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The Little Ice Age: evidence from a sediment record in Gullmar Fjord, Swedish west coast

Asteman, I. Polovodova ; Nordberg, K. and Filipsson, Helena LU orcid (2013) In Biogeosciences 10(3). p.1275-1290
Abstract
We discuss the climatic and environmental changes during the last millennium in NE Europe based on a ca. 8-m long high-resolved and well-dated marine sediment record from the deepest basin of Gullmar Fjord (SW Sweden). According to the Pb-210- and C-14-datings, the record includes the period of the late Holocene characterised by anomalously cold summers and well-known as the Little Ice Age (LIA). Using benthic foraminiferal stratigraphy, lithology, bulk sediment geochemistry and stable carbon isotopes we reconstruct various phases of the cold period, identify its timing in the study area and discuss the land-sea interactions occurring during that time. The onset of the LIA is indicated by an increase in cold-water foraminiferal species... (More)
We discuss the climatic and environmental changes during the last millennium in NE Europe based on a ca. 8-m long high-resolved and well-dated marine sediment record from the deepest basin of Gullmar Fjord (SW Sweden). According to the Pb-210- and C-14-datings, the record includes the period of the late Holocene characterised by anomalously cold summers and well-known as the Little Ice Age (LIA). Using benthic foraminiferal stratigraphy, lithology, bulk sediment geochemistry and stable carbon isotopes we reconstruct various phases of the cold period, identify its timing in the study area and discuss the land-sea interactions occurring during that time. The onset of the LIA is indicated by an increase in cold-water foraminiferal species Adercotryma glomerata at similar to 1350 AD The first phase of the LIA was characterised by a stormy climate and higher productivity, which is indicated by a foraminiferal unit of Nonionella iridea and Cassidulina laevigata. Maximum abundances of N. iridea probably mirror a short and abrupt warming event at similar to 1600 AD. It is likely that due to land use changes in the second part of the LIA there was an increased input of terrestrial organic matter to the fjord, which is indicated by lighter delta C-13 values and an increase of detritivorous and omnivorous species such as Textularia earlandi and Eggerelloides scaber. The climate deterioration during the climax of the LIA (1675-1704 AD), as suggested by the increase of agglutinated species, presence of Hyalinea balthica, and a decline of N. iridea may have driven the decline in primary productivity during this time period. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Biogeosciences
volume
10
issue
3
pages
1275 - 1290
publisher
Copernicus GmbH
external identifiers
  • wos:000317010600004
  • scopus:84885816540
ISSN
1726-4189
DOI
10.5194/bg-10-1275-2013
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
12826cc8-7207-421c-a0a9-0ff2f5584176 (old id 3739325)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:37:45
date last changed
2022-04-27 23:54:24
@article{12826cc8-7207-421c-a0a9-0ff2f5584176,
  abstract     = {{We discuss the climatic and environmental changes during the last millennium in NE Europe based on a ca. 8-m long high-resolved and well-dated marine sediment record from the deepest basin of Gullmar Fjord (SW Sweden). According to the Pb-210- and C-14-datings, the record includes the period of the late Holocene characterised by anomalously cold summers and well-known as the Little Ice Age (LIA). Using benthic foraminiferal stratigraphy, lithology, bulk sediment geochemistry and stable carbon isotopes we reconstruct various phases of the cold period, identify its timing in the study area and discuss the land-sea interactions occurring during that time. The onset of the LIA is indicated by an increase in cold-water foraminiferal species Adercotryma glomerata at similar to 1350 AD The first phase of the LIA was characterised by a stormy climate and higher productivity, which is indicated by a foraminiferal unit of Nonionella iridea and Cassidulina laevigata. Maximum abundances of N. iridea probably mirror a short and abrupt warming event at similar to 1600 AD. It is likely that due to land use changes in the second part of the LIA there was an increased input of terrestrial organic matter to the fjord, which is indicated by lighter delta C-13 values and an increase of detritivorous and omnivorous species such as Textularia earlandi and Eggerelloides scaber. The climate deterioration during the climax of the LIA (1675-1704 AD), as suggested by the increase of agglutinated species, presence of Hyalinea balthica, and a decline of N. iridea may have driven the decline in primary productivity during this time period.}},
  author       = {{Asteman, I. Polovodova and Nordberg, K. and Filipsson, Helena}},
  issn         = {{1726-4189}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{1275--1290}},
  publisher    = {{Copernicus GmbH}},
  series       = {{Biogeosciences}},
  title        = {{The Little Ice Age: evidence from a sediment record in Gullmar Fjord, Swedish west coast}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-1275-2013}},
  doi          = {{10.5194/bg-10-1275-2013}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}