Distribution of Pollen and Spores in Surface Sediments of the
Laptev Sea
O.D. Naidina 1 and H.A. Bauch 2
(i) institute of the Lithosphere, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetny per. 22, 109180 Moscow, Russia
(2) GEOMAR Forschungszentrumfiir marine Geowissenschaften, Wischhofstrasse 1-3, D 24148 Kiel,
Germany
Recei ved 17 March 1997 and accepted in revised form 10 September 1998
Abstract - The palynological content of Laptev Sea surface sediments were studied. The
pollen-spore spectra in these recent sediments are characterized by a predominance of
coniferous pollen and moss spores. The pollen have been transported over long distances
whereas the spores are of more local origin. The majority of these pollen and spore grains
accumulate in the near-shore zone. The pollen-spore spectra in the eastern part of the Laptev
Sea are characterized by a different taxonomical composition, which is linked to the huge
perennial discharge of freshwater from the Lena and Yana rivers. Thus, the distribution of
pollen and spores in the Laptev Sea, as well as their diversity, may be attributed to
atmospheric and surface water circulation patterns but is mainly influenced by the intensity
of freshwater runoff from the Lena river.
Introduction
The Laptev Sea is located at the northern Eurasian margin of Central Siberia. This shelf sea is
bounded by the Taymyr Peninsula to the west and the New Siberian Islands to the east (Figure
I) and covers an area of about 660,000 km 2 , most of which is relatively shallow water (less
than 50 m deep). The recent Arctic vegetation on the adjacent land is characterized by rather
treeless landscapes (Figure 2). However, tree pollen are very abundant in the pollen-spore
spectra of continental as well as marine deposits. In general, it is established that pollen
transportation into deposits of various origins is principally governed by aerial transportation
(Semenov, 1973; Kabailene, 1976). A quantitative model of marine pollen transport, deposition
processes (Mudie, 1984) as well as data from a coastal shelf box model (Mudie and McCarthy,
1994) shows that aerial transport is the main process by which pollen moves across the land
adjacent to the western North Atlantic. These box model results indicate that wind is the most
important marine pollen transport process off eastern Canada, where rivers are relatively small,
have small runoff volumes and where strong westerly and southeasterly offshore winds prevail
(Mudie and McCarthy, 1994). In regions where pollen grains are most abundant, i.e. in this
case off the mouths of large rivers and particularly in near-shore marine sediments, however,
fluvial transport is an important process for the accumulation of pollen (Cross et a!., 1966;
Heusser, 1985; Mudie, 1982; Muller, 1959; Traverse, 1988 and 1992).
The influence of fluvial pathway transport on the pollen distribution has been investigated in
some large rivers: the Volga River (Fedorova, 1952), the Delaware River estuary (Groot, 1966)
and the Mississippi River (Smirnov et aI., 1996). Some investigators have concluded that the
suspended pollen load in large rivers depends on the flow velocity, the concentration of pollen
deposited aerially in surface waters, and the segregation of tributary water flow. Other studies
(e.g. Smirnov et aI., 1996) show no significant correlation between pollen load and velocity.
Application of sediment mechanics to pollen grain transport demonstrates that such
relationships should not be expected in a river and that pollen rain and resuspension of grains
from the riverbed are more likely to control the distribution of pollen (Smirnov et aI., 1996).
One of the main factors which shape the hydrography and, thus, the depositional environment
Tn: Kassens, H., H.A. Bauch, I. Dmitrenko, H. Eicken, H.-W. Hubberten, M. Melles, 1. Thiede and L. Timokhov (eds.)
Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1999,577-585.
Laptev Sea
O.D. Naidina 1 and H.A. Bauch 2
(i) institute of the Lithosphere, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetny per. 22, 109180 Moscow, Russia
(2) GEOMAR Forschungszentrumfiir marine Geowissenschaften, Wischhofstrasse 1-3, D 24148 Kiel,
Germany
Recei ved 17 March 1997 and accepted in revised form 10 September 1998
Abstract - The palynological content of Laptev Sea surface sediments were studied. The
pollen-spore spectra in these recent sediments are characterized by a predominance of
coniferous pollen and moss spores. The pollen have been transported over long distances
whereas the spores are of more local origin. The majority of these pollen and spore grains
accumulate in the near-shore zone. The pollen-spore spectra in the eastern part of the Laptev
Sea are characterized by a different taxonomical composition, which is linked to the huge
perennial discharge of freshwater from the Lena and Yana rivers. Thus, the distribution of
pollen and spores in the Laptev Sea, as well as their diversity, may be attributed to
atmospheric and surface water circulation patterns but is mainly influenced by the intensity
of freshwater runoff from the Lena river.
Introduction
The Laptev Sea is located at the northern Eurasian margin of Central Siberia. This shelf sea is
bounded by the Taymyr Peninsula to the west and the New Siberian Islands to the east (Figure
I) and covers an area of about 660,000 km 2 , most of which is relatively shallow water (less
than 50 m deep). The recent Arctic vegetation on the adjacent land is characterized by rather
treeless landscapes (Figure 2). However, tree pollen are very abundant in the pollen-spore
spectra of continental as well as marine deposits. In general, it is established that pollen
transportation into deposits of various origins is principally governed by aerial transportation
(Semenov, 1973; Kabailene, 1976). A quantitative model of marine pollen transport, deposition
processes (Mudie, 1984) as well as data from a coastal shelf box model (Mudie and McCarthy,
1994) shows that aerial transport is the main process by which pollen moves across the land
adjacent to the western North Atlantic. These box model results indicate that wind is the most
important marine pollen transport process off eastern Canada, where rivers are relatively small,
have small runoff volumes and where strong westerly and southeasterly offshore winds prevail
(Mudie and McCarthy, 1994). In regions where pollen grains are most abundant, i.e. in this
case off the mouths of large rivers and particularly in near-shore marine sediments, however,
fluvial transport is an important process for the accumulation of pollen (Cross et a!., 1966;
Heusser, 1985; Mudie, 1982; Muller, 1959; Traverse, 1988 and 1992).
The influence of fluvial pathway transport on the pollen distribution has been investigated in
some large rivers: the Volga River (Fedorova, 1952), the Delaware River estuary (Groot, 1966)
and the Mississippi River (Smirnov et aI., 1996). Some investigators have concluded that the
suspended pollen load in large rivers depends on the flow velocity, the concentration of pollen
deposited aerially in surface waters, and the segregation of tributary water flow. Other studies
(e.g. Smirnov et aI., 1996) show no significant correlation between pollen load and velocity.
Application of sediment mechanics to pollen grain transport demonstrates that such
relationships should not be expected in a river and that pollen rain and resuspension of grains
from the riverbed are more likely to control the distribution of pollen (Smirnov et aI., 1996).
One of the main factors which shape the hydrography and, thus, the depositional environment
Tn: Kassens, H., H.A. Bauch, I. Dmitrenko, H. Eicken, H.-W. Hubberten, M. Melles, 1. Thiede and L. Timokhov (eds.)
Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1999,577-585.