Open AccessA Holocene seabird record from Raffles Sø sediments, East Greenland, in response to climatic and oceanic changes
Author(s) -
WAGNER BERND,
MELLES MARTIN
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
boreas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1502-3885
pISSN - 0300-9483
DOI - 10.1111/j.1502-3885.2001.tb01224.x
Subject(s) - geology , oceanography , seabird , holocene , palynology , deglaciation , radiocarbon dating , physical geography , sediment , biogeochemical cycle , paleontology , pollen , ecology , geography , predation , biology
A 3.5‐m‐long sediment sequence from a lake on Raffles Ø, off Liverpool Land, East Greenland, was investigated for chronology, lithology, palynology and biogeochemistry. Radiocarbon‐dating of plant remains and the lithology of the sediment succession indicate continuous sedimentation since deglaciation of the area prior to 10000 cal. yr BP. The postglacial palynological record shows little variation and evidence of a wind‐transported pollen supply, both resulting from the geographical characteristics of Raffles Ø. Significant variations in the biogeochemical data reflect changes in aquatic bioproduction. These changes depend to some extent on climatic changes; however, they are mainly due to variations in seabird breeding colonies in the catchment which influence nutrient and cadmium supply to the lake. Large seabird breeding colonies were present between 7500 and 1900, from 1000 to 500, and since c. 100 cal. yr BP. Their absence prior to 7500 cal. yr BP may be the result of unsuitable feeding conditions close to Raffles Ø caused by a too dense or too open sea‐ice cover. In contrast, between 1900 and 1000 and from 500 to 100 cal. yr BP, the seabird settlement was probably restricted by an insufficiently long breeding season due to cold climate conditions in East Greenland.