两种激光粒度仪测量湖泊沉积物粒度结果的对比

湖泊沉积物粒度参数是湖泊沉积与环境演变研究中常用的环境指标,近年来激光粒度仪的发展和广泛使用更是促进了粒度指标的应用并在很大程度上提高了精度和效率.然而不同的激光粒度仪对于同一样品的测量会得到不同的结果,本文利用两种常见的激光粒度仪测量了西藏纳木错的两支岩芯,并对结果进行了对比分析.从仪器的重现性来看,Mastersizer2000型激光粒度仪要优于LS13320型激光粒度仪,而LS13320型激光粒度仪在对含量较少的细颗粒和粗颗粒的检测效果上优于Mastersizer2000型激光粒度仪;两种仪器得到的粒度参数d(0.1)和d(0.5)无论在变化趋势还是绝对数值上都较为相似,而d(0.9)的差异则较大.对比研究结果为利用湖泊沉积物粒度参数提取古环境信息研究提供了基础依据.     

湖泊沉积物不同粒级组分有机碳同位素差异及其对实验结果的影响

湖泊沉积物有机质碳同位素因常被用于识别沉积物中有机质来源或流域植被信息而逐渐成为一个常规代用指标,但当沉积物中有机质含量变化显著、赋存状态不同时,采用统一分析方法(全样或某一粒级组分)测试的结果在不同含量或赋存状态时是否会产生偏差,目前没有详细的研究进行评价.利用嘎顺诺尔湖泊沉积物,采用全样品、细颗粒组分(过120目筛和360目筛),分别进行有机质含量和同位素分析,评价选择不同粒级样品因有机质赋存状态不同对有机碳同位素分析结果的影响.结果显示,不同组分的烧失量或元素分析仪方法测得的有机质含量变化趋势相同,但不同组分的有机碳同位素结果出现差异:全样的有机碳同位素值存在较大波动,随着过筛孔径变小,δ¹³C_org值波动减小,且过360目筛的细颗粒组分的碳同位素值较全样或过120目筛后组分的δ¹³C_org值偏负.这一差异与有机质组分赋存的颗粒范围有关.对比认为过360目筛的细颗粒组分更有利于充分反应,且可获得较为准确的同位素值.因此,在进行不同湖泊沉积物δ¹³C_org值对比时,应注意研究使用样品的前处理方式,相同处理方式下的结果更具有可比性.该研究结果对于湖泊沉积物有机质碳同位素分析具有参考意义.     

湖泊沉积物中磷酸盐氧同位素前处理方法对比

磷酸盐氧同位素(δ~(18)OP)是一种有效的磷源示踪方式.由于湖泊沉积物的组成十分复杂,必须对样品进行除碳处理和纯化处理.本文对目前应用较为广泛的几种前处理方法进行比较,包括NaClO处理和H_2O_2处理等除有机碳方法,以及Blake法和Mc Laughlin法等纯化方法,以期获得适用于湖泊沉积物磷酸盐氧同位素的前处理方法.结果表明:(1)NaClO处理可以保证较高的无机磷提取效率,同时能有效地减少无机磷提取液中有机质含量,且对不同形态磷的破坏较小;H2O2对有机质的去除效果不稳定,且处理后样品磷形态之间发生转化,显著增加了提取的无机磷浓度.(2)Blake法和Mc Laughlin法分别采用磷钼酸铵(APM)+磷酸铵镁(MAP)沉淀和Ce PO4沉淀对样品进行纯化.在纯化处理湖泊沉积物过程中,Blake法优于Mc Laughlin法,主要体现为有机质去除率高,并且磷的回收率较为稳定.(3)经Blake法纯化丹麦Nordborg湖沉积物样品得到的Ag_3PO_4中C、N含量低于Mc Laughlin法且重现性好.本文结合NaClO法与Blake法的优点,建立了一种适合湖泊沉积物的磷酸盐氧同位素前处理方法:首先用2.5%NaClO对沉积物样品进行除碳预处理,然后对磷酸盐提取液依次通过氢氧化镁共沉淀(MAGIC)、APM+MAP沉淀、阳离子交换树脂处理,最后生成Ag3PO4沉淀.     

