Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A hydroclimate-proxy model based on sedimentary facies in an annually laminated sequence from Lake Ohau, South Island, New Zealand

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Journal of Paleolimnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Annually laminated sediments collected from Lake Ohau, New Zealand offer an opportunity to generate a high-resolution paleoclimate record for the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes. Correlation between regional precipitation and synoptic climate indices like the Southern Annular Mode, paired with a correlation between Ohau catchment precipitation, lake inflow and suspended sediment yield suggest that the Lake Ohau varves are a potentially powerful tool for estimating the amplitude, timing and interdependence of different climate modes operating in the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes over time. A robust chronology and sound climate-proxy model are fundamental requirements for all high-resolution paleoenvironmental records. Here we present a chronology derived from layer counts, and 137Cs and 210Pb ages for the top 60 cm of sediments from the distal basin of Lake Ohau that confirm the varved natured of the sedimentary sequence. Sedimentary facies of different varve motifs are used to develop a hydroclimate-proxy model which links stratigraphy to seasonal hydrology. To establish this relationship we use a model accuracy statistic, which shows a quantitative difference between the annual hydrographs associated with each of three primary varve motifs. Distribution of above average inflow events points to summer and autumn hydrologic regimes as the primary control on the deposition of different motifs. This relationship between varve characteristics and hydrology will serve as a tool to reconstruct lake inflow, and by extension precipitation, on an annual basis throughout the late-Holocene for the South Island of New Zealand.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderton P (1973) The significance of perennial snow and ice to the water resources of the South Island, New Zealand. J Hydrol 2:6–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Augustinus P, D’costa D, Deng Y, Hagg J, Shane P (2011) A multi-proxy record of changing environments from ca. 30,000 to 9000 cal. a BP: onepoto maar palaeolake, Auckland, New Zealand. J Quat Sci 26:389–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blott SJ, Pye K (2001) GRADISTAT: a grain size distribution and statistics package for the analysis of unconsolidated sediments. Earth Surf Process Landf 26:1237–1248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley RS (1999) Paleoclimatology: reconstructing climates of the Quaternary. Accessed Online via Elsevier 68: 1-613

  • Chater AM, Sturman AP (1998) Atmospheric conditions influencing the spillover of rainfall to lee of the Southern Alps, New Zealand. Int J Climatol 18:77–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chutko KJ, Lamoureux SF (2008) Identification of coherent links between interannual sedimentary structures and daily meteorological observations in Arctic proglacial lacustrine varves: potentials and limitations. Can J Earth Sci 45:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark MP, Rupp DE, Woods RA, Zheng X, Ibbitt RP, Slater AG, Schmidt J, Uddstrom MJ (2008) Hydrological data assimilation with the ensemble Kalman filter: use of streamflow observations to update states in a distributed hydrological model. Adv Water Resour 31:1309–1324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cockburn JM, Lamoureux SF (2008) Inflow and lake controls on short-term mass accumulation and sedimentary particle size in a High Arctic lake: implications for interpreting varved lacustrine sedimentary records. J Paleolimnol 40:923–942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook ER, Palmer JG, D’Arrigo RD (2002) Evidence for a ‘Medieval Warm Period’ in a 1100 year tree-ring reconstruction of past austral summer temperatures in New Zealand. Geophys Res Lett 29(14):12–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook ER, Buckley BM, Palmer JG, Fenwick P, Peterson MJ, Boswijk G, Fowler A (2006) Millennia-long tree-ring records from Tasmania and New Zealand: a basis for modelling climate variability and forcing, past, present and future. J Quat Sci 21(7):689–699

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cox S and Barrel D (2007) Geology of the Aoraki area. Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences 1:250000 Geological Map, Lower Hutt, New Zealand (GNS Science) vol 71, p 1

  • Dadson SJ, Hovius N, Chen H, Dade WB, Lin JC, Hsu ML, Lin CW, Horng MJ, Chen TC, Milliman J, Stark CP (2004) Earthquake-triggered increase in sediment delivery from an active mountain belt. Geology 32(8):733–736

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desloges JR, Gilbert R (1994) Sediment source and hydroclimatic inferences from glacial lake sediments: the postglacial sedimentary record of Lillooet Lake, British Columbia. J Hydrol 159:375–393

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doughty AM, Anderson BM, Mackintosh AN, Kaplan M, Vandergoes MJ, Barrell D, Denton GH, Schaefer JM, Chinn TJH, Putnam AE (2013) Evaluation of Lateglacial temperatures in the Southern Alps of New Zealand based on glacier modelling at Irishman Stream, Ben Ohau Range. Quat Sci Rev 74:160–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Favaro EA, Lamoureux SF (2014) Antecedent controls on rainfall runoff response and sediment transport in a high arctic catchment. Geografiska Annaler Ser A Phys Geogr 96:433–446

