Quaternary Volcanic Signatures in High-Resolution Stalagmite Trace Element Datasets
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Durham E-Theses Quaternary volcanic signatures in high-resolution stalagmite trace element datasets PAINE, ALICE,RUBY How to cite: PAINE, ALICE,RUBY (2021) Quaternary volcanic signatures in high-resolution stalagmite trace element datasets, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/13876/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Science by Research (Volcanology) Quaternary volcanic signatures in high- resolution stalagmite trace element datasets Alice R Paine Primary Supervisor: James U.L. Baldini Secondary Supervisor: Richard J. Brown DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES DURHAM UNIVERSITY October 2020 Page | 1 CONTENTS 1.0. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………….12 2.0. BACKGROUND…………………………………………………15 2.1. The Holocene…………………………………………………….…….15 2.1.1. Volcanic History of the Holocene………………………………...15 2.1.1.1. Geological Records………………………………………………………….…..…16 2.1.1.2. Human Records……………………………………………………………………...20 2.1.2. Holocene Climate: Patterns & Events…………………………..22 2.2. The Last Glacial Period…………………………………………....26 2.2.1 . High-Magnitude Volcanism: Mechanics & Distribution..…26 2.2.1.1. Contemporary Issues & Debates……………………………….26 2.2.1.2. Measuring Eruption Size……………………………………………30 2.2.1.3. Super-Volcanism……………………………………………………….32 2.2.1.3.1. Los Chocoyos (LCY)……………………………………………...32 2.2.1.3.2. Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT)………………………….………….37 2.2.2. Climate Variability………………………………………………………..42 2.2.2.1. Dansgaard-Oeschger Events………………………………………42 2.2.2.2. Heinrich Events…………………………………………………….…..46 3.0. RATIONALE…………………………………………………....49 4.0. METHODOLOGIES……………………………………………51 4.1. LA-ICP-MS……………………………………………………………….51 4.2. Principal Component Analysis…………………………………53 5.0. NIEDŹWIEDZIA CAVE – Results Chapter I…………55 Page | 2 5.1. Site Description……………………………………………………….55 5.1.1. Regional Climate………………………………………………………………………55 5.1.2. Cave Monitoring………………………………………………………………………56 5.1.3. Volcanic Signal Emplacement…………………………………………………..60 5.2. Methods……………………………………………………………….…60 5.2.1. NIED08-05………………………………………………………………………………..60 5.2.2. PCA…………………………………………………………………………………………..62 5.2.3. Volcanic Eruptions………………………………………………………………...….62 5.3. Results & Discussion……………………………………………..…63 5.3.1. Initial PCA Results…………………………………………………………………..…63 5.3.2. Volcanic Signals…………………………………………………………………………65 5.3.2.1. Potential Volcanic Links……………………………………………….……….69 5.3.2.2. Ambiguous/Missing Eruptions…………………………………….……....70 5.3.3. Further Uncertainties………………………………………………………………..72 5.3.3.1. Environmental Factors………………………………………………….………72 5.3.3.2. Incomplete Eruption & Tephra Record………………….………..……75 6.0. DIM CAVE – Results Chapter II…………………………77 6.1. Site Description…………………………………………………….…77 6.1.1. Regional Climate……………………………………………………………………..77 6.1.2. Cave Monitoring……………………………………………………………………..77 6.1.3. Volcanic Signal Emplacement………………………………………………….79 6.2. Methods…………………………………………………………………79 6.2.1. DIM-3………………………………………………………………………………………79 6.2.2. PCA………………………………………………………………………………………….81 6.2.3. Volcanic Eruptions…………………………………………………………………..82 6.3. Results & Discussion…………………………………………….…83 Page | 3 6.3.1. Volcanic Eruptions…………………………………………………….………………83 6.3.2. PCA………………………………………………………………………….……………….84 6.3.3. Volcanic Signals………………………………………………………………..……….91 6.3.3.1. Los Chocoyos……………………………………………………………………..…91 6.3.3.2. Youngest Toba Tuff……………………………………………………………….94 6.3.3.2.1. No Link………………………………………………………….………94 6.3.3.2.2. Direct Ash Fall……………………………………………….………95 6.3.3.2.3. Cooling/Aridity……………………………………………….…….96 7.0. KEY IMPLICATIONS…………………………………………100 8.0. CONCLUSIONS……………………..………………………..102 Appendices………………………………………………………....105 References……………………………………………………………107 Page | 4 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Conceptual diagram illustrating the modes of direct deposition of volcanic tephra into a cave Figure 2 The global occurrence of volcanic eruptions >M4.0 from 11.65ka BP to present, presented as a function of latitude Figure 3 A conceptual diagram showing the proximal & distal impacts of explosive volcanism (not to scale - adapted from Robock, 2000) Figure 4 The global occurrence of volcanic eruptions exceeding M4.0 from 11.65-100ka BP (Last Glacial Period), presented as a function of latitude Figure 5 TOP - Map of Atitlán caldera, with caldera boundaries (stages I-III) and proximal volcanoes marked BOTTOM - Map of sites with identified LCY tephra and/or tephra deposits Figure 6 TOP - Map of Toba caldera, with caldera boundaries and proximal volcanoes marked BOTTOM - Map of sites with identified YTT tephra and/or tephra deposits Figure 7 A map showing the locations of stalagmites with preserved evidence of millennial-scale climate variability, associated with single or multiple D-O oscillations. Figure 8 A series of flow diagrams illustrating the common problems associated with use of LA-ICP-MS in trace-element analyses of geological samples Figure 9 A - Map of Poland showing the location of the Niedźwiedzia Cave site and mean annual precipitation B - Wrocław mean monthly temperature and precipitation for the period 1980-2010 (GHCN Wrocław data) C - Topographic map of the Niedźwiedzia Cave site within Śnieżnik Landscape Park Figure 10 A – Plan view diagram of the Niedźwiedzia Cave including “old” and “new” parts B – Plan-view diagram of the Niedźwiedzia Cave depicting mean annual air temperature and the relative location of the NIED08-05 stalagmite Figure 11 Two Jaskinia Niedźwiedzia drip measurement sites: the NIED08-05 feeder drip and Dripsite 4 (located ~1 m apart along the same fracture) Figure 12 A - High resolution drip rate data for the NIED08-05 feeder drip monitored between April and June 2008. B: Monthly-integrated dripwater, rainwater oxygen isotopes (δ18O), and surface precipitation monitored at Niedźwiedzia cave between May 2009 and June 2010 Figure 13 Age-depth 14C-derived chronology for NIED08-05 adapted from Lechleitner et al. (2016). Figure 14 A comparison of PC1 and PC2 outputs for NIED08-05 Figure 15 Stacked comparison of REE and PC2 scores for NIED08-05, and Global >M6.0 and European M4.5 eruptions (LaMEVE database) Page | 5 Figure 16 Maps showing HYSPLIT ash dispersion outputs for volcanoes with potential links to REE enrichments in NIED08-05, 72 hours post-eruption Figure 17 A - Map of mean annual precipitation in the Antalya Basin B - Mean monthly temperature and precipitation in Antalya during the period 1980-2010 C - Plan-view diagram of Dim Cave, and the location at which stalagmite DIM-3 grew Figure 18 A - A comparison of the linear chronology generated by Ünal-İmer et al. (2015) and the COPRA based chronology utilised in this study B - Diagram showing the petrographic location of the DIM-3-A slab analysed in this study Figure 19 A comparison of the DIM-3-A petrography and geochemistry, focussing on aragonite layers at the top of the sample Figure 20 δ13C and δ18O values for DIM-3 (Ünal-İmer et al. 2015) plotted against 232U and 25Mg concentrations measured in DIM-3-A. Figure 21 Comparison of selected trace elements, isotope data, and PC1 scores for DIM-3-A, alongside filtered eruptions. Figure 22 Stacked comparison of cave isotope records, atmospheric CO2, and insolation data between 80 and 90 ka BP Figure 23 Scatterplot showing the relationship between δ18O and Mg concentration in DIM-3-A, with mean values calculated for each Greenland stadial/interstadial event. Figure 24 Stacked comparison of time-resolved Zn and Pb concentrations in DIM-3-A, δ18O measured in DIM-3 by Ünal-İmer et al. (2015), and δ18O records from other independently dated Northern Hemisphere stalagmites. LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Major Quaternary tephrostratigraphic markers for each Central American Volcanic Arc, ordered by Proximal Fallout Volume (km3) Table 2 Descriptive statistics for 7574 measurements of 20 trace elements taken from NIED08-05, and Principal Component 2 coefficients Table 3 Global eruptions ≥M6.0 and European eruptions ≥M4.5 utilised in this study Table 4 Eruptions exceeding M6.0 omitted from this study, due to low dating quality or a lack of ash fall evidence Table 5 Global eruptions ≥M7.0 utilised in this study Table 6 Descriptive statistics for 7849 measurements of 26 trace elements taken from DIM-3, and Principal Component 1 coefficients Page | 6 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AMOC = Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation EM = East Mediterranean GG = Glen Garry ka BP = thousand years before 1950 LA-ICP-MS = Laser Ablation Inductively-Coupled-Plasma Mass Spectrometry LaMEVE = Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (database) LCY = Los Chocoyos LGM = Last Glacial Maximum LGP = Last Glacial Period LIS = Laurentide Ice Sheet Ma = million years ago NADW = North Atlantic Deep Water NH = Northern Hemisphere PCA = Principal Component Analysis SH = Southern Hemisphere SST = Sea Surface Temperature YTT