青藏高原东南部巴松措现代沉积过程及其对气候变化的响应

湖泊沉积物是记录气候演化信息的重要载体之一,在探讨过去气候变化过程研究中发挥重要作用.然而,沉积物中的许多代用指标对气候的指示意义存在多解性,不同指标所反映的环境信息相互之间有时会存在矛盾.为了能够更准确地解读湖泊沉积物中指标所记录的环境变化信息,开展现代湖泊沉积物指标与环境之间的关系研究,深入探讨各指标对环境变化的响应机制尤为关键.本文选取青藏高原东南部巴松措湖泊表层沉积物作为研究对象,利用²¹⁰Pb与¹³⁷Cs比活度检测结果建立年代序列,对沉积物中粒度、磁化率、有机质含量等指标进行分析,揭示巴松措现代沉积过程.结合沉积物粒度端元组分分析结果,并将不同指标变化与林芝气象站所记录的数据资料进行对比,得出以下主要结论：该地区沉积物来源主要包括径流搬运的冰川碎屑物质和来自青藏高原南部、西南部上空悬浮于大气中的风成物质两部分;其中,通过风力搬运的物质输入主要集中在冬半年,受季节性风向及风速变化影响明显;径流受到冰雪融水与夏季降水的补给,因此通过径流搬运的物质输入量受到温度与降水综合影响;湖泊中磁性矿物碎屑的产生和输入主要受区域降水量影响的流域侵蚀速率变化控制,该湖泊沉积物磁化率波动可以有效的指示该地区降水量变化;沉积物中总有机碳含量和总氮含量变化主要反映湖泊自身初级生产力的变化,对区域温度变化的响应显著.     

四种常见湖泊沉积物氮磷通量估算方法对比分析

湖泊沉积物-水界面营养盐释放是研究湖泊环境行为的重点关注对象,但目前对于湖泊通量的估算方法选择缺乏横向定量比较.以南京莫愁湖为研究对象,在冬春夏3季采用静态释放培养法、机械搅拌培养法、流动培养法和间隙水浓度扩散模型法4种常见的湖泊通量培养方法进行氮磷释放对比实验.结果表明,非扩散模型法（静态释放、机械搅拌、流动培养）在冬季存在负通量,随着气温升高,夏季通量估算值为正,且该3种方法通量数值差异不显著.间隙水扩散模型法在三季实验中结果数值无负值,对比非扩散模型组具有显著差异,约低一个数量级.不同方法在培育过程中溶解氧和pH变化差异显著,流动培养法最为稳定.4种方法的通量结果在不同季节变化趋势具有显著相关性,非扩散模型法估算结果作为表观通量值,适用于计算湖泊沉积物营养盐释放总量,其中静态释放法结果稳定性较差,平行组相对标准偏差最高达70%;流动培养法稳定性最好,平行组相对标准偏差最高仅21%.扩散模型法估算结果作为理论释放值,在估算浅水湖泊通量时低于实际释放通量,适于探究深水湖泊沉积物间隙水动态释放过程,有助于分析湖泊沉积物性质.不同培养方法,有其侧重点,根据不同湖泊状况,应选取合适方法进行通量估算.     

