The Yedoma Suite of the Northeastern Siberian Shelf Region: Characteristics and Concept of Formation

/XW]6FKLUUPHLVWHU+DQQR0H\HU6HEDVWLDQ:HWWHULFK&KULVWLQH6LHJHUW Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A43, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany 9LNWRU9.XQLWVN\ Permafrost Institute RAS-SB Yakutsk, 677010 Yakutsk, ul. Mersoltnaya, Russia Guido Grosse University of Alaska Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute, 903 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA 7DW\DQD9.X]QHWVRYD$OH[DQGHU

Abstract 7KH

Keywords: cryolithology; late Pleistocene; northeastern Siberia; palaeo-environment; yedoma.

Introduction (DUO\ JHQHWLF FRQFHSWLRQV RI WKH thermokarst depressions in East-Siberia, especially in the :LWKLQ WKH 5XVVLDQ*HUPDQ SURMHFW 6\VWHP /DSWHY 6HD

 1596 NINTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PERMAFROST

Characteristics of the Yedoma Suite PKLJK KRUVHVKRHVKDSHG WKDZ VOXPSV RU WKHUPRFLUTXHV along sea coasts and riverbanks (Fig. 2). Occurrence and geomorphology 7KHRFFXUUHQFHRIWKH

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Table 1. Palaeoenvironmental stages of northeastern Siberian Arctic ORZODQGV GXULQJ WKH ODWH 4XDWHUQDU\ LQIHUUHG IURP PXOWLSUR[\ DQDO\VLVRISHUPDIURVWUHFRUGV$QGUHHYHWDO  Allerœd x 7XQGUDZLWKKLJKHUELRSURGXFWLYLW\ 12 ky x Warming climate x First thermokarst depressions Sartan x Sparse grass-sedge tundra 30 - 12 ky x &ROGDQGGU\VXPPHUVYHU\FROGZLQWHUV x ,FH&RPSOH[IRUPDWLRQ .DUJLQ x 7XQGUDVWHSSHZLWKKLJKELRSURGXFWLYLW\ ca. 50 - 30 ky x 5HODWLYHO\ZDUPVXPPHUVFROGZLQWHUV x ,FH&RPSOH[IRUPDWLRQ Zyryan x Sparse grass sedge tundra )LJXUH  7\SLFDO JUDLQVL]H GLVWULEXWLRQ SDWWHUQV RI WKHcarbon and grain-size parameters =\U\DQSHULRG 0,6  0H\HUHWDOD6FKLUUPHLVWHU 7KH Mammoth Steppe or Tundra Steppe, combining both tundra DQGVWHSSHIHDWXUHV7KHFOLPDWHZDVPRUHFRQWLQHQWDOLQWKH Age determination and stratigraphy ODWH3OHLVWRFHQH$UFWLFWKDQWRGD\ZLWKFROGHUZLQWHUVDQG 7KHDJHRIWKH

Figure 5. Grain-size distribution curves of clastic remains in YDULRXVPRGHUQVQRZSDWFKHVVWXGLHGDURXQGWKH/DSWHY6HD $FFXPXODWLRQRIZLQGEORZQVQRZWRJHWKHUZLWKSODQW DQG PLQHUDO GHWULWXV LQ QXPHURXV SHUHQQLDO VQRZ¿HOGV QpYpV  LQ WRSRJUDSKLF IHDWXUHV RI KLOOV DQG ORZ PRXQWDLQ ranges (e.g., steep slopes, valleys, cryoplanation terraces, )LJ D  6LPLODU SURFHVVHV EXW DW D VPDOOHU VFDOH DUH observed today at numerous sites in northeastern Siberia, ZKHUHQLYDOSURFHVVHVDUHDQHVVHQWLDOUHOLHIIRUPLQJIDFWRU .XQLWVN\HWDO  2. A concentrated detritus mat forms due to repeated WKDZLQJ RI DFFXPXODWLQJ VQRZ WUDQVSRUW RI GHWULWXV E\ PHOWZDWHUDQGGRZQVORSHDFFXPXODWLRQRISODQWDQGPLQHUDO GHEULV,QWHQVHIUHH]HWKDZF\FOHVDQGZHWFRQGLWLRQVDURXQG DQG EHORZ WKH SHUHQQLDO VQRZ¿HOGV VXSSRUW WKH IRUPDWLRQ RI¿QHJUDLQHGPDWHULDOE\IURVWZHDWKHULQJ )LJE 6XFK SURFHVVHV DUH DOVR REVHUYHG LQ PRGHUQ VQRZ¿HOG DUHDV *UDLQVL]HDQDO\VHVRIPRGHUQFODVWLFPDWHULDOVKRZVLPLODU PXOWLPRGDOSDWWHUQVDVWKHice segregation, V\QJHQHWLF LFH ZHGJH JURZWK VHGLPHQW UHZRUNLQJ SHDW DJJUDGDWLRQFU\RVROIRUPDWLRQDQGFU\RWXUEDWLRQ )LJG  7KHIRUPDWLRQRIKXJHSRO\JRQDOLFHZHGJHV\VWHPVDQG WKLFN FRQWLQXRXV VHTXHQFHV RI IUR]HQ GHSRVLWV LV FORVHO\ UHODWHG WR WKH SHUVLVWHQFH RI VWDEOH SRRUO\ GUDLQHG ORZ topographic gradient accumulation plains.

