Pavel Minyuk - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Pavel Minyuk
Climate of the Past, 2014
Geochemical analyses were performed on sediments recovered by deep drilling at Lake El'gygytgyn i... more Geochemical analyses were performed on sediments recovered by deep drilling at Lake El'gygytgyn in central Chukotka, northeastern Russia (67 • 30 N; 172 • 05 E). Major and rare element concentrations were determined using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) on the < 250 µm fraction from 617 samples dated to ca. 440 and 125 ka, which approximates marine isotope stages (MIS) 11 to 6. The inorganic geochemistry indicates significant variations in elemental composition between glaciations and interglaciations. Interglacial sediments are characterized by high contents of SiO 2 , Na 2 O, CaO, K 2 O, and Sr and are depleted in Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , and MgO. An extreme SiO 2 enrichment during MIS 11.3 and 9.3 was caused by an enhanced flux of biogenic silica (BSi). The geochemical structure of MIS 11 shows similar characteristics as seen in MIS 11 records from Lake Baikal (southeastern Siberia) and Antarctic ice cores, thereby arguing for the influence of global forcings on these records. High sediment content of TiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , MgO, Al 2 O 3 , LOI, Ni, Cr, and Zr typifies glacial stages, with the most marked increases during MIS 7.4 and 6.6. Reducing conditions during glacial times are indicated by peaks in the Fe 2 O 3 content and coinciding low Fe 2 O 3 /MnO ratios. This conclusion also is supported by P 2 O 5 and MnO enrichment, indicating an increased abundance of authigenic, fine-grained vivianite. Elemental ratios (CIA, CIW, PIA, and Rb/Sr) indicate that glacial sediments are depleted in mobile elements, like Na, Ca, K and Sr. This depletion was caused by changes in the sedimentation regime and thus reflects environmental changes.
Climate of the Past, 2013
Lake El'gygytgyn/NE Russia holds a continuous 3.58 Ma sediment record, which is regarded as the m... more Lake El'gygytgyn/NE Russia holds a continuous 3.58 Ma sediment record, which is regarded as the most longlasting climate archive of the terrestrial Arctic. Based on multi-proxy geochemical, mineralogical, and granulometric analyses of surface sediment, inlet stream and bedrock samples, supplemented by statistical methods, major processes influencing the modern sedimentation in the lake were investigated. Grain-size parameters and chemical elements linked to the input of feldspars from acidic bedrock indicate a windinduced two-cell current system as major driver of sediment transport and accumulation processes in Lake El'gygytgyn. The distribution of mafic rock related elements in the sediment on the lake floor can be traced back to the input of weathering products of basaltic rocks in the catchment. Obvious similarities in the spatial variability of manganese and heavy metals indicate sorption or co-precipitation of these elements with Fe and Mn hydroxides and oxides. But the similar distribution of organic matter and clay contents might also point to a fixation to organic components and clay minerals. An enrichment of mercury in the inlet streams might be indicative of neotectonic activity around the lake. The results of this study add to the fundamental knowledge of the modern lake processes of Lake El'gygytgyn and its lakecatchment interactions, and thus, yield crucial insights for the interpretation of paleo-data from this unique archive.
Climate of the Past Discussions, 2013
Geochemical study was performed on sediment of deep drilling core from El'gygytgyn Lake, located ... more Geochemical study was performed on sediment of deep drilling core from El'gygytgyn Lake, located in central Chukotka, northeastern Russia (67 • 30 N; 172 • 05 E). Major and rare elements were determined by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) on 600 samples covering the timeframe between ca. 450 and 125 ka corresponding to Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 11 to 6. Inorganic geochemistry data indicates significant variations in the elemental compositions corresponding to the glacials and interglacials periods. Interglacial sediments are characterized by high contents of SiO 2 , Na 2 O, CaO, K 2 O, Sr and are depleted in Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , MgO. Extreme enrichments in SiO 2 during MIS 11.3 and 9.3 are caused by an enhanced flux of biogenic silica (BSi). Geochemical structure of stage 11 shows very similar peculiarities to features of stage 11 from records of Lake Baikal/SE Siberia and Antarctic ice cores. High contents of TiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , MgO, Al 2 O 3 , LOI, Ni, Cr and Zr are typical for sediments of glacial stages, among those MIS 7.4 and 6.6 are the most marked. Peaks in the Fe 2 O 3 content and coinciding low Fe 2 O 3 /MnO ratios during glacials indicate reducing condition in the sediments. This is also supported by enrichments in P 2 O 5 and MnO, indicating an increased abundance of authigenic fine grained vivianite. Some elemental ratios indicate an enhanced alteration of glacial sediments accompanied by a loss of mobile elements, like Na, Ca, K and Sr. The higher alteration of sediments can presumably be traced back to changes in the sedimentation regime and diagenetic processes, and thus, reflects environmental changes.
