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Records of environmental changes during the Holocene from Isla de los Estados (54.4 degrees S), southeastern Tierra del Fuego

Unkel, Ingmar LU ; Fernandez, Marilen LU ; Björck, Svante LU ; Ljung, Karl LU orcid and Wohlfarth, Barbara (2010) In Global and Planetary Change 74(3-4). p.99-113
Abstract
Southernmost Patagonia, located at the relatively narrow passage between Antarctica and South America, is a highly sensitive region for recording meridional and zonal changes in the pattern of oceanic and atmospheric circulation. The island of Isla de los Estados, situated at 54.5 degrees S, 64 degrees W, east of Argentinean Tierra del Fuego, provides an exceptional possibility, to investigate terrestrial records of atmospheric conditions in an oceanic setting during the last deglaciation and the Holocene. Here we present geochemical and diatom analyses from 10600 to c. 1500 cal BP of one sequence (LGB) with peat, lake sediments and lagoon deposits at the northern coast of the island, and a lake sediment sequence (CAS) 3 km further inland.... (More)
Southernmost Patagonia, located at the relatively narrow passage between Antarctica and South America, is a highly sensitive region for recording meridional and zonal changes in the pattern of oceanic and atmospheric circulation. The island of Isla de los Estados, situated at 54.5 degrees S, 64 degrees W, east of Argentinean Tierra del Fuego, provides an exceptional possibility, to investigate terrestrial records of atmospheric conditions in an oceanic setting during the last deglaciation and the Holocene. Here we present geochemical and diatom analyses from 10600 to c. 1500 cal BP of one sequence (LGB) with peat, lake sediments and lagoon deposits at the northern coast of the island, and a lake sediment sequence (CAS) 3 km further inland. The data comprise TC, TN, loss on ignition analyses and continuous XRF scanning as well as age-depth modeling based on AMS-C-14 dating on both cores. Diatom analysis of the CAS record complements the geochemical proxies. During the Holocene, our two sites have been impacted by two different forcings: changes in the regional climate regime largely influenced by the varying strength and position of the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies (SHW), while relative sea-level changes affected the deposits of the coastal site. In concert with the onset of the Antarctic thermal optimum, our data suggest fairly warm conditions and the establishment of denser peat and forest vegetation on the island c. 10600 cal BP. Between 8500 and 4500 cal BP geochemistry and diatoms from the CAS record indicate stronger Westerlies at this latitude, which means higher wind speed or higher storm frequency and more precipitation, resulting in more pronounced surface run-off. After 4500 cal BP, the geochemical proxies and large changes in diatom assemblages indicate a decrease in precipitation, weaker winds and possibly cooler conditions, probably as an effect of weaker SHW and/or a latitudinal shift. The depositional environment of CAS changed from gyttja to peat around 1000 cal BP. At LGB, the onset of gyttja sedimentation around 7900 cal BP shows that the former wet land with peat accumulation had become a lake with a fairly rapid sedimentation. The chemical data from LGB imply a gradually increasing marine influence, probably as an effect of both rising sea level and increased impact of storms and maximum high tides. After a marine high-stand during the mid-Holocene, the LGB site returned into a peat bog again around 3400 cal BP. Our data suggest that since then relative sea level first dropped back below present sea level followed by a rise to present day sea level. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Tierra del Fuego, sea-level changes, southern westerlies, paleoclimate, XRF, diatom analysis, peat, lake sediments, Holocene
in
Global and Planetary Change
volume
74
issue
3-4
pages
99 - 113
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000285909100001
  • scopus:78649634552
ISSN
1872-6364
DOI
10.1016/j.gloplacha.2010.07.003
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
23ccd254-a055-479d-b906-5b719e9119c5 (old id 1811477)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:13:22
date last changed
2023-01-02 02:19:22
@article{23ccd254-a055-479d-b906-5b719e9119c5,
  abstract     = {{Southernmost Patagonia, located at the relatively narrow passage between Antarctica and South America, is a highly sensitive region for recording meridional and zonal changes in the pattern of oceanic and atmospheric circulation. The island of Isla de los Estados, situated at 54.5 degrees S, 64 degrees W, east of Argentinean Tierra del Fuego, provides an exceptional possibility, to investigate terrestrial records of atmospheric conditions in an oceanic setting during the last deglaciation and the Holocene. Here we present geochemical and diatom analyses from 10600 to c. 1500 cal BP of one sequence (LGB) with peat, lake sediments and lagoon deposits at the northern coast of the island, and a lake sediment sequence (CAS) 3 km further inland. The data comprise TC, TN, loss on ignition analyses and continuous XRF scanning as well as age-depth modeling based on AMS-C-14 dating on both cores. Diatom analysis of the CAS record complements the geochemical proxies. During the Holocene, our two sites have been impacted by two different forcings: changes in the regional climate regime largely influenced by the varying strength and position of the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies (SHW), while relative sea-level changes affected the deposits of the coastal site. In concert with the onset of the Antarctic thermal optimum, our data suggest fairly warm conditions and the establishment of denser peat and forest vegetation on the island c. 10600 cal BP. Between 8500 and 4500 cal BP geochemistry and diatoms from the CAS record indicate stronger Westerlies at this latitude, which means higher wind speed or higher storm frequency and more precipitation, resulting in more pronounced surface run-off. After 4500 cal BP, the geochemical proxies and large changes in diatom assemblages indicate a decrease in precipitation, weaker winds and possibly cooler conditions, probably as an effect of weaker SHW and/or a latitudinal shift. The depositional environment of CAS changed from gyttja to peat around 1000 cal BP. At LGB, the onset of gyttja sedimentation around 7900 cal BP shows that the former wet land with peat accumulation had become a lake with a fairly rapid sedimentation. The chemical data from LGB imply a gradually increasing marine influence, probably as an effect of both rising sea level and increased impact of storms and maximum high tides. After a marine high-stand during the mid-Holocene, the LGB site returned into a peat bog again around 3400 cal BP. Our data suggest that since then relative sea level first dropped back below present sea level followed by a rise to present day sea level. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Unkel, Ingmar and Fernandez, Marilen and Björck, Svante and Ljung, Karl and Wohlfarth, Barbara}},
  issn         = {{1872-6364}},
  keywords     = {{Tierra del Fuego; sea-level changes; southern westerlies; paleoclimate; XRF; diatom analysis; peat; lake sediments; Holocene}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3-4}},
  pages        = {{99--113}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Global and Planetary Change}},
  title        = {{Records of environmental changes during the Holocene from Isla de los Estados (54.4 degrees S), southeastern Tierra del Fuego}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2010.07.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.gloplacha.2010.07.003}},
  volume       = {{74}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}