Late Holocene ice-wedge polygon dynamics in northeastern Siberian coastal lowlands
- Ice-wedge polygons are common features of northeastern Siberian lowland periglacial tundra landscapes. To deduce the formation and alternation of ice-wedge polygons in the Kolyma Delta and in the Indigirka Lowland, we studied shallow cores, up to 1.3 m deep, from polygon center and rim locations. The formation of well-developed low-center polygons with elevated rims and wet centers is shown by the beginning of peat accumulation, increased organic matter contents, and changes in vegetation cover from Poaceae-, Alnus-, and Betula-dominated pollen spectra to dominating Cyperaceae and Botryoccocus presence, and Carex and Drepanocladus revolvens macro-fossils. Tecamoebae data support such a change from wetland to open-water conditions in polygon centers by changes from dominating eurybiontic and sphagnobiontic to hydrobiontic species assemblages. The peat accumulation indicates low-center polygon formation and started between 2380 +/- 30 and 1676 +/- 32 years before present (BP) in the Kolyma Delta. We recorded an opposite change fromIce-wedge polygons are common features of northeastern Siberian lowland periglacial tundra landscapes. To deduce the formation and alternation of ice-wedge polygons in the Kolyma Delta and in the Indigirka Lowland, we studied shallow cores, up to 1.3 m deep, from polygon center and rim locations. The formation of well-developed low-center polygons with elevated rims and wet centers is shown by the beginning of peat accumulation, increased organic matter contents, and changes in vegetation cover from Poaceae-, Alnus-, and Betula-dominated pollen spectra to dominating Cyperaceae and Botryoccocus presence, and Carex and Drepanocladus revolvens macro-fossils. Tecamoebae data support such a change from wetland to open-water conditions in polygon centers by changes from dominating eurybiontic and sphagnobiontic to hydrobiontic species assemblages. The peat accumulation indicates low-center polygon formation and started between 2380 +/- 30 and 1676 +/- 32 years before present (BP) in the Kolyma Delta. We recorded an opposite change from open-water to wetland conditions because of rim degradation and consecutive high-center polygon formation in the Indigirka Lowland between 2144 +/- 33 and 1632 +/- 32 years BP. The late Holocene records of polygon landscape development reveal changes in local hydrology and soil moisture.…
Author details: | Lutz SchirrmeisterORCiDGND, Anatoly BobrovORCiD, Elena RaschkeORCiD, Ulrike HerzschuhORCiDGND, Jens StraussORCiDGND, Luidmila Agafyevna PestryakovaORCiD, Sebastian WetterichORCiD |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2018.1462595 |
ISSN: | 1523-0430 |
ISSN: | 1938-4246 |
Title of parent work (English): | Arctic, antarctic, and alpine research : an interdisciplinary journal |
Publisher: | Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado |
Place of publishing: | Boulder |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2018/07/10 |
Publication year: | 2018 |
Release date: | 2021/11/01 |
Tag: | Permafrost; cryolithology; paleoecology; plant macro-fossils; pollen; radiocarbon dating; rhizopods |
Volume: | 50 |
Issue: | 1 |
Number of pages: | 18 |
Funding institution: | Russian Foundation for Basic Research, RFBRRussian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) [16-04-00451, 15-29-02518, 15-45-05063]; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFGGerman Research Foundation (DFG) [HE 3622-16-1]; RFBRRussian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) [11-04-01171-a]; European Research CouncilEuropean Research Council (ERC) [338335]; Helmholtz AssociationHelmholtz Association [ERC-0013] |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 55 Geowissenschaften, Geologie / 550 Geowissenschaften |
5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie | |
External remark: | Zweitveröffentlichung in der Schriftenreihe Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe ; 719 |