不同时间尺度下的湖泊沉积物环境记录——以沉积物粒度为例

在湖泊沉积记录与古气候研究中, 沉积物粒度的环境意义常常解释为: 粗粒沉积物指示低水位时期的干旱气候, 细粒沉积物指示高水位时期的湿润气候. 本文通过对云南洱海和程海现代沉积物粒度的研究, 揭示了沉积物粒度在不同时间尺度、不同时间分辨率的研究中具有不同的环境指示意义. 在长时间尺度、低分辨率(百年、千年)研究中, 粗粒沉积物指示湖泊收缩、湖水较浅的干旱气候期; 细粒沉积物指示湖泊扩张、湖水较深的湿润气候期. 在短时间尺度、高分辨率(年际、10 a)研究中, 粗粒沉积物指示降雨量较大的湿润年份; 细粒沉积物指示降雨量相对较小的干旱年份. 由于不同时间尺度研究中沉积分辨率、采样分辨率和定年精度的不同, 湖泊沉积物记录所反映的环境信息在不同尺度下因此可能存在差异. 在由以往的长时间尺度、低分辨率研究转向短时间尺度、高分辨率研究的过程中, 不能简单套用各种指标在长尺度研究中的环境指示意义, 必须结合研究的时间尺度和分辨率, 综合分析各种因素对环境记录的影响方式和程度, 才能得出可靠结论.     

波浪条件下刚性植被茎干紊流对沉积物再悬浮的促进作用

浅水湖泊沉积物再悬浮过程促进了沉积物内源性物质的释放,造成湖泊水体内源污染,加剧湖泊水质污染与生态恶化.开展刚性植被不同分布格局下的沉积物再悬浮水槽试验,能为浅水草型湖泊、滨海湿地等水环境治理与生态修复提供理论参考.本研究通过开展实验室波浪水槽试验,检验了3种直径12种密度的刚性模型植被对波浪扰动白洋淀沉积物再悬浮的影响,通过测定不同植被情景不同波浪条件下的瞬时速度和沉积物再悬浮浓度,详细阐述了植被产生的紊动能对沉积物再悬浮临界状态的影响,构建并验证了沉积物再悬浮植被紊流模型,预测了沉积物再悬浮的临界速度,为湿地生态恢复与保护提供参考.结果表明：1）植被的存在能有效增加近床面的紊动能;2）紊动能是控制沉积物再悬浮的关键性因素;3）沉积物再悬浮的临界波速与植被的固相体积分数相关.     

浅水湖泊内源磷负荷季节变化的生物驱动机制

由于磷是重要的生源要素,过量的磷促进浮游植物(包括有毒蓝藻)的生长而使水质恶化,水-泥界面的磷交换机制受到广泛关注.一般认为沉积物的磷释放模式在浅水湖泊和深水湖泊之间有很大的差异.在探讨沉积物中磷释放机制时,人们一直最关注的要素为铁和氧及其相关的环境因子(如扰动、分解),但是浅水湖泊中磷含量变化的大部分结果仍然无法解释.通过对欧洲温带浅水湖泊和亚热带气候的长江中下游浅水湖泊中有关沉积物磷释放模式的野外和实验研究结果的分析,认为在浅水湖泊内源磷负荷季节变动模式的驱动因子中,pH可能比溶氧更为重要,即浮游藻类的光合作用增强时导致水体pH值的上升,这又可改变沉积物表面的pH,从而促进沉积物中磷(特别是铁磷)的释放并基于藻类水华对沉积物中磷的泵吸作用,首次提出了浅水湖泊中内源磷负荷的季节波动与营养水平密切相关主要是由于藻类光合作用驱动的新的观点.此外,浅水湖泊中藻类水华对沉积物磷的选择性泵吸作用,一方面圆满地解释了为何在超富营养的武汉东湖通过非经典的生物操纵于20世纪80年代中期消除了东湖的蓝藻水华后水柱中总磷和活性磷含量均显著下降,另一方面也解释了为何在许多欧洲湖泊的群落季节演替过程中出现的春季浮游植物较少的清水期或通过经典的生物操纵降低浮游植物的现存量均可显著地降低湖水中的磷含量.相对于深水湖泊来说,浅水湖泊生态系统结构的改变引发的浮游植物的兴衰,能对水-泥界面磷的交换能产生更显著的影响.也就是说,生物的生命活动同样可以驱动沉积物中营养盐的释放,而且在浮游植物丰富的富营养化浅水湖泊中,这种静态释放作用更为明显.     

