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Resolving the chronology of recent lake sediments: an example from Devils Lake, North Dakota

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Abstract

Devils Lake is a closed, saline lake in North Dakota; it is typical of lake basins in the Great Plains Region, where windy conditions and fluctuating water-levels disturb sediment and confound chronostratigraphy. Pollen analysis and 210Pb dating of two cores collected from bathymetrically contrasting embayments demonstrate (1) how certain agriculture-related pollen types differ in their value as chronostratigraphic markers, (2) how pollen and 210Pb stratigraphies can be reconciled to determine the approximate depth of sediment mixing, and (3) the importance of coring-site selection, especially in lakes with unstable sedimentary conditions.

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Jacobson, H.A., Engstrom, D.R. Resolving the chronology of recent lake sediments: an example from Devils Lake, North Dakota. J Paleolimnol 2, 81–97 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00177042

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00177042

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