL) [Craig, 1961]. The (Fig. 3A) were analyzed by infrared optically ggi313.inddi313.indd 6622 226.08.20136.08.2013 99:22:21:22:21 GEOGRAPHY 63 Fig. 2. Location of the Sopochnaya Karga study site. August 2004. (Photo taken from helicopter by E. Gusev) stimulated luminescence method (IR-OSL). sediments moved down the slope. The The results allowed us to determine the age of radiocarbon age of the sediments is older two samples from this section in 112,5±9,6 KA than 43,700 yrs. Pollen complex extracted (RLQG 1769-107) and 117,7±10,0 KA (RLQG from clay sediments is characteristic of 1770-107) [Streletskaya et al., 2009; Gusev et forest-tundra vegetation of the Kargino time al., 2011]. of the Late Pleistocene (MIS3). Radiocarbon dating of two peat samples To the north from the Sopochnaya Karga sho wed that the age of the organic horizons settlement, the coastal exposure of the is 7320 ± 130 yrs (GIN 13056) and 8050 ± 60 yrs Yenisey Gulf is 15–20 m high, the level (GIN 13055), which corresponds to the climatic of the second terrace of the Yenisey River optimum [Streletskaya et al., 2009] (Fig. 3C). (Fig. 3B). The range of δ18O in SPIW is –20.3O to From the surface of the terrace down to 1 m, –19.0O, and the range of δD is –150.4O there is peat; according to the radiocarbon to –140.6O. The deuterium excess is near dating, the formation of the peat layer 13.0O [Streletskaya at al., 2011]. started 9–10,000 years ago. The stable isotope content in TMGI is Under the peat, layered silty loams and rather constant and is -23O for oxygen sands 4–15 m thick are found. The horizon and -177O for deuterium. The deuterium is underlined by peat older than 37,200 yrs. excess is from 4.5O to 5.8O. A caribou bone was found at the base of the exposure, which was dated 13,770 ± 480 yrs The scale of the processes can be inferred (LU-6998). from the landslide of 22 m height and 200 m wide, which covers the fragment of the second At the contact with the underlined clays, alluvial terrace of the Yenisei River (Figure 3D). the sands have gravel inclusions (Fig.
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