Climate of the Past Discussions, 2012
Journal of …, 2007
The inorganic geochemistry of sediments from El'gygytgyn Lake shift in phase with interprete... more The inorganic geochemistry of sediments from El'gygytgyn Lake shift in phase with interpreted paleoclimatic fluctuations seen in the record over the past 250 ka. Warm periods, when the lake was seasonally ice free and fully mixed, are characterized by increased ...
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2011
Early-Middle Pleistocene deposits have been studied in Central and Northern Yakutia, the Magadan ... more Early-Middle Pleistocene deposits have been studied in Central and Northern Yakutia, the Magadan region, and Chukotka. The Brunhes-Matuyama boundary occurs in the Ozheleznenye Galechniki (¼Ferruginated pebblestones) beds of Central Yakutia that belong to the Talagay horizon of the Early-Middle Pleistocene. These layers include classic Aldan mammal fauna. In Eastern Yakutia sediments of Early-Middle Pleistocene belong to the Akan horizon, and the Early Pleistocene sediments are from the Chukochya horizon. These sediments which belong to the Olyor Formation and its age-equivalents yielded numerous mammal remains, termed the Olyor faunal complex. The Brunhes-Matuyama boundary is located in Akan horizon. In the upper reaches of the Kolyma River, the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary occurs in sediments of the Middle Pleistocene Belichan horizon. The boundary of the Brunhes-Matuyama is characteristic within the Elhkakvun and Enmakay formations of Chukotka. In Kamchatka, the boundary of Matuyama and Brunhes is evident in volcanic sequences. In the eastern part of the peninsula, this boundary is located in the Tumrok or Iult volcanic complex and in Central Kamchatka in the Kreruk volcanic complex.
Stephan Mueller Special Publication Series, 2009
A paleomagnetic study was carried out on Pale- ogene sedimentary rocks from Bering Island, Komand... more A paleomagnetic study was carried out on Pale- ogene sedimentary rocks from Bering Island, Komandorsky islands, located at the far western end of the Aleutian Island Arc. The age of these sediments has been debated at length, but the combination of magnetostratigraphy with the fossil record indicates that the base of the section is of early Eocene (approximately 55 Ma)
Quaternary Science Reviews
Lake El'gygytgyn in Far East Russia is a 3.6 Myr old impact crater lake. Located in an area that ... more Lake El'gygytgyn in Far East Russia is a 3.6 Myr old impact crater lake. Located in an area that has never been affected by Cenozoic glaciations nor dessication, the unique sediment record of the lake represents the longest continuous sediment archive of the terrestrial Arctic. The surrounding crater is the only impact structure on Earth developed in mostly acid volcanic rocks. Recent studies on the impactite, permafrost, and sediment sequences recovered within the framework of the ICDP "El'gygytgyn Drilling Project" and multiple presite surveys yielded new insight into the bedrock origin and cratering processes as well as permafrost dynamics and the climate and environmental history of the terrestrial Arctic back to the mid-Pliocene. Results from the impact rock section recovered during the deep drilling clearly confirm the impact genesis of the El'gygytgyn crater, but indicate an only very reduced fallback impactite sequence without larger coherent melt bodies. Isotope and element data of impact melt samples indicate a F-type asteroid of mixed composition or an ordinary chondrite as the likely
Science, Jan 1, 2012
The reliability of Arctic climate predictions is currently hampered by insufficient knowledge of ... more The reliability of Arctic climate predictions is currently hampered by insufficient knowledge of natural climate variability in the past. A sediment core from Lake El’gygytgyn in northeastern (NE) Russia provides a continuous, high-resolution record from the Arctic, spanning the past 2.8 million years. This core reveals numerous “super interglacials” during the Quaternary; for marine benthic isotope stages (MIS) 11c and 31, maximum summer temperatures and annual precipitation values are ~4° to 5°C and ~300 millimeters higher than those of MIS 1 and 5e. Climate simulations show that these extreme warm conditions are difficult to explain with greenhouse gas and astronomical forcing alone, implying the importance of amplifying feedbacks and far field influences. The timing of Arctic warming relative to West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreats implies strong interhemispheric climate connectivity.
Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 2013
The El'gygytgyn impact structure in Chukutka, Arctic Russia, is the only impact crater currently ... more The El'gygytgyn impact structure in Chukutka, Arctic Russia, is the only impact crater currently known on Earth that was formed in mostly acid volcanic rocks (mainly of rhyolitic, with some andesitic and dacitic, compositions). In addition, because of its depth, it has provided an excellent sediment trap that records paleoclimatic information for the 3.6 Myr since its formation. For these two main reasons, because of the importance for impact and paleoclimate research, El'gygytgyn was the subject of an International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) drilling project in 2009. During this project, which, due to its logistical and financial challenges, took almost a decade to come to fruition, a total of 642.3 m of drill core was recovered at two sites, from four holes. The obtained material included sedimentary and impactite rocks. In terms of impactites, which were recovered from 316.08 to 517.30 m depth below lake bottom (mblb), three main parts of that core segment were identified: from 316 to 390 mblb polymict lithic impact breccia, mostly suevite, with volcanic and impact melt clasts that locally contain shocked minerals, in a fine-grained clastic matrix; from 385 to 423 mblb, a brecciated sequence of volcanic rocks including both felsic and mafic (basalt) members; and from 423 to 517 mblb, a greenish rhyodacitic ignimbrite (mostly monomict breccia). The uppermost impactite (316-328 mblb) contains lacustrine sediment mixed with impact-affected components. Over the whole length of the impactite core, the abundance of shock features decreases rapidly from the top to the bottom of the studied core section. The distinction between original volcanic melt fragments and those that formed later as the result of the impact event posed major problems in the study of these rocks. The sequence that contains fairly unambiguous evidence of impact melt (which is not very abundant anyway, usually less than a few volume%) is only about 75 m thick. The reason for this rather thin fallback impactite sequence may be the location of the drill core on an elevated part of the central uplift. A general lack of large coherent melt bodies is evident, similar to that found at the similarly sized Bosumtwi impact crater in Ghana that, however, was formed in a target composed of a thin layer of sediment above crystalline rocks.
Journal of Paleolimnology, 2006
... 30 kyrs, much more than a single marine isotopic stage ... Conversely, intervals in the core ... more ... 30 kyrs, much more than a single marine isotopic stage ... Conversely, intervals in the core with both low diatom abundance and low biogenic silica most ... evidence suggests millennial scale teleconnections exist between tropical sea surface temperatures in the western Pacific and ...
Journal of Paleolimnology, 2006
The ca. 13 m long sediment core PG1351, recovered in 1998 from the central part of Lake El'gygytg... more The ca. 13 m long sediment core PG1351, recovered in 1998 from the central part of Lake El'gygytgyn, NE Siberia, was investigated for lithostratigraphy, water content, dry bulk density (DBD), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total sulphur (TS) and biogenic silica (opal) contents, and for TOC stable isotope ratios (d 13 C TOC ). The event stratigraphy recorded in major differences in sediment composition match variations in regional summer insolation, thus confirming a new age model for this core, which suggests that it spans the last 250 ka BP. Four depositional units of contrasting lithological and biogeochemical composition have been distinguished, reflecting past environmental conditions associated with relatively warm, peak warm, cold and dry, and cold but more moist climate modes. A relatively warm climate, resulting in complete summer melt of the lake ice cover and seasonal mixing of the water column, prevailed during the Holocene and Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3, 5.1, 5.3, 6.1, 6.3, 6.5, 7.1-7.3, 7.5, 8.1 and 8.3. MIS 5.5 (Eemian) was characterized by significantly enhanced aquatic primary production and organic matter supply from the catchment, indicating peak warm conditions. During MIS 2, 5.2, 5.4, 6.2 and 6.4 the climate was cold and dry, leading to perennial lake ice cover, little regional snowfall, and a stagnant water body. A cold but more moist climate during MIS 4, 6.6, 7.4, 8.2 and 8.4 is thought to have produced more snow cover on the perennial ice, strongly reducing light penetration and biogenic primary production in the lake. While the cold-warm pattern during the past three glacial-interglacial cycles is probably controlled by changes in regional This is the seventh in a series of eleven papers published in this special issue dedicated to initial studies of El'gygytgyn Crater Lake and its catchment in NE Russia. Julie Brigham-Grette, Martin Melles, Pavel Minyuk were guest editors of this special issue. M. Melles (Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006
Journal of Paleolimnology, 2006
Abstract A combined analysis of magnetic susceptibility, total organic carbon (TOC), biogenic sil... more Abstract A combined analysis of magnetic susceptibility, total organic carbon (TOC), biogenic silica (opal), and TiO 2 content of the 12.6 m long composite core PG1351 recovered from Lake El&#x27;gygytgyn, Chukotka Peninsula, indicate a clear response of the ...
