The impact of glaciation and climate change on biogeochemical cycling and landscape development

Abstract

Lake cores from Dry Lake, California and Crystal Lake, Illinois were analyzed to identify climate variability and characterize landscape response to glacial/deglacial climate transitions. Geochemical analysis of the Dry Lake sediment prior to the 8.2 kyr event revealed average values for percent total organic carbon to be 4% with a range of 0.2% to 15.2%. The average decreased to approximately 2.1% with a range of 0.4% to 5.3% during and after the event. Occluded phosphorus averaged 488 µg/g before the 8.2 kyr event and 547 µg/g after but was much lower during the event at 287 µg/g. These results were interpreted as an environment which began as warm, wet, and productive then quickly turned colder and drier during the 8.2 kyr event which resulted in a resetting of soil development. The higher temperatures returned after the 8.2 kyr event which allowed for continued soil development despite its drier climate. Previous research corroborated these conclusions. The Crystal Lake geochemical record was very different from Dry Lake. Percent total organic carbon averaged 6.7% with a range of 3.9% to 8.5% during the Younger Dryas but recorded a lower average before and after at 4.9% and 4.6% respectively. Occluded phosphorus acted similarly with a higher average during the cooling event, 2626 µg/g, and lower averages before and after, 1404 µg/g and 1461 µg/g, respectively. This was interpreted as continued productivity and soil development through the cold period which was attributed to a change in biomass.