Abstract
A 341 cm long sediment sequence was recovered from the unofficially named Raffles Sø on Raffles Ø, outer Scoresby Sund region, East Greenland. The sediment sequence consists in the upper part (0–230 cm) of a stratified gyttja enriched in organic carbon and biogenic silica whereas the lower core part (235–341 cm) is composed of terrigenous, consolidated glacio-limnic sediments. 14C-AMS measurements indicate that the sediment sequence represents the entire Holocene lake history from 10,030 calibrated radiocarbon years.
The geochemical parameters (opal, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN)) and the total diatom concentration show similar developments during the Holocene, and reflect changes in biological production and nutrient input into the lake. These records clearly reveal a broad Holocene TOC-opal-maximum interval between 5200 and 1800 cal. yrs BP.
The diatom flora consisted of 66 taxa representing 20 genera but only seven taxa were abundant and, sometimes, these were monospecifically dominant during the Holocene. In the sediment core from Raffles Sø four successive stratigraphical zones can be distinguished. Accumulation of diatom valves began at 9900 cal. yrs BP with a Stephanodiscus minutulus (Kütz.) Cleve and Möller dominated assemblage (stratigraphic zone 1) followed by a diatom flora dominated by Cyclotella pseudostelligera Hustedt and, less frequently, by Diatoma tenuis Agardh (9400 until 5900 cal. yrs BP, zone 2). Cyclotella sp. A, a taxon which belongs to the Cyclotella rossii-comensis-tripartita-complex, was the dominant floral element between 5200 and 1800 cal. yrs BP (zone 3). From 1800 cal. yrs BP, the periphytic taxa Fragilaria capucina var. gracilis (Østr.) Hustedt and F. capucina var. rumpens (Kütz.) Lange-Bertalot attained highest relative abundances, also almost monospecifically (zone 4).
The distribution and composition of the diatom assemblages in the sediment record from Raffles Sø probably reflect past variations in the extent of the lake-ice cover during the growing season. More or less ice-free conditions during summer may have prevailed during the early Holocene until ca. 1800 cal. yrs BP, which allowed growth of planktonic diatoms (Cyclotella taxa) in the pelagic lake region. From 1800 cal. yrs BP, colder conditions lead to a perennial lake-ice cover with a small ice-free moat in summer which favored the growth of periphytic, littoral species (Fragilaria capucina varieties).
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, N. J., P. Blomqvist & I. Renberg, 1997. An experimental and paleoecological study of algal responses to lake acidification and liming in three Swedish lakes. Eur. J. Phycol. 32: 35–48.
Bachmann, H., 1921. Beiträge zur Algenflora des Süßwassers von Westgrönland. Mitt. naturforsch. Gesell. Luzern 8: 21–36.
Battarbee, R. W., 1973. A new method for estimation of absolute microfossil numbers, with reference especially to iatoms.Limnol. Oceanogr. 18: 647–653.
Bennion, H., 1995. Surface-sediment diatom assemblages in shallow, artificial, enriched ponds, and implications for reconstructing trophic status. Diatom Res. 10: 1–19.
Berg, A. 1945. Diatomeen von der Sophia-Expedition im Jahre 1883. Ark. Bot. 32A: 1–34.
Bérard-Therriault, L., A. Cardinal & M. Poulin, 1987. Les diatomées (Bacillariophyceae) benthiques de substrats durs des eaux marines et saumâtres du Québec. Centrales. Nat. Can. 114: 81–103.
Björck, S., O. Bennike, Ó. Ingólfsson, L. Barnekow & D. N. Penney, 1994. Lake Boksehandsken's earliest postglacial sediments and their palaeoenvironmental implications, Jameson Land, East Greenland. Boreas 23: 1–14.
Blake Jr., W., M. M. Boucherle, B. Fredskild, J. A. Janssens & J. P. Smol, 1992. The geomorphological setting, glacial history and Holocene development of ‘Kap Inglefield Sø’, Inglefield Land, North-West Greenland. Meddr. Grønland, Geosci. 27: 2–42.
Brun, J., 1901. Diatomées d'eau douce de l'île Jan Mayen et de la côte est du Groenland. Bih. Kongl. Svenska Vet. Akad. Handl. 26: 1–22.
Cleve, P. T., 1881. Färsvattensdiatomacéer från Grönland och Argentinska Republiken. Öf. Kongl. Svenska Vet. Akad. Forhandl. 38: 3–13.
Cremer, H., 1998. The diatom flora of the Laptev Sea (Arctic Ocean). Bibl. Diatomol. 40: 1–169.