Lake El'gygytgyn/NE Russia holds a continuous 3.58 Ma sediment record, which is regarded as the m... more Lake El'gygytgyn/NE Russia holds a continuous 3.58 Ma sediment record, which is regarded as the most longlasting climate archive of the terrestrial Arctic. Based on multi-proxy geochemical, mineralogical, and granulometric analyses of surface sediment, inlet stream and bedrock samples, supplemented by statistical methods, major processes influencing the modern sedimentation in the lake were investigated. Grain-size parameters and chemical elements linked to the input of feldspars from acidic bedrock indicate a windinduced two-cell current system as major driver of sediment transport and accumulation processes in Lake El'gygytgyn. The distribution of mafic rock related elements in the sediment on the lake floor can be traced back to the input of weathering products of basaltic rocks in the catchment. Obvious similarities in the spatial variability of manganese and heavy metals indicate sorption or co-precipitation of these elements with Fe and Mn hydroxides and oxides. But the similar distribution of organic matter and clay contents might also point to a fixation to organic components and clay minerals. An enrichment of mercury in the inlet streams might be indicative of neotectonic activity around the lake. The results of this study add to the fundamental knowledge of the modern lake processes of Lake El'gygytgyn and its lakecatchment interactions, and thus, yield crucial insights for the interpretation of paleo-data from this unique archive. , 2013 www.clim-past.net/9/135/2013/ www.clim-past.net/9/135/2013/ Clim. Past, 9, 135-148, 2013 Clim. Past, 9, 135-148, 2013 www.clim-past.net/9/135/2013/
High arctic Lake El‘gygytgyn (67°30’ N, 172°05’ E) is a 3.6 Ma old meteorite crater lake located ... more High arctic Lake El‘gygytgyn (67°30’ N, 172°05’ E) is a 3.6 Ma old meteorite crater lake located in Chukotka/NE Siberia, 100 km to the north of the Arctic Circle. With its continuous and undisturbed sequence since the Pliocene, the lake comprises the most long-lasting climate archive of the terrestrial Arctic. In spring 2009, the ICDP El‘gygytgyn Drilling Project recovered the 317-m long lacustrine sediment record from 170 m water depth at site D1 in the central lake part. Here we present initial results of elemental analyses as well as infrared spectroscopy of this record. The elemental composition of the lake sediment was investigated by a combination of high-resolution element analyses using an ITRAX X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) core scanner (Cox Analytics), and conventional XRF spectrometry. The results well reflect variations in sedimentation, weathering, lake hydrology and productivity mostly triggered by glacial-interglacial cycles. Furthermore, due to the high spatial resolution of the ITRAX even short-term fluctuations of those proxies could be detected, displaying the sensitivity of the Lake El‘gygytgyn sediments to regional and global climate changes on a decadal to centennial scale. Measurements of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIRS) in the mid-infrared (MIR) region were conducted to quantitatively estimate contents of biogenic silica (BSi), total nitrogen (TN), total organic carbon (TOC), and total inorganic carbon (TIC) in Lake El‘gygytgyn sediments. Simultaneous inference of these components is possible because IR-spectra in the MIR-region contain a wide variety of information on minerogenic and organic substances. The technique requires only small amounts (0.01g dry weight) of sample material and negligible sample pre-treatments. FTIRS calibrations for BSi, TN, TOC, and TIC based on core catcher samples of the sediment sequence yielded good statistical performances and emphasize the potential of the technique for high-resolution investigations of long sediment successions. Based on these initial results of the El‘gygytgyn deep drilling cores, first conclusions about the climatic evolution of the Arctic back to the Pliocene can be drawn. First geochemical and FTIRS data suggest highly variable climatic and/or environmental conditions in NE Siberia during the Quaternary, which was drilled with almost 100 % recovery. Within the Pliocene, corresponding to the lower app. 200 m of the sediment sequence, various distinct climatic variations are indicated.
Understanding the evolution of Arctic polar climate from the protracted warmth of the middle Plio... more Understanding the evolution of Arctic polar climate from the protracted warmth of the middle Pliocene into the earliest glacial cycles in the Northern Hemisphere has been hindered by the lack of continuous, highly resolved Arctic time series. Evidence from Lake El’gygytgyn, NE Arctic Russia, shows that 3.6-3.4 million years ago, summer temperatures were ~8°C warmer than today when pCO2 was ~400 ppm. Multiproxy evidence suggests extreme warmth and polar amplification during the middle Pliocene, sudden stepped cooling events during the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition, and warmer than present Arctic summers until ~2.2 Ma, after the onset of Northern Hemispheric glaciation. Our data are consistent with sea-level records and other proxies indicating that Arctic cooling was insufficient to support large-scale ice sheets until the early Pleistocene.