湖泊沉积物中胶黄铁矿的鉴出及其磁学意义

对青藏高原东部若尔盖盆地钻孔获取的湖泊沉积物进行了详细的岩石磁学调查及矿物学鉴定, 发现大量胶黄铁矿存在, 并认定其为主要的磁载体. 该矿物颗粒细小, 粒度均匀, 可能为生物化学成因. 与大量文献报道的相反, 在长期暴露于空气后, 样品中的胶黄铁矿仍未被氧化. 这可能与钻孔内该矿物被硅质胶结物包裹有关. 研究结果初步揭示了湖泊沉积物磁学研究的复杂性, 同时也为环境磁学机理的研究提供了新的线索.     

湖泊沉积物磁学特征指示的埃及Faiyum盆地全新世以来的环境演变

利用埃及北部Faiyum盆地获得的高取芯率沉积物岩芯,进行沉积物多种磁性参数的测量,结合有机碳、介形虫、粒度等分析,在AMS14C加速器测年的基础上,建立全新世以来湖泊沉积物磁性特征变化的时间序列.结果表明,粒度效应以及沉积后的各种次生作用对沉积物的磁性特征没有明显的影响,磁性变化主要反映了沉积物不同来源组成的相对变化.全新世前沉积物磁性较弱,主要含不完全反铁磁性矿物,与周边沙漠的物质相似,结合其粒度特征,沉积物来源应以近源物质为主.全新世早中期(约10 5.4 ka BP)沉积物磁性变化相对稳定,有机质含量也较高,指示了来自尼罗河较为稳定的物质供应;而大约5.4 ka BP尤其最近约4.2 ka BP以来,磁性的明显变化反映了流域降水减少情况下,来自青尼河物质贡献的相对增加;最近约2.0 ka BP以来沉积物的磁性变化,则更多地与盆地人类活动的强化有关.总体而言,Faiyum盆地全新世以来的环境演变主要受控于全新世以来尼罗河与盆地的水力学联系.即:全新世前盆地未与尼罗河连通时,沉积物主要来源于周边沙漠的风成物质;而受全新世早-中期来流域季风降水增加的影响,泛滥的尼罗河为盆地提供了相对稳定的物质供应,湖泊也处于高湖面;全新世晚期以来,随着流域干旱化的加剧,尼罗河与盆地的连通性开始减弱,来自高磁性的青尼罗河物质贡献开始相对增加.最近约2.0 ka BP以来,虽然仍有人工运河连接尼罗河与盆地,但沉积物磁性的显著变化更多地反映了盆地人类活动的不断强化.     

地下水补给型湖泊表层沉积物矿物组成及其形成机制——以巴丹吉林沙漠湖泊群为例

盐湖中的矿物沉积记录着丰富的环境气候变化信息,是古环境研究的重要对象.在无地表径流补给的盐湖中,其矿物组成及沉积特征与有地表径流补给的湖泊相比是否有一定的特殊性,是值得探讨的问题.采集巴丹吉林沙漠33个不同矿化度地下水补给型湖泊的表层沉积物和10个地表风积砂样品,通过X衍射的方法,分析样品的矿物组成.结果显示:湖泊表层沉积物主要为石英、长石、辉石、云母等碎屑矿物,部分湖泊含有少量的碳酸盐和氯化物盐类矿物.湖泊沉积物的矿物组成与湖水矿化度的关系较为密切,淡水湖仅分布碎屑矿物,微咸水湖含有碎屑矿物和碳酸盐类矿物,盐湖含有碎屑矿物、碳酸盐类矿物和氯化物.风积砂样品中主要为碎屑矿物,占总矿物含量的90%,对湖泊沉积物的矿物组成影响较大,但对湖泊沉积物中的盐类矿物没有贡献,表明湖泊表层沉积物中盐类矿物主要是自生作用形成的.虽然本地区湖泊边缘的沉积物中盐类矿物种类相对较少并且含量较低,但其盐类矿物组成与分布能够响应湖水矿化度的变化,其环境指示意义与有径流补给的盐湖相同,可以指示其湖水的盐度.因此,可以从巴丹吉林沙漠地下水补给型湖泊沉积的盐类矿物中提取相应的古环境信息,用于恢复古气候和古环境的研究.     

