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

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The Yedoma Suite of the Northeastern Siberian Shelf Region: Characteristics and Concept of Formation 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$OH[DQGHU<X'HUHY\DJLQ Moscow State University, Geological Faculty, 11991 Moscow, Russia Abstract 7KH<HGRPD6XLWHLVZHOOH[SRVHGDORQJFRDVWVDQGULYHUEDQNVLQWKHQRUWKHDVWHUQ6LEHULDQ$UFWLF7KHFU\RWH[WXUH RIWKHVHPRVWO\LFHVXSHUVDWXUDWHGGHSRVLWVLVVLPLODUDWPRVWVLWHV²LFHEDQGVDQGUHWLFXODWHGLFHOHQVHV7KH<HGRPD 6XLWHLVFRQVLGHUHGDVHTXHQFHRIEXULHGFU\RVROVIRUPHGXQGHUSUHGRPLQDQWO\VXEDHULDOFRQGLWLRQV,WUHSUHVHQWV DQ LPSRUWDQW WHUUHVWULDOFDUERQ UHVHUYRLU 72& ±ZW 7KH PXOWLPRGDOJUDLQ VL]H GLVWULEXWLRQGRHV QRW UHÀHFW SULPDULO\DHROLDQDFFXPXODWLRQEXWUDWKHUDPL[WXUHRIYDULRXVSHULJODFLDOWUDQVSRUWDQGDFFXPXODWLRQSURFHVVHVEDVHG RQWKHFRQFHSWRIQLYDOOLWKRJHQHVLV7KH<HGRPD6XLWHDJHOLHVLQWKH0,6DQG0,6SHULRGVDQGLQUDUHFDVHV DOUHDG\VWDUWVGXULQJ0,67KHSDODHRHFRORJ\RIWKH<HGRPD6XLWHFDQEHVXPPDUL]HGLQWKHWHUP³7XQGUD6WHSSH´ FRPELQLQJERWKWXQGUDDQGVWHSSHHQYLURQPHQWDOIHDWXUHV7KHSUHVHQWRFFXUUHQFHRIWKH<HGRPD6XLWHUHPDLQVLV FORVHO\UHODWHGWRORZPRXQWDLQULGJHVVXUURXQGLQJWKHQRUWKHUQDQGQRUWKHDVWHUQ6LEHULDQVKHOYHV7KHFRQFHSWRI QLYDOOLWKRJHQHVLVLVSUHVHQWHGH[SODLQLQJWKHRULJLQRIVRXUFHPDWHULDODQGWUDQVSRUWPHGLXP Keywords: cryolithology; late Pleistocene; northeastern Siberia; palaeo-environment; yedoma. Introduction (DUO\ JHQHWLF FRQFHSWLRQV RI WKH <HGRPD 6XLWH LQFOXGH JODFLHUGDPPHGEDVLQVHGLPHQWV *URVVZDOG DOOXYLDO The term yedoma LV RIWHQ DVVRFLDWHG ZLWK GHVFULELQJ JHQHVLV 5R]HQEDXP GHOWDLFIRUPDWLRQ 1DJDRNDHW SRVVLEOHUHDFWLRQVRISHUPDIURVWWRJOREDOZDUPLQJ =LPRY DO SUROXYLDODQGVORSHGHSRVLWV 6ODJRGD*UDYLV HW DO :DOWHU HW DO :DONHU 7KH ZRUG FU\RJHQLFDHROLDQ 7RPLUGLDURHWDO7RPLUGLDUR yedomaSUREDEO\RULJLQDWHGLQ.DPFKDWNDDQGGHVFULEHGD &KHUQHQN\ DQGQLYDOGHSRVLWV *DODEDOD DV ERJJ\VLWHRUDQHOHYDWHGPHDGRZOLNHÀDWSODLQ,WHQWHUHG ZHOODVSRO\JHQHWLFRULJLQV 6KHUHWDO VFLHQFH YLD WKH H[SHGLWLRQV RI 9LWXV %HULQJ LQ 6LEHULD 7KH GHSRVLWV RI WKH<HGRPD6XLWH UHSUHVHQW XQLTXH ODWH GXULQJWKHWKFHQWXU\,QLWLDOO\WKHWHUPyedomaZDVRI Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental archives for a large region geomorphologic origin