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Radioisotopic evidence of perturbations of recent sedimentary record in lakes: a word of caution for climate studies

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Abstract

The rate of climatic change estimated from the gradient of signals recorded in lake sediments may be erroneous if post-depositional perturbations are overlooked. A smear out of a pulse signal, over a variable thickness of core section, due to physical or biological mixing, is a well known phenomena. Much less attention is paid to a possible overestimation of the rate of change when a part of record is missing due to an erosion event. In this paper we show a few examples of recent lake sediment perturbations and the resulting distortions in the time scale, as documented by short-lived radionuclides.

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Contribution to Clima Locarno — Past and Present Climate Dynamics; Conference September 1990, Swiss Academy of Sciences — National Climate Program

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Dominik, J., Loizeau, JL. & Span, D. Radioisotopic evidence of perturbations of recent sedimentary record in lakes: a word of caution for climate studies. Climate Dynamics 6, 145–152 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00193526

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00193526

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