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler AM, Boswijk G, Lorrey AM, Gergis J, Pirie M, McCloskey S, Palmer JG, Wunder J (2012) Multi-centennial tree-ring record of ENSO-related activity in New Zealand. Nat Clim Chang 2(3):172–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hannah DM, Gurnell AM, McGregor GR (2000) Spatio–temporal variation in microclimate, the surface energy balance and ablation over a cirque glacier. Int J Climatol 20(7):733–758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks DM, Shankar U, McKerchar AI, Basher L, Lynn I, Page M, Jessen M (2011) Suspended sediment yields from New Zealand rivers. J Hydrol 50:81–142

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodder KR, Gilbert R, Desloges JR (2007) Glaciolacustrine varved sediment as an alpine hydroclimatic proxy. J Paleolimnol 38(3):365–394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz AJ (2003) An evaluation of sediment rating curves for estimating suspended sediment concentrations for subsequent flux calculations. Hydrol Process 17:3387–3409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howarth JD, Fitzsimons SJ, Norris RJ, Jacobsen GE (2012) Lake sediments record cycles of sediment driven by large earthquakes on the Alpine Fault, New Zealand. Geology 40:1091–1094

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman CA, Lamoureux SF, Kaufman DS (2011) Long-term river discharge and multidecadal climate variability inferred from varved sediments, southwest Alaska. Quat Res 76(1):1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerr T (2013) The contribution of snowmelt to the rivers of the South Island, New Zealand. J Hydrol 52(2):61–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Kidson JW (2000) An analysis of New Zealand synoptic types and their use in defining weather regimes. Int J Climatol 20(3):299–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lamoureux SF (1994) Embedding unfrozen lake sediments for thin section preparation. J Paleolimnol 10:141–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lamoureux SF, Francus P (2014) Layers within layers: quantifying seasonal versus event processes in Arctic clastic varved sediments. Past Global Changes Mag 22(1):6–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorrey AM, Williams P, Salinger J, Martin T, Palmer J, Fowler A, Zhao J, Neil H (2008) Speleothem stable isotope records interpreted within a multi-proxy framework and implications for New Zealand palaeoclimate reconstruction. Quat Int 187(1):52–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mackereth FJH (1958) A portable core sampler for lake deposits. Limnol Oceanogr 3:181–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mann ME, Zhang Z, Hughes MK, Bradley RS, Miller SK, Rutherford S, Ni F (2008) Proxy-based reconstructions of hemispheric and global surface temperature variations over the past two millennia. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 105(36):13252–13257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nash J, Sutcliffe JV (1970) River flow forecasting through conceptual models part I—a discussion of principles. J Hydrol 10(3):282–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neukom R, Gergis J (2012) Southern Hemisphere high-resolution palaeoclimate records of the last 2000 years. Holocene 22(5):501–524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ojala AEK, Francus P, Zolitschka B, Besonen M, Lamoureux SF (2012) Characteristics of sedimentary varve chronologies: a review. Quat Sci Rev 43:45–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orpin AR, Carter L, Page MJ, Cochran UA, Trustrum NA, Gomez B, Midenhall DC, Rogers KM, Brackely HL, Northcote L (2010) Holocene sedimentary record from Lake Tutira: a template for upland watershed erosion proximal to the Waipaoa Sedimentary System, northeastern New Zealand. Mar Geol 270(1):11–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orwin JF, Smart CC (2004) Short-term spatial and temporal patterns of suspended sediment transfer in proglacial channels, Small River Glacier, Canada. Hydrol Process 18(9):1521–1542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Page MJ, Trustrum NA, DeRose RC (1994) A high resolution record of storm-induced erosion from lake sediments, New Zealand. J Paleolimnol 11:333–348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Page M, Trustrum N, Orpin A, Carter L, Gomez B, Cochran U, Mildenhall D, Rogers K, Brackley H, Palmer A (2010) Storm frequency and magnitude in response to Holocene climate variability, Lake Tutira, North-Eastern New Zealand. Mar Geol 270:30–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pharo CH, Carmack EC (1979) Sedimentation processes in a short residence-time intermontane lake, Kamloops Lake, British Columbia. Sedimentology 26(4):523–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Putnam AE, Schaefer JM, Denton GH, Barrell DJ, Birkel SD, Andersen BG, Kaplan MR, Finkel RC, Schwartz R, Doughty AM (2013) the last glacial maximum at 44 S documented by a 10 Be moraine chronology at Lake Ohau, Southern Alps of New Zealand. Quat Sci Rev 62:114–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roop HA, Dunbar GB, Levy R, Vandergoes MJ, Forrest AL, Walker SL, Upton P, Whinney J (2015) Seasonal controls on sediment transport and deposition in Lake Ohau, South Island, New Zealand: implications for a high-resolution Holocene palaeoclimate reconstruction. Sedimentology 62(3):826–844