High-resolution fjord sediment record of a receding glacier with growing intermediate proglacial lake (Steffen Fjord,Chilean Patagonia)

Proglacial lakes are effective sediment traps but their impact on the reliability of downstream sediment records to reconstruct glacier variability remains unclear. Here, we investigate the sedimentary signature of the recent recession of Steffen Glacier (Chilean Patagonia, 47°S) in downstream fjord sediments, with a focus on identifying the trapping (decreased downstream sediment yield) and filtering (removal of coarse particles) effectiveness of a growing intermediate proglacial lake. Four sediment cores were collected along a 14 km longitudinal transect in Steffen Fjord and the sediment physical and chemical properties were compared with aerial imagery at high temporal resolution. The caesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) chronology of the most distal core and sediment trap data suggest that sediment accumulation in the fjord remained relatively stable through time, despite the accelerating glacier recession and the growth of Steffen proglacial lake. This is in contrast with many studies that indicate a decrease in sediment yield during proglacial lake expansion. It implies that the increase in sediment export due to accelerating meltwater production may be balanced by the sediment trapping effect of the growing proglacial lake. The fjord sediments show a slight fining upward accompanied by a marked decrease in flood-induced grain-size peaks, most likely due to the increasing filtering and dampening effect of the expanding proglacial lake. Our findings show that the filtering effect of the proglacial lake reached a threshold in 1985, when the lake attained an area of 2.02 km². The additional 5 km of glacier recession during the following 32 years did not have any significant impact on downstream sedimentation. This study confirms that proglacial lakes act as sediment traps but it indicates that (1) the trapping effect can be outpaced by accelerating glacier recession and (2) the filtering effect becomes stable once the lake attains a certain critical size. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The paleoenvironmental significance of spatial distributions of grain size in groundwater‐recharged lakes: A case study in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert,northwest China

For lakes in desert hinterlands that are not recharged by river runoff, sediment input solely comes from wind transport. While the processes of sediment transport and deposition in these lakes differ significantly from those with river discharge, the spatial distribution of sediment grain size in these groundwater‐recharged lakes remains largely unknown. Moreover, whether the grain size distribution in these lake sediments can be used as a proxy in the study of past climatic change and environmental evolution studies is unclear. In this study, five lakes with a range of surface areas that had no runoff recharge were selected from the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert of north‐western China, and a total of 108 samples of lake surface sediments were collected to examine the spatial distribution of grain size. Moreover, an end‐member‐modeling algorithm was used to calculate end members from all grain size measurements. Our results showed that both the median and mean grain sizes in the lake sediments decreased from the nearshore to the offshore, deep‐water zone. However, the lowest median and mean grain sizes were not found in the center of the lakes, in contrast to lakes recharged by surface runoff. The median grain size of sediment in the lake center was negatively correlated with lake level, and thus could help reveal lake evolution at low resolutions. Moreover, EM1 and EM2 were interpreted as wind transported sediment, and sediment perturbed by lake waves after wind transport, respectively. The modal grain size of EM1 varied slightly between lakes, while changes in the modal grain size of EM2 were related to lake area. Given the positive relationship found between EM2 content and lake level, changes in the EM2 content (%) can serve as a rough indicator of lake level fluctuations at low temporal resolutions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