Cumming, B. F., S. E. Wilson, R. Hall & J. P. Smol, 1995. Diatoms from British Columbia (Canada) lakes and their relationship to salinity, nutrients and other limnological variables. Bibl. Diatomol. 31: 1–207.
Dahl-Jensen, D., K. Mosegard, N. Gundestrup, G. Clow, S. J. Johnsen, A. W. Hansen & N. Balling, 1998. Past temperatures directly from the Greenland ice sheet. Science 282: 268–271.
DeMaster, D. J., 1981. The supply and accumulation of silica in the marine environment. Geoch. Cosmoch. Acta 45: 1715–1732.
Denys, L. & L. Beyens, 1987. Some diatoms and their assemblages from the Angmagssalik region, south-east Greenland. Nova Hedwigia 45: 389–413.
Douglas, M. S. V. & J. P. Smol, 1999. Freshwater diatoms as indicators of environmental change in the High Arctic. In Stoermer, F. & J. P. Smol (eds), The Diatoms: Applications for the Environmental and Earth Sciences. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 227–244.
Findlay, D. L., H. J. Kling, H. Rönicke & W. J. Findlay, 1998. A paleolimnological study of eutrophied Lake Arendsee (Germany). J. Paleolim. 19: 41–54.
Foged, N., 1953. atoms from West Greenland. Meddr Grønland 147: 1–86.
Foged, N., 1955. Diatoms from Peary Land, North Greenland, collected by Kjeld Holmen. Meddr Grønland 128: 1–90.
Foged, N., 1958. The diatoms in the basalt area and adjoining areas of archean rock in West Greenland. Meddr Grønland 156: 1–146.
Foged, N., 1972. The diatoms in four postglacial deposits in Greenland. Meddr Grønland 194: 1–66.
Foged, N., 1973. Diatoms from Southwest Greenland. Meddr Grønland 194: 1–84.
Foged, N., 1974. Freshwater diatoms from Iceland. Bibl. Phycol. 15: 1–118.
Foged, N., 1977. The diatoms in four postglacial deposits at Godthåbsfjord, West Greenland.Meddr Grønland 199: 1–64.
Foged, N., 1981. Diatoms in Alaska. Bibl. Phycol. 53: 1–317.
Foged, N., 1989. The subfossil diatom flora of four geographically widely separated cores in Greenland. Meddr Grønland, Biosci. 30: 1–75.
Frank, A., 1986. In search of biomonitors for cadmium: cadmium content of wild Swedish fauna during 1973–1976. Sci. Total Environ. 57: 57–65.
Fredskild, B., 1973. Studies in the vegetational history of Greenland. Meddr Grønland 198: 1–246.
Fredskild, B., 1983. The Holocene vegetational development of the Godthåbsfjord area, West Greenland. Meddr Grønland, Geosci. 10: 1–28.
Fredskild, B., 1985a. Holocene pollen records from West Greenland. In Andrews, J. T. (ed.), Quaternary Environments: Eastern Canadian Arctic, Baffin Bay and Western Greenland. Allen and Unwin, Boston, 643–681.
Fredskild, B., 1985b. The Holocene vegetational development of Tugtuligssuaq and Qeqertat, Northwest Greenland. Meddr Grønland, Geosci. 14: 1–20.
Fuge, D. P., 1930. Diatoms from near Kugssuk, West Greenland. Meddr Grønland 76: 213–224.
Funder, S., 1978. Holocene stratigraphy and vegetation history in the Scoresby Sund area, East Greenland. Grønlands Geol. Undersøg. Bull. 129: 1–66.
Funder, S., 1989. Quaternary geology of the ice free areas and adjacent shelves of Greenland. In Fulton, R. J. (ed.), Quaternary Geology of Canada and Greenland: Geological Survey of Canada, Torornto, 743–792.
Hansen, K., 1967. The general limnology of arctic lakes illustrated by examples from Greenland. Meddr Grønland 178: 1–78.
Harpøth, O., J. L. Pedersen, H. K. Schønwandt & B. Thomassen, 1986. The mineral occurrences of central East Greenland. Meddr Grønland, Geosci. 17: 1–139.
Håkansson, H., 1990a. A comparison of Cyclotella krammeri sp. nov. and C.schumannii Håkansson stat. nov. Diatom Res. 5: 261–271.
Håkansson, H., 1990b. Cyclotella tripartita nov. sp. (Bacillariophyceae) and the relationship to similar taxa. In Ricard, M. (ed.), Ouvrage dédié à la mémoire du Professeur Henry Germain (1903–1989). Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein, 75–82.