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sawada M, Johnson PG (2000) Hydrometeorology, suspended sediment and conductivity in a large glacierized basin, Slims River, Yukon Territory, Canada (1993-94). Arctic 53:101–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider CA, Rasband WS, Eliceiri KW (2012) NIH Image to ImageJ: 25 years of image analysis. Nat Methods 9(7):671–675

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stockhecke M, Anselmetti FS, Meydan AF, Odermatt D, Sturm M (2012) The annual particle cycle in Lake Van (Turkey). Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 333:148–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Striewski B, Shulmeister J, Augustinus PC, Soderholm J (2013) Late Holocene climate variability from Lake Pupuke maar, Auckland, New Zealand. Quat Sci Rev 77:46–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tait A, Henderson R, Turner R, Zheng X (2006) Thin plate smoothing spline interpolation of daily rainfall for New Zealand using a climatological rainfall surface. Int J Climatol 26(14):2097–2115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tomkins JD, Lamoureux SF (2005) Multiple hydroclimatic controls over recent sedimentation in proglacial Mirror Lake, southern Selwyn Mountains, Northwest Territories. Can J Earth Sci 42(9):1589–1599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNSCEAR Annex C (2000) Exposures to the public from man-made sources of radiation. Sourc Eff Ioniz Radiat Sourc UNSCEAR 1:158–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Walling DE and Webb BW (1988) The reliability of rating curve estimates of suspended sediment yield: some further comments. Sediment Budgets, IAHS Publ 174

  • Wheatley JJ, Blackwell PG, Abram NJ, McConnell JR, Thomas ER, Wolff EW (2012) Automated ice-core layer-counting with strong univariate signals. Clim Past 8:1869–1879

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woods R, Hendricks J, Henderson R, Tait A (2006) Estimating mean flow of New Zealand rivers. J Hydrol 45(2):95–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Zolitschka B, Pike J (2014) Maximizing the information yield from annually resolving natural archives. Past Global Changes Mag 22(1):4–5

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Financial support was provided through the GNS Science Global Change through Time Program, Sarah Beanland Memorial Scholarship, ANZICE Program (VICX0704), Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund (GNS1302), and KOPRI Project #PP15010. Thanks to Brian Anderson, Lionel Carter, Andrew Lorrey, Christian Ohlendorf and Peter Neff for numerous scientific discussions and ongoing interest in the Lake Ohau Project. We would like to thank the staff at Meridian Energy Ltd. and the University of Otago Marine Sciences Department for logistical support and two anonymous reviewers whose feedback greatly improved the manuscript. Sincere thanks to Chris and Rae Spiers for their hospitality and large workspace at the Killin Barn, and the Inkersell family at Lake Ohau Station for land access and continuing project support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand

    Heidi A. Roop, Richard Levy, Marcus J. Vandergoes, Jamie Howarth, Robert Ditchburn & Troy Baisden

  2. Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand

    Heidi A. Roop & Gavin B. Dunbar

  3. Department of Geography, University of Otago, 362 Leith Street, North Dunedin, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand

    Sean Fitzsimons

  4. Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, 406-840, Korea

    Heung Soo Moon & Ho Il Yoon

  5. National Institute of Water and Atmosphere, PO Box 8602, Riccarton, Christchurch, 8011, New Zealand

    Christian Zammit

Authors
  1. Heidi A. Roop
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Richard Levy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gavin B. Dunbar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marcus J. Vandergoes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jamie Howarth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sean Fitzsimons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Heung Soo Moon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Christian Zammit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Robert Ditchburn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Troy Baisden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Ho Il Yoon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heidi A. Roop.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

10933_2015_9853_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Example of the relationship between particle size and the less dense (light) and more dense (dark) portions of the X-ray positives. The light layers are consistently associated with coarser particles (modal size >8 μm), while the darker layers are associated with finer particles (modal size 3.7 μm). The range of particle size fractions is similar to those measured in cores and sediment traps by Roop et al. (2014) (PDF 3064 kb)

Supplementary material 2 (PDF 53 kb)

Supplementary material 3 (PDF 582 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Roop, H.A., Levy, R., Dunbar, G.B. et al. A hydroclimate-proxy model based on sedimentary facies in an annually laminated sequence from Lake Ohau, South Island, New Zealand. J Paleolimnol 55, 1–16 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-015-9853-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-015-9853-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation