High-Resolution Seismic Stratigraphy of Lake Sediments on the
Taymyr Peninsula, Central Siberia
F. Niessen 1 , T. Ebel 2 , C. Kopsch 2 and G.B. Fedorov 3
(1) Alfred- Wegener-Institut fur Polar- und Meeresforschung, Postfach 120161, D 27568 Bremerhaven,
Germany
(2) Alfred- Wegener-Institut fur Polar- und Meeresforschung, Forschungsstelle Potsdam, Telegrafenberg A43,
D 14473 Potsdam, Germany
(3) State Research Center - Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, 38 Bering St., 199226 St. Petersburg,
Russia
Revised 5 May 1997 and accepted in revised form 10 January 1998
Abstract - High-resolution seismic profiles (GeoChirp, 1.5-11.5 kHz) were recorded in two
lakes on the Taymyr Peninsula during the Taymyr Expedition 1996 in order to reconstruct
changes in the depositional environment and to test different hypotheses of glaciation in
central Siberia. Four major seismic units of mostly well-stratified sediments are identified
in both Lakes Taymyr (TI-T4) and Levinson-Lessing (Ll-L4). The sequential stratigraphic
approach is used to explain different unit geometry by lake level changes. The lowermost
units L3, L4 and T4 cover hummocky topography and are interpreted as high-stand
deposits. Overlying units L2 and T3 occur only in the deeper part of the basin and onlap
against the slope. These deposits represent a lower lake level followed by a transgression
during the Holocene (Ll, T1 and T2). The chronology of the lower units is somewhat
speculative. Correlation of our evidence with the results of other studies suggest that, in
Lake Taymyr, the high-stand unit T4 was probably deposited during Mid to Late
Weichselian, and the low-stand unit T3 during Latest Weichselian times. In Lake Levinson
Lessing, high-stand units L4 and L3 are possibly older than Mid-Weichselian overlain by
low-stand deposits (L2) of Mid to Late Weichselian age as indicated by a pollen-dated
sediment core penetrating into unit L2. In total, the fills of the basins comprise
unconsolidated muds and sands of more than 20 m in Taymyr and more than 60 m in
Levinson Lessing. The units L4 to L1 are undisturbed, whereas T4 to TI are partly erosive.
None of the units were overconsolidated by glacier ice. This implies that the last major
glaciation of the lake basins occurred earlier than the Mid-Weichselian, possibly during the
Early Weichselian (Marine Isotope Stage 4).
Introduction
Seismic stratigraphy is commonly used to characterise the vanatIOn of depositional
environments in space and time (Bally, 1987). Subbottom profiling in lakes is a convenient tool
to identify major depositional episodes which usually match lithological units in sediment cores
(e.g. Giovanoli et aI., 1984; Svendsen et aI., 1989; Hubberten et aI., 1995). Seismic studies in
lakes on the Taymyr Peninsula (Figure 1) are part of an ongoing investigation of environmental
and climatic history in northern Mid-Siberia during the late Quaternary (Bolshiyanov and
Hubberten, 1996; Melles et aI., 1996; Hahne and MeIles, this volume; Hahne and Melles,
1997; Melles et aI., 1997). During an earlier expedition in 1995, two long sediment cores were
retrieved from the deepest parts of Lakes Taymyr and Levinson-Lessing (Overduin et aI.,
1996). Pollen stratigraphy from one of the cores (PG 1228, Levinson-Lessing) suggests a MidWeichselian basal age (Hahne and Melles, this volume). None of the cores reached basal
moraines or bedrock. At the beginning of this study, therefore, the deeper part of the sediment
fills as well as the lateral distributions of sediment units were completely unknown.
Here we present the first seismic results of spatial/temporal stratigraphic pattern from Lakes
Taymyr and Levinson-Lessing. The field work is described in Niessen et al. (1997). The aim
of this paper is to interpret key profiles in order to define a seismic stratigraphy of the lake fills,
In: Kassens, H., H.A. Bauch, l. Dmitrenko, H. Eicken, H.-W. Hubberten, M. Melles, l. Thiede and L. Timokhov (eds.)
Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1999,437-456.
Taymyr Peninsula, Central Siberia
F. Niessen 1 , T. Ebel 2 , C. Kopsch 2 and G.B. Fedorov 3
(1) Alfred- Wegener-Institut fur Polar- und Meeresforschung, Postfach 120161, D 27568 Bremerhaven,
Germany
(2) Alfred- Wegener-Institut fur Polar- und Meeresforschung, Forschungsstelle Potsdam, Telegrafenberg A43,
D 14473 Potsdam, Germany
(3) State Research Center - Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, 38 Bering St., 199226 St. Petersburg,
Russia
Revised 5 May 1997 and accepted in revised form 10 January 1998
Abstract - High-resolution seismic profiles (GeoChirp, 1.5-11.5 kHz) were recorded in two
lakes on the Taymyr Peninsula during the Taymyr Expedition 1996 in order to reconstruct
changes in the depositional environment and to test different hypotheses of glaciation in
central Siberia. Four major seismic units of mostly well-stratified sediments are identified
in both Lakes Taymyr (TI-T4) and Levinson-Lessing (Ll-L4). The sequential stratigraphic
approach is used to explain different unit geometry by lake level changes. The lowermost
units L3, L4 and T4 cover hummocky topography and are interpreted as high-stand
deposits. Overlying units L2 and T3 occur only in the deeper part of the basin and onlap
against the slope. These deposits represent a lower lake level followed by a transgression
during the Holocene (Ll, T1 and T2). The chronology of the lower units is somewhat
speculative. Correlation of our evidence with the results of other studies suggest that, in
Lake Taymyr, the high-stand unit T4 was probably deposited during Mid to Late
Weichselian, and the low-stand unit T3 during Latest Weichselian times. In Lake Levinson
Lessing, high-stand units L4 and L3 are possibly older than Mid-Weichselian overlain by
low-stand deposits (L2) of Mid to Late Weichselian age as indicated by a pollen-dated
sediment core penetrating into unit L2. In total, the fills of the basins comprise
unconsolidated muds and sands of more than 20 m in Taymyr and more than 60 m in
Levinson Lessing. The units L4 to L1 are undisturbed, whereas T4 to TI are partly erosive.
None of the units were overconsolidated by glacier ice. This implies that the last major
glaciation of the lake basins occurred earlier than the Mid-Weichselian, possibly during the
Early Weichselian (Marine Isotope Stage 4).
Introduction
Seismic stratigraphy is commonly used to characterise the vanatIOn of depositional
environments in space and time (Bally, 1987). Subbottom profiling in lakes is a convenient tool
to identify major depositional episodes which usually match lithological units in sediment cores
(e.g. Giovanoli et aI., 1984; Svendsen et aI., 1989; Hubberten et aI., 1995). Seismic studies in
lakes on the Taymyr Peninsula (Figure 1) are part of an ongoing investigation of environmental
and climatic history in northern Mid-Siberia during the late Quaternary (Bolshiyanov and
Hubberten, 1996; Melles et aI., 1996; Hahne and MeIles, this volume; Hahne and Melles,
1997; Melles et aI., 1997). During an earlier expedition in 1995, two long sediment cores were
retrieved from the deepest parts of Lakes Taymyr and Levinson-Lessing (Overduin et aI.,
1996). Pollen stratigraphy from one of the cores (PG 1228, Levinson-Lessing) suggests a MidWeichselian basal age (Hahne and Melles, this volume). None of the cores reached basal
moraines or bedrock. At the beginning of this study, therefore, the deeper part of the sediment
fills as well as the lateral distributions of sediment units were completely unknown.
Here we present the first seismic results of spatial/temporal stratigraphic pattern from Lakes
Taymyr and Levinson-Lessing. The field work is described in Niessen et al. (1997). The aim
of this paper is to interpret key profiles in order to define a seismic stratigraphy of the lake fills,
In: Kassens, H., H.A. Bauch, l. Dmitrenko, H. Eicken, H.-W. Hubberten, M. Melles, l. Thiede and L. Timokhov (eds.)
Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1999,437-456.