Climate of the Past, 2014
Geochemical analyses were performed on sediments recovered by deep drilling at Lake El'gygytgyn i... more Geochemical analyses were performed on sediments recovered by deep drilling at Lake El'gygytgyn in central Chukotka, northeastern Russia (67 • 30 N; 172 • 05 E). Major and rare element concentrations were determined using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) on the < 250 µm fraction from 617 samples dated to ca. 440 and 125 ka, which approximates marine isotope stages (MIS) 11 to 6. The inorganic geochemistry indicates significant variations in elemental composition between glaciations and interglaciations. Interglacial sediments are characterized by high contents of SiO 2 , Na 2 O, CaO, K 2 O, and Sr and are depleted in Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , and MgO. An extreme SiO 2 enrichment during MIS 11.3 and 9.3 was caused by an enhanced flux of biogenic silica (BSi). The geochemical structure of MIS 11 shows similar characteristics as seen in MIS 11 records from Lake Baikal (southeastern Siberia) and Antarctic ice cores, thereby arguing for the influence of global forcings on these records. High sediment content of TiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , MgO, Al 2 O 3 , LOI, Ni, Cr, and Zr typifies glacial stages, with the most marked increases during MIS 7.4 and 6.6. Reducing conditions during glacial times are indicated by peaks in the Fe 2 O 3 content and coinciding low Fe 2 O 3 /MnO ratios. This conclusion also is supported by P 2 O 5 and MnO enrichment, indicating an increased abundance of authigenic, fine-grained vivianite. Elemental ratios (CIA, CIW, PIA, and Rb/Sr) indicate that glacial sediments are depleted in mobile elements, like Na, Ca, K and Sr. This depletion was caused by changes in the sedimentation regime and thus reflects environmental changes.
Climate of the Past, 2013
Lake El'gygytgyn/NE Russia holds a continuous 3.58 Ma sediment record, which is regarded as the m... more Lake El'gygytgyn/NE Russia holds a continuous 3.58 Ma sediment record, which is regarded as the most longlasting climate archive of the terrestrial Arctic. Based on multi-proxy geochemical, mineralogical, and granulometric analyses of surface sediment, inlet stream and bedrock samples, supplemented by statistical methods, major processes influencing the modern sedimentation in the lake were investigated. Grain-size parameters and chemical elements linked to the input of feldspars from acidic bedrock indicate a windinduced two-cell current system as major driver of sediment transport and accumulation processes in Lake El'gygytgyn. The distribution of mafic rock related elements in the sediment on the lake floor can be traced back to the input of weathering products of basaltic rocks in the catchment. Obvious similarities in the spatial variability of manganese and heavy metals indicate sorption or co-precipitation of these elements with Fe and Mn hydroxides and oxides. But the similar distribution of organic matter and clay contents might also point to a fixation to organic components and clay minerals. An enrichment of mercury in the inlet streams might be indicative of neotectonic activity around the lake. The results of this study add to the fundamental knowledge of the modern lake processes of Lake El'gygytgyn and its lakecatchment interactions, and thus, yield crucial insights for the interpretation of paleo-data from this unique archive.
Climate of the Past Discussions, 2013
Geochemical study was performed on sediment of deep drilling core from El'gygytgyn Lake, located ... more Geochemical study was performed on sediment of deep drilling core from El'gygytgyn Lake, located in central Chukotka, northeastern Russia (67 • 30 N; 172 • 05 E). Major and rare elements were determined by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) on 600 samples covering the timeframe between ca. 450 and 125 ka corresponding to Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 11 to 6. Inorganic geochemistry data indicates significant variations in the elemental compositions corresponding to the glacials and interglacials periods. Interglacial sediments are characterized by high contents of SiO 2 , Na 2 O, CaO, K 2 O, Sr and are depleted in Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , MgO. Extreme enrichments in SiO 2 during MIS 11.3 and 9.3 are caused by an enhanced flux of biogenic silica (BSi). Geochemical structure of stage 11 shows very similar peculiarities to features of stage 11 from records of Lake Baikal/SE Siberia and Antarctic ice cores. High contents of TiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , MgO, Al 2 O 3 , LOI, Ni, Cr and Zr are typical for sediments of glacial stages, among those MIS 7.4 and 6.6 are the most marked. Peaks in the Fe 2 O 3 content and coinciding low Fe 2 O 3 /MnO ratios during glacials indicate reducing condition in the sediments. This is also supported by enrichments in P 2 O 5 and MnO, indicating an increased abundance of authigenic fine grained vivianite. Some elemental ratios indicate an enhanced alteration of glacial sediments accompanied by a loss of mobile elements, like Na, Ca, K and Sr. The higher alteration of sediments can presumably be traced back to changes in the sedimentation regime and diagenetic processes, and thus, reflects environmental changes.
