Late Holocene changes in ultraviolet radiation penetration recorded in an East Antarctic lake

Verleyen, Elie; Hodgson, Dominic A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3841-3746; Sabbe, Koen; Vyverman, Wim. 2005 Late Holocene changes in ultraviolet radiation penetration recorded in an East Antarctic lake. Journal of Paleolimnology, 34 (2). 191-202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-005-4402-0

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10933-005-4402-0

Abstract/Summary

Late Holocene changes in the ultraviolet radiation (UVR) penetration in a lake in the Larsemann Hills (East Antarctica) were reconstructed using sediment core proxies based on fossil pigments (scytonemins and its derivatives) and siliceous microfossils. The influence of changes in lake depth on the UVR proxy was excluded by applying a correction, based on the non-linear relation between modern scytonemin concentrations and lake depth in a regional reference data set, and the record of past lake depths inferred using a diatom based transfer function in the sediment core. Results showed four well-defined maxima in the UVR proxy during the last 1600–1800 years, centred around 1820–1780, 1580–1490, 790–580 and 680–440 AD. Several mechanisms may account for these observed changes in UVR penetration, including past variability in cloud cover, atmospheric turbidity, ozone column depth, snow cover on the lake ice, DOM concentrations and lake-ice thickness and transparency resulting from temperature fluctuations. Although some gaps remain in our knowledge of scytonemin production in relation to the limnology of Antarctic lakes, the results highlight the importance and potential of the sediments in these highly transparent water bodies as archives of changes in past UVR receipt at the Earth’s surface.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-005-4402-0
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Antarctic Science in the Global Context (2000-2005) > Signals in Antarctica of Past Global Changes
ISSN:	0921-2728
Additional Keywords:	Diatoms, Pigments, Palaeolimnology, Lakes, Larsemannn Hills
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Earth Sciences
Date made live:	21 Jan 2008 17:02 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/2034

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-005-4402-0

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Antarctic Science in the Global Context (2000-2005) > Signals in Antarctica of Past Global Changes

ISSN:

0921-2728

Additional Keywords:

Diatoms, Pigments, Palaeolimnology, Lakes, Larsemannn Hills

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment
Earth Sciences