434
Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History
supply, which caused the formation of annual laminations (clastic varves). In addition, episodic
events, probably due to turbidity currents originating from littoral and delta areas, led to the
accumulation of sandy layers (ca. 20% of the record).
Higher frequencies of lower energy turbidites during the Middle Weichselian can be
interpreted as indicators for a lower lake level at that time.
Climate warming during Middle Weichselian interstadials and post-Oldest Dryas led to
increased organogenic sedimentation, comprising both autochthonous aquatic plant material and
allochthonous terrestrial plant detritus.
No evidence was found for the occurrence of any glaciation in the Levinson-Lessing Lake
catchment area since the late Middle Weichselian.
In summary, core PG 1228 from Levinson-Lessing Lake provides the longest, laminated
sediment sequence recovered from a High Arctic environment. It may be of major importance
for the understanding of Late Pleistocene climate-controlled environmental evolution in a part of
the world that acts as a key region with regard to recent climatic change debates.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the members of the 1995 Taymyr Expedition - especially the coring team - for their
invaluable help and the warm atmosphere during sometimes difficult conditions. Dr. M. Sturm
and Dr. B. Zolitschka are acknowledged for critically reviewing this manuscript and providing
helpful commands. Special thanks are due to M. Kohler for thin section preparation at the
GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam. Financial support was provided by the German Ministry of
Education, Science, Research and Technology (BMBF; Grant No. 03PLOI4A,B). This is
contribution No. 1351 of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research,
Bremerhaven and Potsdam.
References
Bolshiyanov, D.Y., D. Ginz and V.P. Zimichev (1995) Surface drainage. In: Russian-German Cooperation: The
Expedition Taymyr 1994, Siegert, C. and D.Y. Bolshiyanov (eds.), Ber. Polarforsch. AWl, Bremerhaven,
175, 13-17.
Gintz, D.A. and T. Meinel (1997) Hydrology and suspension transport in the Krasnaya River. In: RussianGerman Cooperation: The Expedition Taymyr/Severnaya Zemlya 1996, Melles, M., B. Hagedorn and D.Y.
Bolshiyanov (eds.), Ber. Polarforsch. AWl, Bremerhaven, 237, 58-61.
Gintz, D.A., V. Mescherjakov, H. Becker, J. Boike and B. Hagedorn (1996) Hydrological Investigations at the
Krasnaja River. In: Russian-German Cooperation: The Expedition Taymyr 1995 and the Expedition Kolyma
1995 of the Pushchino Group, Bolshiyanov, D.Y. and H.W. Hubberten (eds.), Ber. Polarforsch. AWl,
Bremerhaven, 2ll, 92-95.
Grichuk, V.P. (1984) Late Pleistocene vegetation history. In: Late Quaternary environments of the Soviet
Union, Velichko, A.A. (ed.). University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 155-178.
Grosswald, M.G. (1980) Late Weichselian ice sheets of northern Eurasia. Quaternary Research, 13, 1-32.
Grosswald, M.G. (1988) An Antarctic-style ice sheet in the Northern Hemisphere: toward a new global glacial
theory. Polar Geography and Geology, 12.
Grosswald, M.G. and T.H. Hughes (1995) Paleoglaciology's grand unsolved problem. Journal of Glaciology,
41(138),313-332.
Hagedorn, B., J. Boike, T. Ebel, D.A. Gintz and H.-W. Hubberten (1996) Sedimentation processes, hydrology
and geochemistry of the Levinson Lessing Lake (Taymyr Peninsula, Siberia). In: Third Workshop on
Russian-German Cooperation: Laptev Sea System, Terra Nostra, 96/9, 21-22.
Hahne, J. and M. Melles (this volume) Climate and vegetation development on the Taymyr Peninsula since
Middle Weichselian time - palynological investigations on lake sediment cores.
Isayeva, 1.1. (1984) Late Pleistocene glaciation of north-central Siberia. In: Late Quaternary environments of
the Soviet Union, Velichko, A.A. (ed.). Longman, London, 21-30.
Khotinskiy, N.A. (1984) Holocene Vegetation History. In: Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union,
Velichko, A.A. (ed.). University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 179-200.
Kind, N.V. (1974) Geochronology of the late Anthropogene from isotope data [in Russian]. Nauka, Moscow.
Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History
supply, which caused the formation of annual laminations (clastic varves). In addition, episodic
events, probably due to turbidity currents originating from littoral and delta areas, led to the
accumulation of sandy layers (ca. 20% of the record).
Higher frequencies of lower energy turbidites during the Middle Weichselian can be
interpreted as indicators for a lower lake level at that time.
Climate warming during Middle Weichselian interstadials and post-Oldest Dryas led to
increased organogenic sedimentation, comprising both autochthonous aquatic plant material and
allochthonous terrestrial plant detritus.
No evidence was found for the occurrence of any glaciation in the Levinson-Lessing Lake
catchment area since the late Middle Weichselian.
In summary, core PG 1228 from Levinson-Lessing Lake provides the longest, laminated
sediment sequence recovered from a High Arctic environment. It may be of major importance
for the understanding of Late Pleistocene climate-controlled environmental evolution in a part of
the world that acts as a key region with regard to recent climatic change debates.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the members of the 1995 Taymyr Expedition - especially the coring team - for their
invaluable help and the warm atmosphere during sometimes difficult conditions. Dr. M. Sturm
and Dr. B. Zolitschka are acknowledged for critically reviewing this manuscript and providing
helpful commands. Special thanks are due to M. Kohler for thin section preparation at the
GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam. Financial support was provided by the German Ministry of
Education, Science, Research and Technology (BMBF; Grant No. 03PLOI4A,B). This is
contribution No. 1351 of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research,
Bremerhaven and Potsdam.
References
Bolshiyanov, D.Y., D. Ginz and V.P. Zimichev (1995) Surface drainage. In: Russian-German Cooperation: The
Expedition Taymyr 1994, Siegert, C. and D.Y. Bolshiyanov (eds.), Ber. Polarforsch. AWl, Bremerhaven,
175, 13-17.
Gintz, D.A. and T. Meinel (1997) Hydrology and suspension transport in the Krasnaya River. In: RussianGerman Cooperation: The Expedition Taymyr/Severnaya Zemlya 1996, Melles, M., B. Hagedorn and D.Y.
Bolshiyanov (eds.), Ber. Polarforsch. AWl, Bremerhaven, 237, 58-61.
Gintz, D.A., V. Mescherjakov, H. Becker, J. Boike and B. Hagedorn (1996) Hydrological Investigations at the
Krasnaja River. In: Russian-German Cooperation: The Expedition Taymyr 1995 and the Expedition Kolyma
1995 of the Pushchino Group, Bolshiyanov, D.Y. and H.W. Hubberten (eds.), Ber. Polarforsch. AWl,
Bremerhaven, 2ll, 92-95.
Grichuk, V.P. (1984) Late Pleistocene vegetation history. In: Late Quaternary environments of the Soviet
Union, Velichko, A.A. (ed.). University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 155-178.
Grosswald, M.G. (1980) Late Weichselian ice sheets of northern Eurasia. Quaternary Research, 13, 1-32.
Grosswald, M.G. (1988) An Antarctic-style ice sheet in the Northern Hemisphere: toward a new global glacial
theory. Polar Geography and Geology, 12.
Grosswald, M.G. and T.H. Hughes (1995) Paleoglaciology's grand unsolved problem. Journal of Glaciology,
41(138),313-332.
Hagedorn, B., J. Boike, T. Ebel, D.A. Gintz and H.-W. Hubberten (1996) Sedimentation processes, hydrology
and geochemistry of the Levinson Lessing Lake (Taymyr Peninsula, Siberia). In: Third Workshop on
Russian-German Cooperation: Laptev Sea System, Terra Nostra, 96/9, 21-22.
Hahne, J. and M. Melles (this volume) Climate and vegetation development on the Taymyr Peninsula since
Middle Weichselian time - palynological investigations on lake sediment cores.
Isayeva, 1.1. (1984) Late Pleistocene glaciation of north-central Siberia. In: Late Quaternary environments of
the Soviet Union, Velichko, A.A. (ed.). Longman, London, 21-30.
Khotinskiy, N.A. (1984) Holocene Vegetation History. In: Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union,
Velichko, A.A. (ed.). University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 179-200.
Kind, N.V. (1974) Geochronology of the late Anthropogene from isotope data [in Russian]. Nauka, Moscow.