Climate of the Past Discussions, 2012
Journal of …, 2007
The inorganic geochemistry of sediments from El'gygytgyn Lake shift in phase with interprete... more The inorganic geochemistry of sediments from El'gygytgyn Lake shift in phase with interpreted paleoclimatic fluctuations seen in the record over the past 250 ka. Warm periods, when the lake was seasonally ice free and fully mixed, are characterized by increased ...
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2011
Early-Middle Pleistocene deposits have been studied in Central and Northern Yakutia, the Magadan ... more Early-Middle Pleistocene deposits have been studied in Central and Northern Yakutia, the Magadan region, and Chukotka. The Brunhes-Matuyama boundary occurs in the Ozheleznenye Galechniki (¼Ferruginated pebblestones) beds of Central Yakutia that belong to the Talagay horizon of the Early-Middle Pleistocene. These layers include classic Aldan mammal fauna. In Eastern Yakutia sediments of Early-Middle Pleistocene belong to the Akan horizon, and the Early Pleistocene sediments are from the Chukochya horizon. These sediments which belong to the Olyor Formation and its age-equivalents yielded numerous mammal remains, termed the Olyor faunal complex. The Brunhes-Matuyama boundary is located in Akan horizon. In the upper reaches of the Kolyma River, the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary occurs in sediments of the Middle Pleistocene Belichan horizon. The boundary of the Brunhes-Matuyama is characteristic within the Elhkakvun and Enmakay formations of Chukotka. In Kamchatka, the boundary of Matuyama and Brunhes is evident in volcanic sequences. In the eastern part of the peninsula, this boundary is located in the Tumrok or Iult volcanic complex and in Central Kamchatka in the Kreruk volcanic complex.
Stephan Mueller Special Publication Series, 2009
A paleomagnetic study was carried out on Pale- ogene sedimentary rocks from Bering Island, Komand... more A paleomagnetic study was carried out on Pale- ogene sedimentary rocks from Bering Island, Komandorsky islands, located at the far western end of the Aleutian Island Arc. The age of these sediments has been debated at length, but the combination of magnetostratigraphy with the fossil record indicates that the base of the section is of early Eocene (approximately 55 Ma)
Quaternary Science Reviews
Lake El'gygytgyn in Far East Russia is a 3.6 Myr old impact crater lake. Located in an area that ... more Lake El'gygytgyn in Far East Russia is a 3.6 Myr old impact crater lake. Located in an area that has never been affected by Cenozoic glaciations nor dessication, the unique sediment record of the lake represents the longest continuous sediment archive of the terrestrial Arctic. The surrounding crater is the only impact structure on Earth developed in mostly acid volcanic rocks. Recent studies on the impactite, permafrost, and sediment sequences recovered within the framework of the ICDP "El'gygytgyn Drilling Project" and multiple presite surveys yielded new insight into the bedrock origin and cratering processes as well as permafrost dynamics and the climate and environmental history of the terrestrial Arctic back to the mid-Pliocene. Results from the impact rock section recovered during the deep drilling clearly confirm the impact genesis of the El'gygytgyn crater, but indicate an only very reduced fallback impactite sequence without larger coherent melt bodies. Isotope and element data of impact melt samples indicate a F-type asteroid of mixed composition or an ordinary chondrite as the likely
Science, Jan 1, 2012
The reliability of Arctic climate predictions is currently hampered by insufficient knowledge of ... more The reliability of Arctic climate predictions is currently hampered by insufficient knowledge of natural climate variability in the past. A sediment core from Lake El’gygytgyn in northeastern (NE) Russia provides a continuous, high-resolution record from the Arctic, spanning the past 2.8 million years. This core reveals numerous “super interglacials” during the Quaternary; for marine benthic isotope stages (MIS) 11c and 31, maximum summer temperatures and annual precipitation values are ~4° to 5°C and ~300 millimeters higher than those of MIS 1 and 5e. Climate simulations show that these extreme warm conditions are difficult to explain with greenhouse gas and astronomical forcing alone, implying the importance of amplifying feedbacks and far field influences. The timing of Arctic warming relative to West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreats implies strong interhemispheric climate connectivity.
Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 2013
The El'gygytgyn impact structure in Chukutka, Arctic Russia, is the only impact crater currently ... more The El'gygytgyn impact structure in Chukutka, Arctic Russia, is the only impact crater currently known on Earth that was formed in mostly acid volcanic rocks (mainly of rhyolitic, with some andesitic and dacitic, compositions). In addition, because of its depth, it has provided an excellent sediment trap that records paleoclimatic information for the 3.6 Myr since its formation. For these two main reasons, because of the importance for impact and paleoclimate research, El'gygytgyn was the subject of an International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) drilling project in 2009. During this project, which, due to its logistical and financial challenges, took almost a decade to come to fruition, a total of 642.3 m of drill core was recovered at two sites, from four holes. The obtained material included sedimentary and impactite rocks. In terms of impactites, which were recovered from 316.08 to 517.30 m depth below lake bottom (mblb), three main parts of that core segment were identified: from 316 to 390 mblb polymict lithic impact breccia, mostly suevite, with volcanic and impact melt clasts that locally contain shocked minerals, in a fine-grained clastic matrix; from 385 to 423 mblb, a brecciated sequence of volcanic rocks including both felsic and mafic (basalt) members; and from 423 to 517 mblb, a greenish rhyodacitic ignimbrite (mostly monomict breccia). The uppermost impactite (316-328 mblb) contains lacustrine sediment mixed with impact-affected components. Over the whole length of the impactite core, the abundance of shock features decreases rapidly from the top to the bottom of the studied core section. The distinction between original volcanic melt fragments and those that formed later as the result of the impact event posed major problems in the study of these rocks. The sequence that contains fairly unambiguous evidence of impact melt (which is not very abundant anyway, usually less than a few volume%) is only about 75 m thick. The reason for this rather thin fallback impactite sequence may be the location of the drill core on an elevated part of the central uplift. A general lack of large coherent melt bodies is evident, similar to that found at the similarly sized Bosumtwi impact crater in Ghana that, however, was formed in a target composed of a thin layer of sediment above crystalline rocks.
Journal of Paleolimnology, 2006
... 30 kyrs, much more than a single marine isotopic stage ... Conversely, intervals in the core ... more ... 30 kyrs, much more than a single marine isotopic stage ... Conversely, intervals in the core with both low diatom abundance and low biogenic silica most ... evidence suggests millennial scale teleconnections exist between tropical sea surface temperatures in the western Pacific and ...
Journal of Paleolimnology, 2006
The ca. 13 m long sediment core PG1351, recovered in 1998 from the central part of Lake El'gygytg... more The ca. 13 m long sediment core PG1351, recovered in 1998 from the central part of Lake El'gygytgyn, NE Siberia, was investigated for lithostratigraphy, water content, dry bulk density (DBD), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total sulphur (TS) and biogenic silica (opal) contents, and for TOC stable isotope ratios (d 13 C TOC ). The event stratigraphy recorded in major differences in sediment composition match variations in regional summer insolation, thus confirming a new age model for this core, which suggests that it spans the last 250 ka BP. Four depositional units of contrasting lithological and biogeochemical composition have been distinguished, reflecting past environmental conditions associated with relatively warm, peak warm, cold and dry, and cold but more moist climate modes. A relatively warm climate, resulting in complete summer melt of the lake ice cover and seasonal mixing of the water column, prevailed during the Holocene and Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3, 5.1, 5.3, 6.1, 6.3, 6.5, 7.1-7.3, 7.5, 8.1 and 8.3. MIS 5.5 (Eemian) was characterized by significantly enhanced aquatic primary production and organic matter supply from the catchment, indicating peak warm conditions. During MIS 2, 5.2, 5.4, 6.2 and 6.4 the climate was cold and dry, leading to perennial lake ice cover, little regional snowfall, and a stagnant water body. A cold but more moist climate during MIS 4, 6.6, 7.4, 8.2 and 8.4 is thought to have produced more snow cover on the perennial ice, strongly reducing light penetration and biogenic primary production in the lake. While the cold-warm pattern during the past three glacial-interglacial cycles is probably controlled by changes in regional This is the seventh in a series of eleven papers published in this special issue dedicated to initial studies of El'gygytgyn Crater Lake and its catchment in NE Russia. Julie Brigham-Grette, Martin Melles, Pavel Minyuk were guest editors of this special issue. M. Melles (Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006
Journal of Paleolimnology, 2006
Abstract A combined analysis of magnetic susceptibility, total organic carbon (TOC), biogenic sil... more Abstract A combined analysis of magnetic susceptibility, total organic carbon (TOC), biogenic silica (opal), and TiO 2 content of the 12.6 m long composite core PG1351 recovered from Lake El&#x27;gygytgyn, Chukotka Peninsula, indicate a clear response of the ...