and described the hills separating of the Northern Hemisphere lacking major glacial records. thermokarst depressions in East-Siberia, especially in the :LWKLQ WKH 5XVVLDQ*HUPDQ SURMHFW 6\VWHP /DSWHY 6HD <DQD,QGLJLUND DQG .RO\PD /RZODQGV .RORVRY WKHVHGHSRVLWVZHUHVWXGLHGZLWKDPXOWLGLVFLSOLQDU\DSSURDFK %DUDQRYD %LVNp0XUVDHY7RPLUGLDUR (cryolithology, sedimentology, palaeontology, palaeobotany, 7KHVHPRXQGVZHUHFRQVLGHUHGWREHHURVLRQDOUHPQDQWVRI geochronology, mineralogy, isotope geochemistry, GIS, former accumulation plains. In this sense, yedoma described remote sensing) during the last ten years. We here present a special geomorphological relief type in Siberian permafrost D ¿UVW UHYLHZ RI VRPH JHQHUDO UHVXOWV RQ WKH RYHUDUFKLQJ regions, directly formed by thermokarst and thermoerosion IHDWXUHVRIWKH<HGRPD6XLWHLQWKH/DSWHY6HDUHJLRQDQGD 6RORY¶HY concept of its formation. The stratigraphical term Yedoma SuiteZDVODWHUDGRSWHG for middle Pleistocene horizons in the northeastern Siberian Study Region /RZODQGV /DYUXVKLQ 9DV¶NRYVN\ 7KLV VWUDWLJUDSKLFDO SRVLWLRQ ZDV PRYHG WR WKH ODWH 3OHLVWRFHQH 6LQFH ZH KDYH VWXGLHG WKH FKDUDFWHULVWLFV RI WKH EDVHGRQIDXQDOVWXGLHVDWWKH'XYDQQ\<DUVLWHLQWKH.RO\PD <HGRPD6XLWHDWZHOOH[SRVHGVLWHVRQWKH/DSWHY6HD /RZODQGV 6KHU ZKLFKEHFDPHWKHVWUDWRW\SHIRUWKH DQG WKH (DVW 6LEHULDQ 6HD FRDVWV DQG LQ WKH /HQD 'HOWD <HGRPD 6XLWH 7KLV FDWHJRUL]DWLRQ ZDV ¿QDOO\ FRQ¿UPHG )LJ 7KHVHVLWHVDUHVLWXDWHGLQWKHORZODQGSODLQVRIWKH E\ WKH GHFLVLRQ RI WKH ,QWHUGHSDUWPHQWDO &RPPLVVLRQ RQ continental shelf on both sides of the current seismically Quaternary Stratigraphy of the Soviet Union in Magadan in active boundary of the Eurasian and the North American 6KHU continental plates. 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<HGRPD6XLWHLQWKHVWXG\UHJLRQLV Cryolithology FORVHO\UHODWHGWRORZPRXQWDLQULGJHV FDWRPDVO surrounding the northern and northeastern Siberian shelves, 7KHFOLIIVDUHFRPSRVHGRILFHZHGJHERGLHVDQGFROXPQV RI IUR]HQ GHSRVLWV EHWZHHQ WKHP UHSUHVHQWLQJ YHUWLFDOO\ ZKLFKDUHWKHPDMRUVHGLPHQWVRXUFHVIRUWKH<HGRPD6XLWH RUGLDJRQDOO\FXWSRO\JRQDOLFHZHGJHV\VWHPV7KHUHIRUH ,Q WKH ZHVWHUQ /DSWHY 6HD DQG WKH /HQD 'HOWD UHJLRQ WKH IROLDWHGV\QJHQHWLFLFHZHGJHVRI±PZLGWKDQG± RFFXUUHQFHRIWKH<HGRPD6XLWHLVVWURQJO\FRQQHFWHGZLWK