Conclusions 7KH

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0XUVDHY(0Glossary of Local Geographical Terms. ,FH &RPSOH[ RQ WKH %\NRYVN\ 3HQLQVXOD 1RUWKHUQ 0RVFRZ0\VOSS LQ5XVVLDQ  Siberia. Polarforschung  1DJDRND ' 6DLMR .  )XNXGD 0  6HGLPHQWDO 6ODJRGD($Cryolithogenic Deposits of the Laptev environment of the Edoma in high Arctic eastern Sea Coastal Plain: Lithology and Micromorphology. 6LEHULD,Q.7DNDKDVKL$2VDZD <.DQD]DZD 7\XPHQ3XEOLVKLQJDQG3ULQWLQJ&HQWUH³([SUHVV´ (eds.), Proceedings of the Third Symposium on the SS LQ5XVVLDQ  Joint Siberian Permafrost Studies between Japan and 6RORY¶HY3$The Cryolithozone in the North Part of Russia, WKH/HQD$PJD,QWHUÀXYH Publ. Academy of Science 5R]HQEDXP*(Special features of lithogenesis of RIWKH8665SS LQ5XVVLDQ  the alluvial planes in the Eastern Subarctic as related 6RORY¶HY 3$  3HUPDIURVW &U\ROLWKR]RQH  ,Q ,$ WR WKH SUREOHP RI WKH ,FH

*HRUJ6FKZDPERUQ Alfred Wegener Institut für Polar und Meeresforschung, Potsdam, Germany $QQLND)|UVWHU RCOM - DFG Research Center Ocean Margin, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany %HUQKDUG'LHNPDQQ Alfred Wegener Institut für Polar und Meeresforschung, Potsdam, Germany /XW]6FKLUUPHLVWHU Alfred Wegener Institut für Polar und Meeresforschung, Potsdam, Germany Grigory Fedorov Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia

Abstract 7ZRVHGLPHQWPLQHUDORJLFDOSURSHUWLHVZHUHWHVWHGDVSUR[\GDWDUHÀ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¿FDWLRQRIJUDLQPRUSKRORJ\DQGVXUIDFHIHDWXUHVVWHPPLQJIURPIURVWZHDWKHULQJ LHÀDN\VXUIDFHV PLFURFUDFNLQJ 7KHFRQVWDQWSUHVHQFHRIFU\RJHQLFZHDWKHULQJVLJQDOVERWKLQODNHVHGLPHQWVDQGIUR]HQGHSRVLWV suggests the long-term prevalence of stable permafrost conditions in the area at least since 220 ka.

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Introduction SUR[\GDWDEHHQWHVWHG6XFKDVHGLPHQWUHFRUGFRXOGQRZ Today, the majority of Siberian landmasses are subject to EHFRPHDYDLODEOHWKURXJKVWXGLHVDW(OJ\J\WJ\Q&UDWHU/DNH permafrost conditions. This is also the case for most of the in northeastern Siberia. 4XDWHUQDU\ .DSOLQD%ULJKDP*UHWWH+XEEHUWHQ )URVWZHDWKHULQJVORSHG\QDPLFVDQGÀXYLDORXWZDVKDUH HWDO 1RQHWKHOHVVXQWLOQRZQRFRQWLQXRXVUHFRUGKDV among the main surface processes, and they trigger erosion been available that could be used to demonstrate variability DQGGHWULWDOVHGLPHQWWUDQVSRUWLQWRWKHODNHEDVLQ&RQWLQXRXV of permafrost conditions for that time, nor have any suitable periglacial denudation is assumed for the Quaternary *OXVKNRYD 6PLUQRY 7UDFLQJVLJQDOVRIFU\RJHQLF ZHDWKHULQJIURPWKHFDWFKPHQWLQWRWKHODNHEDVLQSURYLGHV D GLUHFW ODQGWRODNH OLQNDJH ZLWKLQ SDOHRHQYLURQPHQWDO UHFRQVWUXFWLRQDQGZLOOHQOLJKWHQWKHSHUPDIURVWKLVWRU\RI non-glaciated NE Siberia. The development of a sediment- PLQHUDORJLFDODSSURDFKWRREWDLQSUR[\GDWDIRUFU\RJHQLF ZHDWKHULQJ LV WKH FRQWHQW RI WKLV SDSHU :H XVH PDWHULDO from former coring into the lake and frozen deposits of the catchment (Melles et al. 2005).

Environmental Setting (OJ\J\WJ\Q&UDWHU/DNHNPLQGLDPHWHUDQGPLQ ZDWHUGHSWKDWPD[LPXP )LJ KROGVVHGLPHQWVWKDWPLUURU glacial to interglacial cyclicity and regional environmental FKDQJHDWPLOOHQQLDOWLPHUHVROXWLRQ 1RZDF]\NHWDO  7KH VHGLPHQWV FRQVLVW RI FOD\H\ VLOWV DQG VLOW\ FOD\V ZLWK Figure 1. &UDWHUORFDWLRQLQ1(6LEHULD LQVHW DQGSRVLWLRQVRIODNH occasional sand layers ($VLNDLQHQ HW DO   %ased on VHGLPHQW FRUH /] ƒƍ1ƒƍ(  DQG SHUPDIURVW sedimentological data (physical properties, organic, and FRUH37KHVKRUHOLQHLVPDERYHVHDOHYHO