Lake El'gygytgyn/NE Russia holds a continuous 3.58 Ma sediment record, which is regarded as the m... more Lake El'gygytgyn/NE Russia holds a continuous 3.58 Ma sediment record, which is regarded as the most longlasting climate archive of the terrestrial Arctic. Based on multi-proxy geochemical, mineralogical, and granulometric analyses of surface sediment, inlet stream and bedrock samples, supplemented by statistical methods, major processes influencing the modern sedimentation in the lake were investigated. Grain-size parameters and chemical elements linked to the input of feldspars from acidic bedrock indicate a windinduced two-cell current system as major driver of sediment transport and accumulation processes in Lake El'gygytgyn. The distribution of mafic rock related elements in the sediment on the lake floor can be traced back to the input of weathering products of basaltic rocks in the catchment. Obvious similarities in the spatial variability of manganese and heavy metals indicate sorption or co-precipitation of these elements with Fe and Mn hydroxides and oxides. But the similar distribution of organic matter and clay contents might also point to a fixation to organic components and clay minerals. An enrichment of mercury in the inlet streams might be indicative of neotectonic activity around the lake. The results of this study add to the fundamental knowledge of the modern lake processes of Lake El'gygytgyn and its lakecatchment interactions, and thus, yield crucial insights for the interpretation of paleo-data from this unique archive. , 2013 www.clim-past.net/9/135/2013/ www.clim-past.net/9/135/2013/ Clim. Past, 9, 135-148, 2013 Clim. Past, 9, 135-148, 2013 www.clim-past.net/9/135/2013/
High arctic Lake El‘gygytgyn (67°30’ N, 172°05’ E) is a 3.6 Ma old meteorite crater lake located ... more High arctic Lake El‘gygytgyn (67°30’ N, 172°05’ E) is a 3.6 Ma old meteorite crater lake located in Chukotka/NE Siberia, 100 km to the north of the Arctic Circle. With its continuous and undisturbed sequence since the Pliocene, the lake comprises the most long-lasting climate archive of the terrestrial Arctic. In spring 2009, the ICDP El‘gygytgyn Drilling Project recovered the 317-m long lacustrine sediment record from 170 m water depth at site D1 in the central lake part. Here we present initial results of elemental analyses as well as infrared spectroscopy of this record. The elemental composition of the lake sediment was investigated by a combination of high-resolution element analyses using an ITRAX X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) core scanner (Cox Analytics), and conventional XRF spectrometry. The results well reflect variations in sedimentation, weathering, lake hydrology and productivity mostly triggered by glacial-interglacial cycles. Furthermore, due to the high spatial resolution of the ITRAX even short-term fluctuations of those proxies could be detected, displaying the sensitivity of the Lake El‘gygytgyn sediments to regional and global climate changes on a decadal to centennial scale. Measurements of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIRS) in the mid-infrared (MIR) region were conducted to quantitatively estimate contents of biogenic silica (BSi), total nitrogen (TN), total organic carbon (TOC), and total inorganic carbon (TIC) in Lake El‘gygytgyn sediments. Simultaneous inference of these components is possible because IR-spectra in the MIR-region contain a wide variety of information on minerogenic and organic substances. The technique requires only small amounts (0.01g dry weight) of sample material and negligible sample pre-treatments. FTIRS calibrations for BSi, TN, TOC, and TIC based on core catcher samples of the sediment sequence yielded good statistical performances and emphasize the potential of the technique for high-resolution investigations of long sediment successions. Based on these initial results of the El‘gygytgyn deep drilling cores, first conclusions about the climatic evolution of the Arctic back to the Pliocene can be drawn. First geochemical and FTIRS data suggest highly variable climatic and/or environmental conditions in NE Siberia during the Quaternary, which was drilled with almost 100 % recovery. Within the Pliocene, corresponding to the lower app. 200 m of the sediment sequence, various distinct climatic variations are indicated.
Understanding the evolution of Arctic polar climate from the protracted warmth of the middle Plio... more Understanding the evolution of Arctic polar climate from the protracted warmth of the middle Pliocene into the earliest glacial cycles in the Northern Hemisphere has been hindered by the lack of continuous, highly resolved Arctic time series. Evidence from Lake El’gygytgyn, NE Arctic Russia, shows that 3.6-3.4 million years ago, summer temperatures were ~8°C warmer than today when pCO2 was ~400 ppm. Multiproxy evidence suggests extreme warmth and polar amplification during the middle Pliocene, sudden stepped cooling events during the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition, and warmer than present Arctic summers until ~2.2 Ma, after the onset of Northern Hemispheric glaciation. Our data are consistent with sea-level records and other proxies indicating that Arctic cooling was insufficient to support large-scale ice sheets until the early Pleistocene.