湖泊沉积有机碳同位素与环境变化的研究进展

湖泊沉积有机质稳定碳同位素（δ^13Corg)在区域气候与环境变化方面的应用近年来发展迅速,成果令人瞩目,保存在各类湖泊岩芯中的δ^13Corg记录揭示了晚更新世以来大气CO2浓度的变化、湖泊水位波动、湖区生态与植被的变迁以及气温变化等重要环境信息,由于造成δ^13Corg值变化的影响因素较多,确定个湖与环境变化有关的主导因素时常有赖于其它证据的帮助,诸如地球化学、古湖沼学、孢粉学、分子同位素地层学等等,前人通过研究来自不同类型湖泊、具不同曲线形态特征的δ^13Corg记录,提出了多种环境解释模型,本文对此作了归纳和评述。鉴别和澄清湖泊沉积有机质的源物质以及有机物源随环境变化而发生过的变化,是研究δ^13Corg记录环境意义至关重要的基础性工作,由于有机质含量、碳氮比值、氢指数、生物残留物鉴别等常能提供有关有关湖泊有机质来源、产率、成岩作用等方面的有用信息,这方面的研究结果应该尽可能一并提供,以利于恰当地应用现有的环境解释模型,或者建立个湖新模型,单体生物标志化合物鉴别通常也能为区分湖积有机质中陆生、水生、细菌生等不同碳的来源提供有用信息,特定化合物同位素分析技术近年来成功地应用于建立单体生物标志化合物碳同位素地层学,为湖积有机碳同位素在生态环境演变研究方面的应用提供了思路,我国许多湖泊的湖底沉积岩芯尚未钻取,那些对过去全球变化研究有价值的δ^13Corg记录有待我们去获取和研究。     

The burial efficiency of organic carbon in the sediments of Lake Kinneret

Even though lake sediments constitute a significant long-term carbon sink, studies on the regulation of carbon burial in lakes sediments have, to date, been surprisingly few. We investigated to what degree the organic carbon (OC) being deposited onto the bottom of Lake Kinneret (Israel) is buried in the sediment at four different sites with varying degrees of oxygenation and varying supply of allochthonous particles from the River Jordan. For estimation of the OC burial efficiency (OC BE), i.e., the ratio between buried and deposited OC, we calculated OC burial from dated sediment cores, and calculated OC deposition using three different approaches. Calculation of OC deposition from sediment trap-derived mass deposition rates multiplied with the OC content of surface sediment yielded OC BE values that were at odds with published values for sediments dominated by autochthonous OC sources. Calculation via sediment trap data on organic matter flux collected within the Lake Kinneret monitoring program, as well as calculation of OC deposition as the sum of OC burial plus OC mineralization, returned fairly congruent estimates of OC BE (range 10–41%), but only if the sediment trap data were corrected for the proportion of resuspended particles in the traps. Differences in OC BE between sites were small, indicating that OC source (common to all sites) was a more important regulator of OC BE in Lake Kinneret than oxygen exposure or mineral particles characteristics.     

MIS-3晚期以来乌伦古湖古湖相沉积记录的初步研究

通过对现代乌伦古湖附近出露的古湖相沉积剖面的AMS~(14)C测年,粒度、总有机碳、总有机氮以及碳酸盐等环境代用指标的分析及其与全新世钻孔沉积记录的对比研究,结果发现:乌伦古湖在MIS-3晚期的33600-22500 cal a BP以及冰后期至早中全新世的16500-6500 cal a BP期间,维持着湖相沉积环境,湖面约比现在湖面高40 m.33600-22500 cal a BP的MIS-3晚期,气候相对温暖,乌伦古湖呈现高湖面特征,湖泊沉积物来源以流水搬运为主;22500-16500 cal a BP的末次冰期冰盛期,气候寒冷干燥,湖泊沉积物来源以风力搬运为主;16500-6500 cal a BP的冰后期以及早、中全新世期间,气候回暖,湖泊沉积物主要来源于河流径流作用.6500-5500 cal a BP,受高温干旱事件的影响,湖面收缩、水位剧降,除沉积中心外的其它钻孔位置出现沉积中断.5500 cal a BP后气候转冷变湿,湖泊重新恢复到现在的状态.乌伦古湖MIS-3晚期以来的古湖相沉积环境变化及其反映的古气候万年尺度上的干湿变化与周边区域气候环境变化记录有很好的一致性,响应了区域环境变化和全球气候突变事件.季风和西风的强度消长变化及其引起的环流条件改变以及温度变化引起的蒸发效应可能是区域气候环境变化的主要原因.这一古湖相沉积记录的研究可为MIS-3晚期以来北疆地区的古湖泊演化以及长时间尺度上西风和季风环流相互关系及其影响区的气候环境演化提供地质证据.     

