Hahne and Melles: Climate and Vegetation History ofthe Tavmvr Peninsuln
413
The PAZs Ll - L5 in the lower part of core PG 1111 from Lama Lake clearly indicate the Late
Weichselian chronozones Oldest Dryas (DRI, stadia)), Bplling (interstadial), Older Dryas
(DR2, very short stadial), Allerpd (interstadial), and Younger Dryas (DR3, stadial). These
climatic events are recorded in many pollen diagrams from Europe (e.g. Hahne et aI., 1994),
North America (Mott and Stea, 1993), and Siberia (Velichko et aI., 1997), as well as in stable
isotope data from Greenland ice cores (Daansgard et aI., 1993; Stuiver et a!., 1995). The
occurrence of the prominent Younger Dryas cooling event in northern Central Siberia was first
evidenced by the isotopic composition of an ice core from the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago
(Klementyev et al. 1991; Stievenard et al. 1996; Figures 1 and 4).
The WeichselianlHolocene boundary represents a stratigraphically fixed point. In Russia and
in Europe, this boundary was radiocarbon dated to 10300 14C yr BP (Khotinskiy, 1984),
corresponding to a calendar age of ca. 11450 cal. yr BP (Bjorck et al. 1996). At site PG 1111, it
occurs at 623 cm sediment depth. This results in a mean sedimentation rate during the Holocene
of about 0.54 mm/a, which corresponds well with a sedimentation rate of 0.62 ± 0.0 I mm/a for
the upper 50 cm of the core, calculated from 210Pb analyses (Hagedorn et aI., this volume). A
somewhat higher sedimentation rate can be expected in the near-surface sediments due to the
lower consolidation and slightly higher water contents there.
The Holocene sediments in Lama Lake were subdivided into the PAZs L6 - Lll. A
comparison of the PAZ succession with radiocarbon-dated vegetation changes in Siberia (e.g.
Makeev, 1983; Khotinskiy, 1984; Velichko et a!., 1996), allows their connection with the
Holocene periods Preboreal, Boreal, Atlantic, Subboreal, and Subatlantic. The sediment depths
and calibrated ages of the period boundaries indicate that the sedimentation rates throughout the
Holocene were relatively constant (0.29 - 0.73 mm/a).
The 22.4 m long sediment core PG 1228 from the central part of Levinson-Lessing Lake
represents only the upper part of the lacustrine sediment fill. This is evidenced by sub-bottom
profiles crossing the coring location (Niessen et aI., this volume). The sediments in core
PG 1228 consist of partly laminated clayey silts and silty clays, with irregularly incised, well
sorted sand layers of a few millimetres to some centimetres thick (Figure 3). Grayish and dark
greenish colors throughout the sequence indicate anoxic conditions in the sediment. A more
detailed description, along with a presentation and discussion of sedimentological results is
given by Ebel et al. (this volume).
The pollen diagram from core PG 1228 was subdivided into thirteen regional pollen
assemblage zones (PAZs), LLI - LL9 and LLA - LLD (Table 3, Figure 3). The succession of
the P AZs LL I - LL8 in the central part of the core can clearly be correlated with the P AZs L I -
L8 of core PG IIII from Lama Lake (Table 2, Figure 2), based on the individual vegetation
developments and considering the different lake locations latitudinally. PAZ LL9 in the upper
part of the core from Levinson-Lessing Lake probably corresponds with PAZs L9 - Lli of
Lama Lake. A subdivision of PAZ LL9 in Levinson-Lessing Lake is not useful, due to the
rather small differences between pollen assemblages in this zone.
The stratigraphy of core PG 1228 from Levinson-Lessing Lake (Figure 3), as deduced from
the PAZs correlation with core PG 1111 from Lama Lake, indicates rather constant
sedimentation rates of 0.46 to 0.75 mm/a (mean 0.57 mm/a) since the start of the Preboreal
period (ca. 11450 cal. yr BP; Bjorck et aI., 1996). This coincides well with 2lOPb and 137Cs
measurements on near-surface sediments from another coring point 4 km further north. They
indicate a recent sedimentation rate 2 to 3 times higher (1.5 mm/a; B. Hagedorn, pers. comm.
1997), which can be expected for this part of the lake based on sediment geometry recorded in a
sub-bottom profile along the lake axis (Niessen et aI., this volume). In addition, the pollen
stratigraphy of core PGI228 is supported by a radiocarbon age of 5650 ± 90 14C yr BP,
measured on terrestrial plant remains from 467 cm sediment depth (Ebel et aI., this volume),
which confirms the coincidence of PAZ LL8 with the Atlantic period.
