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Historical and paleolimnological evidence for expansion of Lake Athabasca (Canada) during the Little Ice Age

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Abstract

A multi-proxy paleolimnological record obtained from a small, lowland closed-drainage basin located in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (Alberta, Canada), 10 km northwest of the present-day shore of Lake Athabasca, captures evidence of pronounced hydroecological changes over the past ~400 years. Consistent with historical maps produced by early European explorers of western Canada, paleolimnological data support the existence of a Lake Athabasca highstand during the Little Ice Age (LIA), c. 1600–1900 Common Era (CE). This contrasts with interpretations from previous analyses on sediment cores from an upland closed-drainage basin located centrally within the Peace sector of the delta that indicate low water levels during this interval. The different paleohydrological records at these two basins reflect the relative influence of different controls on the lake water balances. During the LIA, the lowland site was influenced by high levels in Lake Athabasca, whereas the elevated basin was outside the range of water-level rise in the lake and its distributaries, and was instead controlled by dry atmospheric conditions that led to evaporative drawdown. Integration of paleolimnological records and historical sources demonstrates that the ecosystem has undergone marked climate-driven hydroecological change over the past century, which is important information for effective management.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the staff of Wood Buffalo National Park for providing logistical support, staff of the University of Waterloo-Environmental Isotope Laboratory for isotope analyses and Paul Wilkinson of the Freshwater Institute for radiometric analyses and modelling sediment chronologies from the 210Pb data. Mike English, Matt Falcone, Adam Jeziorski, Alex MacLean, Andrew Paterson and Peter van Driel contributed to fieldwork and laboratory analyses. We are also grateful for insightful discussions with Glen MacDonald, John Smol, Thompson Webb III and Derald Smith. Comments provided by two anonymous reviewers helped to improve the manuscript. Funding was provided by the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, the NSERC Northern Research Chair, Discovery, and Collaborative and Research Development grant programs, Government of Ontario Premier’s Research Excellence Awards and the Northern Scientific Training Program of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    R. Niloshini Sinnatamby, Michael A. Sokal, Sheila R. Vardy, Tammy L. Karst-Riddoch & Roland I. Hall

  2. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Yi Yi, Kenneth P. Clogg-Wright, Taro Asada & Thomas W. D. Edwards

  3. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    William M. Last

  4. Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada

    John W. Johnston & Brent B. Wolfe

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  1. R. Niloshini Sinnatamby
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  2. Yi Yi
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Correspondence to R. Niloshini Sinnatamby.

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Sinnatamby, R.N., Yi, Y., Sokal, M.A. et al. Historical and paleolimnological evidence for expansion of Lake Athabasca (Canada) during the Little Ice Age. J Paleolimnol 43, 705–717 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-009-9361-4

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