Carbon and nutrients transfer from primary producers to lake sediments – A stoichiometric approach

We aimed to demonstrate different input of organic and inorganic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from three main groups of primary producers (phytoplankton, charophytes and vascular submerged macrophytes) to respective lake sediments. Studies were carried out in one eutrophic and two mesotrophic lakes. Samples of sediments were taken from profundal and from littoral zones, the latter divided into such overgrown by charophytes and others covered by vascular submerged macrophytes. We applied a stoichiometric approach to illustrate variable functional carbon to nutrients relationships. Among profundal sediments, the lowest organic to inorganic carbon ratio was found in sediments from the eutrophic lake due to precipitation of calcium carbonate during algal blooms. Extremely low inorganic carbon input to profundal sediment of one of the mesotrophic lakes may be explained by low phytoplankton production but also by dissolution of once deposited calcium carbonates. Charophyte-dominated littoral sediments contained significantly more inorganic carbon than other littoral and profundal sediments. Comparison of stoichiometric ratios between plant standing crop and underlying littoral sediments showed significant enrichment of sediments in nitrogen manifested by reduction of organic carbon to total nitrogen ratio during plant decomposition taking place both in charophyte and in vascular plant stands. We also attempted to divide phosphorus pool in sediments into organic P and calcium-bound P present in charophyte stands and in profundal sediments of eutrophic lake. In the former, calcium-bound P was estimated at 17–19 % of the total P pool while in profundal sediments it amounted 42 % of the total P. This difference suggests that calcium carbonate settling during algal blooms in a eutrophic lake may be more effective in P trapping than calcite encrustations covering charophyte plants in littoral sites. In conclusions, we underline the need of considering often neglected inorganic fractions of carbon and phosphorus to get better insight into carbon and nutrient burial in lake sediments.     

A 12-kyr record of microbial branched and isoprenoid tetraether index in Lake Qinghai,northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Implications for paleoclimate reconstruction

Branched and Isoprenoid Tetraether (BIT) index was considered as a proxy for terrestrial organic matter input in lake sediments, based on the assumption that branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (bGDGTs) are mainly derived from terrestrial soils. However, mounting evidences have showed that the in situ production of bGDGTs is widespread in lakes, challenging BIT as a reliable terrestrial input proxy. Recently, BIT has been proven to be a reliable proxy for paleohydrology in a small crater lake (Lake Challa) in accordance with a different mechanism. However, the response of BIT to paleohydrology variation may differ for different lakes. In this study, we investigate the variations in the BIT index and the concentrations of its related GDGTs in a 12-ka sediment core from Lake Qinghai, in combination with our previous results for surface sediments. We find that variations in BIT strongly depend on the concentration of crenarchaeol in both surface and ancient sediments of this lake, whereas bGDGT concentration varies much less remarkably. Considering that crenarchaeol production is positively correlated with water depth in Lake Qinghai, water depth may exert negative control on the BIT index in this lake. This case is inconsistent with the positive relationship between BIT and lake levels or rainfall intensity reported for Lake Challa, suggesting that the response of BIT to local paleohydrology is site specific in lacustrine systems. Hence, the application of sedimentary BIT as a paleohydrological proxy in a specific lake requires caution before confirming the environmental controls on BIT in that lake.     

Using the N/C ratio to correct bulk radiocarbon ages from lake sediments: Insights from Chilean Patagonia

The offset between AMS radiocarbon ages obtained on bulk lake sediments and the true age of deposition was evaluated at four sites in Northern Chilean Patagonia. Our results show that the bulk radiocarbon ages are systematically older by 300 to 1100 years. In this region free of carbonate and carbonaceous rocks, we argue that this difference results from variable inputs of terrestrial organic carbon from the Holocene soils that cover the lake watersheds. For the four studied lakes, the age offset is clearly related to the fraction of terrestrial carbon preserved in the lake sediments, which was estimated using the N/C ratio of the bulk organic matter. We propose that N/C measurements can be used to significantly improve chronologies based on radiocarbon dating of bulk lake sediments.