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Lacustrine evidence of early-Holocene environmental change in northern Iceland: a multiproxy palaeoecology and stable isotope study

Langdon, P. G., Leng, M. J., Holmes, N. and Caseldine, C. J. (2010) Lacustrine evidence of early-Holocene environmental change in northern Iceland: a multiproxy palaeoecology and stable isotope study. The Holocene. 20(2), pp. 205-214. 0959-6836.

Item Type: Article
Abstract: Early-Holocene warming in Iceland caused rapid glacial ice melt which led to exposed landscapes on which soils developed and floras quickly established. Our chironomid-based records from northern Iceland suggest temperatures were up to 2-2.5°C warmer than present throughout the first two millennia post deglaciation (~10 500 to 8500 cal. BP) while sedimentary and isotopic data indicate the development of soils within the local environment throughout this period before catchment conditions started to stabilise around 8400 cal. BP. The warming trend over this period was not uniform however, but punctuated by a series of relatively short-lived climatic events. Specifically inwash events are suggested by the δ13 C organic, %TOC and C/N data around 9600 cal. BP and 8250 cal. BP and are seen at two independent sites. There is also evidence from the δ18 O carbonate and δ13 C carbonate records which suggests that progressive evaporation of the study lakes occurred from ~8200 cal. BP, the timing of which accords well with other isotopic records of drier conditions from around the North Atlantic
Uncontrolled Keywords: Carbon and oxygen isotopes, chironomids, Betula, early Holocene, temperature, climate change, Iceland
Subjects: Q Science > QC Physics > QC980 Climatology and weather > QC981.8 Climate change
Q Science > QC Physics > QC851 Meteorology. Climatology > QC884 Palaeoclimatology
Q Science > QE Geology > QE1 General > QE39.5.P3 Paleolimnology
Creators: Langdon, Peter G, Leng, M J, Holmes, Naomi and Caseldine, Chris J
Publisher: Edward Arnold
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: Faculties > Faculty of Arts, Science & Technology > Environmental Science
Date: 2010
Date Type: Publication
Page Range: pp. 205-214
Journal or Publication Title: The Holocene
Volume: 20
Number: 2
Language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683609354301
ISSN: 0959-6836
Status: Published / Disseminated
Refereed: Yes
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/4011

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