Thiede et at.: Dynamics and History ofthe Laptev Sea and its Continental Hinterland
701
Due to the proximity to the Laptev Sea, the results from the Taymyr region can directly be
linked to the marine geological data. From this, a better understanding of the often problematic
correlation of land and ocean records is expected. In addition, the comparison may supply
comprehensive information concerning the interaction of the marine and terrestrial histories. The
effects of sea-level and marine ice-cover changes on the precipitation and temperature
development on land, both of which have strong impact on the vegetation and permafrost
behaviour are of particular interest are.
In order to adress the complexity of climate dependent processes in the permafrost landscape
of the Taymyr region and to obtain a most comprehensive understanding of the climatic and
environmental history, a multidisciplinary approach was applied to the Taymyr Project (Figure
4). Investigations of the seasonal processes operating in the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and
biosphere in the different climatic and environmental settings of the study area indicate the
interaction between climate and permafrost. They form the basis for interpreting the
development of the landscape and the composition of ancient deposits with respect to the
climatic and environmental conditions in the past. Special emphasis is put on syngenetic
permafrost deposits on land with included ground ice bodies and on unfrozen sediment
sequences in presently existing lakes. Due to their individual formation processes, these natural
archives gather individual information concerning the kind of paleoenvironmental evidence, and
the length, completeness, and resolution of the documented time interval. The information
derived from the terrestrial archives shall be complemented in the near future by data from an ice
core which is planned to be drilled on the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago .
...... ...................
................. ... .....
........................ .
......................... ......................... ......................... .........................
......................... ........ ..... .... ........
......................... .........................
. ...... .. .............. .
..... .... .. .............
. .......... ... ......... .
. ............... ...... . .
. ...................... .
........................ . ...................... .
. ...................... .
. ...................... .
Figure 4: Schematic section through the permafrost landscape of northern Siberia illustrating the multidisciplinary character of the Taymyr project in the neighbourhood of the System Laptev Sea project. Complex
investigations of the modern seasonal dynamic processes, taking place in the different landscapes and climates of
the study area, form the basis for interpreting the composition of ancient deposits with respect to past
environmental and climatic conditions. Major natural data archives, investigated for the Late Quaternary history,
are the sediment fill in presently existing lakes and syngenetic pennafrost sequences on land with incised ground
ice bodies. Additional infonnation comes from geomorphological and archaeological work. An ice core drilling
on the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago is planned to complement the existing data sets in the coming years.
Major results of marine and terrestrial investigations in the Siberian Arctic
On the following pages some of the major scientific results of the projects are summarized (see
also Kassens et aI., 1995; 1998; Melles et aI., 1996). Many of these are described in the
701
Due to the proximity to the Laptev Sea, the results from the Taymyr region can directly be
linked to the marine geological data. From this, a better understanding of the often problematic
correlation of land and ocean records is expected. In addition, the comparison may supply
comprehensive information concerning the interaction of the marine and terrestrial histories. The
effects of sea-level and marine ice-cover changes on the precipitation and temperature
development on land, both of which have strong impact on the vegetation and permafrost
behaviour are of particular interest are.
In order to adress the complexity of climate dependent processes in the permafrost landscape
of the Taymyr region and to obtain a most comprehensive understanding of the climatic and
environmental history, a multidisciplinary approach was applied to the Taymyr Project (Figure
4). Investigations of the seasonal processes operating in the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and
biosphere in the different climatic and environmental settings of the study area indicate the
interaction between climate and permafrost. They form the basis for interpreting the
development of the landscape and the composition of ancient deposits with respect to the
climatic and environmental conditions in the past. Special emphasis is put on syngenetic
permafrost deposits on land with included ground ice bodies and on unfrozen sediment
sequences in presently existing lakes. Due to their individual formation processes, these natural
archives gather individual information concerning the kind of paleoenvironmental evidence, and
the length, completeness, and resolution of the documented time interval. The information
derived from the terrestrial archives shall be complemented in the near future by data from an ice
core which is planned to be drilled on the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago .
...... ...................
................. ... .....
........................ .
......................... ......................... ......................... .........................
......................... ........ ..... .... ........
......................... .........................
. ...... .. .............. .
..... .... .. .............
. .......... ... ......... .
. ............... ...... . .
. ...................... .
........................ . ...................... .
. ...................... .
. ...................... .
Figure 4: Schematic section through the permafrost landscape of northern Siberia illustrating the multidisciplinary character of the Taymyr project in the neighbourhood of the System Laptev Sea project. Complex
investigations of the modern seasonal dynamic processes, taking place in the different landscapes and climates of
the study area, form the basis for interpreting the composition of ancient deposits with respect to past
environmental and climatic conditions. Major natural data archives, investigated for the Late Quaternary history,
are the sediment fill in presently existing lakes and syngenetic pennafrost sequences on land with incised ground
ice bodies. Additional infonnation comes from geomorphological and archaeological work. An ice core drilling
on the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago is planned to complement the existing data sets in the coming years.
Major results of marine and terrestrial investigations in the Siberian Arctic
On the following pages some of the major scientific results of the projects are summarized (see
also Kassens et aI., 1995; 1998; Melles et aI., 1996). Many of these are described in the