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Global Radiation and Onset of Stratification as Forcing Factors of Seasonal Carbonate and Organic Matter Flux Dynamics in a Hypertrophic Hardwater Lake (Sacrower See, Northeastern Germany)

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Abstract

A 2-year (October 2003–October 2005) high-resolution sediment trap study was conducted in Sacrower See, a dimictic hardwater lake in northeastern Germany. Geochemical and diatom data from sediment trap samples were compared with a broad range of limnological and meteorological parameters to quantify the impact of single parameters on biochemical calcite precipitation and organic matter production. Our goals were to disentangle how carbonaceous varves and their sublaminae form during the annual cycle to better understand the palaeorecords and to detect influences of dissolution, resuspension as well as of global radiation and stratification on lake internal particle formation. Total particle fluxes in both investigated years were highest during spring and summer. Sedimentation was dominated by autochthonous organic matter and biochemically precipitated calcite. Main calcite precipitation occurred between April and July and was preceded and followed by smaller flux peaks caused by resuspension during winter and blooms of the calcified green algae Phacotus lenticularis during summer. In some of the trap intervals during summer up to 100% of the precipitated calcite was dissolved in the hypolimnion. High primary production due to stable insolation conditions in epilimnic waters began with stratification of the water column. Start and development of stratification is closely related to air and water surface temperatures. It is assumed that global radiation influences the onset and stability of water column stratification and thereby determining the intensity of primary production and consequently of timing and amount of calcite precipitation which is triggered by phytoplanktonic CO2 consumption. Sediment fluxes of organic matter and calcite are also related to the winter NAO-Index. Therefore these fluxes will be used as a proxy for ongoing reconstruction of Holocene climate conditions.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dirk Enters, Torsten Haberzettl, and Britta Lüder for help during the fieldwork and for helpful discussions. Sabine Stahl and Benjamin Bünning are acknowledged for their assistance with geochemical analyses. The Landesumweltamt Brandenburg is acknowledged for providing electric conductivity data. We are much obliged to Herbert Ebel, Uwe Brämick, Frank Rümmler, and Steffen Zienert from the Institut für Binnenfischerei Potsdam for their support during fieldwork and for providing their local infrastructure. Hermann Oesterle and Friedrich-Wilhelm Gerstengarbe are acknowledged for providing the data of the meteorological station at Potsdam-Telegrafenberg. The manuscript benefited greatly from the comments by Holger Cremer and Oliver Heiri and from the suggestions and comments of an anonymous reviewer. This study was supported from grant DFG Zo 102/4-1 by the German Science Foundation and the Central Research Supply (Zentrale Forschungsförderung) of the University of Bremen.

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  1. Geopolar, Geomorphology and Polar Research, Institute of Geography, University of Bremen, Celsiusstr. FVG-M, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Philipp Bluszcz, Christian Ohlendorf & Bernd Zolitschka

  2. Palaeocology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Laboratory of Palynology and Palaeobotany, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Emiliya Kirilova & André F. Lotter

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  1. Philipp Bluszcz
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  2. Emiliya Kirilova
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Bluszcz, P., Kirilova, E., Lotter, A.F. et al. Global Radiation and Onset of Stratification as Forcing Factors of Seasonal Carbonate and Organic Matter Flux Dynamics in a Hypertrophic Hardwater Lake (Sacrower See, Northeastern Germany). Aquat Geochem 14, 73–98 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-008-9026-3

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