413
The PAZs Ll - L5 in the lower part of core PG 1111 from Lama Lake clearly indicate the Late
Weichselian chronozones Oldest Dryas (DRI, stadia)), Bplling (interstadial), Older Dryas
(DR2, very short stadial), Allerpd (interstadial), and Younger Dryas (DR3, stadial). These
climatic events are recorded in many pollen diagrams from Europe (e.g. Hahne et aI., 1994),
North America (Mott and Stea, 1993), and Siberia (Velichko et aI., 1997), as well as in stable
isotope data from Greenland ice cores (Daansgard et aI., 1993; Stuiver et a!., 1995). The
occurrence of the prominent Younger Dryas cooling event in northern Central Siberia was first
evidenced by the isotopic composition of an ice core from the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago
(Klementyev et al. 1991; Stievenard et al. 1996; Figures 1 and 4).
The WeichselianlHolocene boundary represents a stratigraphically fixed point. In Russia and
in Europe, this boundary was radiocarbon dated to 10300 14C yr BP (Khotinskiy, 1984),
corresponding to a calendar age of ca. 11450 cal. yr BP (Bjorck et al. 1996). At site PG 1111, it
occurs at 623 cm sediment depth. This results in a mean sedimentation rate during the Holocene
of about 0.54 mm/a, which corresponds well with a sedimentation rate of 0.62 ± 0.0 I mm/a for
the upper 50 cm of the core, calculated from 210Pb analyses (Hagedorn et aI., this volume). A
somewhat higher sedimentation rate can be expected in the near-surface sediments due to the
lower consolidation and slightly higher water contents there.
The Holocene sediments in Lama Lake were subdivided into the PAZs L6 - Lll. A
comparison of the PAZ succession with radiocarbon-dated vegetation changes in Siberia (e.g.
Makeev, 1983; Khotinskiy, 1984; Velichko et a!., 1996), allows their connection with the
Holocene periods Preboreal, Boreal, Atlantic, Subboreal, and Subatlantic. The sediment depths
and calibrated ages of the period boundaries indicate that the sedimentation rates throughout the
Holocene were relatively constant (0.29 - 0.73 mm/a).
The 22.4 m long sediment core PG 1228 from the central part of Levinson-Lessing Lake
represents only the upper part of the lacustrine sediment fill. This is evidenced by sub-bottom
profiles crossing the coring location (Niessen et aI., this volume). The sediments in core
PG 1228 consist of partly laminated clayey silts and silty clays, with irregularly incised, well
sorted sand layers of a few millimetres to some centimetres thick (Figure 3). Grayish and dark
greenish colors throughout the sequence indicate anoxic conditions in the sediment. A more
detailed description, along with a presentation and discussion of sedimentological results is
given by Ebel et al. (this volume).
The pollen diagram from core PG 1228 was subdivided into thirteen regional pollen
assemblage zones (PAZs), LLI - LL9 and LLA - LLD (Table 3, Figure 3). The succession of
the P AZs LL I - LL8 in the central part of the core can clearly be correlated with the P AZs L I -
L8 of core PG IIII from Lama Lake (Table 2, Figure 2), based on the individual vegetation
developments and considering the different lake locations latitudinally. PAZ LL9 in the upper
part of the core from Levinson-Lessing Lake probably corresponds with PAZs L9 - Lli of
Lama Lake. A subdivision of PAZ LL9 in Levinson-Lessing Lake is not useful, due to the
rather small differences between pollen assemblages in this zone.
The stratigraphy of core PG 1228 from Levinson-Lessing Lake (Figure 3), as deduced from
the PAZs correlation with core PG 1111 from Lama Lake, indicates rather constant
sedimentation rates of 0.46 to 0.75 mm/a (mean 0.57 mm/a) since the start of the Preboreal
period (ca. 11450 cal. yr BP; Bjorck et aI., 1996). This coincides well with 2lOPb and 137Cs
measurements on near-surface sediments from another coring point 4 km further north. They
indicate a recent sedimentation rate 2 to 3 times higher (1.5 mm/a; B. Hagedorn, pers. comm.
1997), which can be expected for this part of the lake based on sediment geometry recorded in a
sub-bottom profile along the lake axis (Niessen et aI., this volume). In addition, the pollen
stratigraphy of core PGI228 is supported by a radiocarbon age of 5650 ± 90 14C yr BP,
measured on terrestrial plant remains from 467 cm sediment depth (Ebel et aI., this volume),
which confirms the coincidence of PAZ LL8 with the Atlantic period.