P KHLJKW DQG VHSDUDWH WKHUPRNDUVW PRXQGV RI ± P LQ WKHFRDVWDOPRXQWDLQVRIWKH3URQFKLVKFKHY&KHNDQRYVN\ diameter and up to 10 m height are the most characteristic DQG .KDUDXODNK 5LGJHV +HDY\ PLQHUDO VWXGLHV DW YDULRXV IHDWXUHVRI<HGRPD6XLWHHURVLRQFOLIIV&RPSDUHGWRWKHLFH VLWHV KDYH VKRZQ WKDW WKHVH ULGJHV DUH D PDLQ VRXUFH RI ZHGJHV WKH LQWUDSRO\JRQDO GHSRVLWV DUH PRUH UHVLVWDQW WR VHGLPHQW 6LHJHUW HW DO 6FKZDPERUQ HW DO Schirrmeister et al. 2003). Therefore, foreland accumulation WKDZLQJSURFHVVHVEHFDXVHWKH\KDYHDVPDOOHULFHFRQWHQW DQGFRQWDLQVWDELOL]LQJSHDW\SDOHRVROOD\HUVDOWHUQDWLQJZLWK SODLQVZHUHWKHDUHDVRIWKHIRUPDWLRQRIWKH<HGRPD6XLWH silty-sand layers. These features of continuous permafrost ,QWKHHDVWHUQSDUWRIWKHVWXG\UHJLRQWKHH[SRVHGJUDQLWH VHTXHQFHVDUHWKHUHVXOWRIORQJODVWLQJDQGVWDEOHFU\RJHQHVLV DQG EDVDOW LQWUXVLRQV RQ %RO¶VKR\ /\DNKRYVN\ ,VODQG DQG and landscape conditions. &DSH6Y\DWR\1RVDVZHOODVWKHIDXOWUDQJHVRQ%HO¶NRYVN\ 7KHFU\RWH[WXUHRIWKH<HGRPD6XLWHLVTXLWHVLPLODUDWDOO 6WROERYR\ DQG .RWHO¶Q\ ,VODQGV VHUYH DV VRXUFH DUHDV IRU RIWKHVWXG\VLWHV7KHJHQHUDOWH[WXUHLVOD\HUHG,FHEDQGV VHGLPHQWVRIWKH<HGRPD6XLWH7KHGLVWULEXWLRQRIWKHLFH ± FP DOWHUQDWH ZLWK VHGLPHQW LQWHUOD\HUV RI YDULDEOH ULFKVHTXHQFHVLVHDVLO\LGHQWL¿HGE\IUHTXHQWWKHUPRNDUVW thickness. These interlayers contain numerous small ice GHSUHVVLRQVRUODNHV *URVVHHWDO OHQVHVDVZHOODVUHWLFXODWHGLFHOHQVHV7KHIUR]HQVHGLPHQW 7KH<HGRPD6XLWHH[SRVHVSHUPDIURVWFOLIIVLQWR VHTXHQFHV DUH IUHTXHQWO\ LFHVXSHUVDWXUDWHG UHVXOWLQJ LQ JUDYLPHWULFLFHFRQWHQWVRIWRRQDYHUDJH )LJ 6XFK FU\RWH[WXUHV DUH W\SLFDO IRU VHGLPHQWV IRUPHG LQ SRRUO\ GUDLQHG ODQGVFDSHV ZLWK D QHDUVXUIDFH SHUPDIURVW table. The formation of these ice bands is a sign of stable surface conditions and stable active-layer depths over a certain time period, resulting in ice aggradation at the top of the permafrost table. The stable isotope signature of ice ZHGJHV VKRZV OLJKW YDOXHV IRU DOO VWXG\ VLWHV VLWH PHDQ )LJXUH6WXG\VLWHVRIWKH<HGRPD6XLWHEHWZHHQDQG &DSH0DPRQWRY.O\N(EH%DV\Q6LVH,VODQG.KDUGDQJ ,VODQG.XUXQJQDNK,VODQG%\NRYVN\3HQLQVXOD0XRVWDNK ,VODQG%RO¶VKR\/\DNKRYVN\,VODQG6\DWR\1RV2\RJRV <DU FRDVW 0DO\ /\DNKRYVN\ ,VODQG 6WROERYR\ ,VODQG %HOµNRYVN\ ,VODQG .RWHOµQ\ ,VODQG &DSH$QLV\ )LJXUH7KH<HGRPDFRDVWDW%RO¶VKR\/\DNKRYVN\,VODQG7KH Novosibir Island. FOLIILVDERXWPKLJK SKRWR6:HWWHULFK-XO\ )LJXUH9DULDWLRQLQLFHFRQWHQW72&FRQWHQWRISHDWLQFOXVLRQVDQGVHGLPHQWDQGJUDLQVL]HGLDPHWHUEHWZHHQYDULRXVVLWHVRIWKH<HGRPD 6XLWH PHDQEDUUDQJHOLQH SCHIRRMEISTER ET AL. 1597 Table 1. Palaeoenvironmental stages of northeastern Siberian Arctic ORZODQGV GXULQJ WKH ODWH 4XDWHUQDU\ LQIHUUHG IURP PXOWLSUR[\ DQDO\VLVRISHUPDIURVWUHFRUGV$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 WKH<HGRPD ca. 100 - 50 ky x ([WUHPHFROGDQGGU\FOLPDWH Suite at various sites. x :LGHVSUHDGÀXYLDOODFXVWULQHDQG ÀRRGSODLQGHSRVLWV YDOXHVG'WRÅG2WRÅGH[FHVVDERXW x %HJLQRIORFDO,FH&RPSOH[IRUPDWLRQ Å UHÀHFWLQJYHU\FROGZLQWHUWHPSHUDWXUHVDQGPRLVWXUH VRXUFHVZKLFKDUHLVRWRSLFDOO\GLIIHUHQWIURP+RORFHQHDQG VWUDWLJUDSK\ZKLFKFRUUHVSRQGVWRWKH0,6DQG0,6RI modern ones (Meyer et al. 2002a, b). WKHJOREDOFODVVL¿FDWLRQ$W%\NRYVN\3HQLQVXODWKH<HGRPD 6XLWH LV VRPHZKDW ROGHU DQG DOUHDG\ VWDUWHG GXULQJ WKH Organic carbon and grain-size parameters =\U\DQSHULRG 0,6 0H\HUHWDOD6FKLUUPHLVWHU 7KH <HGRPD 6XLWH LQFOXGHV EXULHG FU\RVROV PDUNHG HW DO E ,Q JHQHUDO WKH ORZHU ERXQGDU\ FRQWUDVWV E\ EURZQLVK KRUL]RQV DV ZHOO DV SHDW LQFOXVLRQV DQGRU VKDUSO\ZLWKWKHXQGHUO\LQJGHSRVLWVZKLFKRIWHQDUHÀXYLDO QXPHURXVWZLJVDQGOHDIV&U\RWXUEDWLRQSDWWHUQVRIWR VDQGV ZLWK SHDW OD\HUV RU ORHVVOLNH ÀRRGSODLQ GHSRVLWV 1 m thickness are very common. The organic carbon content 7KHVH GHSRVLWV DUH 87K DQG OXPLQHVFHQFHGDWHG EHWZHHQ LVUHODWLYHO\KLJK WR!ZWLQDYHUDJHWRZW DQG N\ 7KH XSSHU ERXQGDU\ LV FKDUDFWHUL]HG E\ :RRGIUDJPHQWVDQGSHDWDUHSUHVHQWZLWKQXPHURXVVPDOO VHSDUDWHORFDOO\FRQ¿QHG+RORFHQHGHSRVLWVRQWRSRIWKH ¿ODPHQWRXVURRWOHWVDQGGLVSHUVHGRUJDQLFVGHWULWXV <HGRPD6XLWH $QGUHHYHWDO.UEHWVFKHNHWDO 7KH¿QHJUDLQHGVHGLPHQWVFRPSRVLQJWKH<HGRPD6XLWH 6FKLUUPHLVWHUHWDO*URVVHHWDO are poorly sorted and differ in grain-size parameters from VLWH WR VLWH )LJ 0XOWLPRGDO JUDLQVL]H GLVWULEXWLRQ Palaeoecology (Table 1) SDWWHUQVUHÀHFWDPL[WXUHRIWUDQVSRUWDFFXPXODWLRQDQGUH 1HZ GDWD IRU WKH IDXQDO DQG ÀRUDO FRPSRVLWLRQ GXULQJ VHGLPHQWDWLRQ SURFHVVHV 7KHUHIRUH ZH FRQFOXGH WKDW WKLV WKHIRUPDWLRQRIWKH<HGRPD6XLWHLQWKHVWXG\UHJLRQZHUH W\SHRIVHGLPHQWLQWKH/DSWHY6HDUHJLRQLVQRWSULPDULO\
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