Håkansson, H. & H. Kling, 1990. The current status of some vey small freshwater diatoms of the genera Stephanodiscus and Cyclostephanos. Diatom Res. 5: 273–287.
Headley, A. D., 1996. Heavy metal concentrations in peat profiles from the high Arctic. Sci. Total Environ. 177: 105–111.
Hebbeln, D., R. Henrich & K.-H. Baumann, 1998. Paleocenaography of the last Interglacial/Glacial cycle in the polar North Atlantic. Quat. Sci. Rev. 17: 125–153.
Hegewald, E. & A. Hindáková, 1997. Variabilität von einer natürlichen Population und von Klonene des Cyclotella ocellata-Komplexes (Bacillariophyceae) aus dem Gallbergweiher, Nordwestdeutschland. Algol. Studies 86: 17–37.
Hein, M. K., 1990. Flora of Adak Island, Alaska: Bacillariophyceae (Diatoms). Bibl. Diatomol. 21: 1–133.
Hoffmann, G., 1994. Aufwuchs-Diatomeen in Seen und ihre Eignung als Indikatoren der Trophie. Bibl. Diatomol. 30: 1–241.
Hustedt, F., 1930. Die Kieselalgen Deutschlands, Österreichs und der Schweiz, 1. Teil. Koeltz Scientific Books, Champaign, 920 pp (Reprint 1991).
Hustedt, F., 1959. Die Kieselalgen Deutschland, Österreichs und der Schweiz, 2. Teil. Koeltz Scientific Books, Champaign, 845 pp (Reprint 1991).
Hustedt, F., 1961–1966. Die Kieselalgen Deutschlands, Österreich und der Schweiz, 3. Teil. Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein, 816 pp (Reprint 1977).
Johnsen, S. J., H. B. Clausen, W. Dansgaard, N. S. Gundestrup, M. Hansson, P. Jonsson, J. P. Steffensen & A. E. Sveinbjørnsdottir, 1992. A ‘deep’ ice core from East Greenland. Meddr Grønland, Geosci. 29: 1–29.
Kiss, K. T., C. Rajo & M. Alvarez Cobelas, 1996. Morphological variability of a Cyclotella ocellata (Bacillariophyceae) population in the Lake Las Madras (Spain). Algol. Studies 82: 37–55.
Kling, H. & H. Håkansson, 1988. A light and electron microscope study of Cyclotella species (Bacillariophyceae) from central and Canadian lakes. Diatom Res. 3: 55–82.
Koç, N., E. Jansen & H. Haflidason, 1993. Paleoceanographic reconstructions of surface ocean conditions in the Greenland, Iceland and Norwegian Seas through the last 14ka based on diatoms. Quat. Sci. Rev. 12: 115–140.
Krammer, K., 1982. Valve morphology in the genus Cymbella C.A. Agardh. Micromorph. Diatom Valves 11: 9–299.
Krammer, K. & H. Lange-Bertalot, 1985. Naviculaceae, neue und wenig bekannte Taxa, neue Kombinationen und Synonyme sowie Bemerkungen zu einigen Gattungen. Bibl. Diatomol. 9: 1–230.
Krammer, K. & H. Lange-Bertalot, 1986. Bacillariophyceae 1. Teil: Naviculaceae. In Ettl, H., J. Gerloff, H. Heynig & D. Mollenhauer (eds), Süßwasserflora von Mitteleuropa, Band 2/1. Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, 1–876.
Krammer, K. & H. Lange-Bertalot, 1988. Bacillariophyceae, 2. Teil: Bacillariaceae, Epithemiaceae, Surirellaceae. In Ettl, H., J. Gerloff, H. Heynig & D. Mollenhauer (eds), Süßwasserflora von Mitteleuropa, Band 2/2. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, 1–596.
Krammer, K. & H. Lange-Bertalot, 1991a. Bacillariophyceae 3. Teil: Centrales, Fragilariaceae, Eunotiaceae. In Ettl, H., J. Gerloff, H. Heynig, & D. Mollenhauer, (eds), Süßwasserflora von Mitteleuropa, Band 2/3. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, 1–576.
Krammer, K. & H. Lange-Bertalot, 1991b. Bacillariophyceae 4. Teil: Achnanthaceae. In Ettl, H., G. Gärtner, J. Gerloff, H. Heynig & D. Mollenhauer, (eds), Süßwasserflora von Mitteleuropa, Band 2/4. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, 1–437.
Lichti-Federovich, S., 1980. Diatom flora of red snow from Isbjørneø, Carey Øer, Greenland. Nova Hedwigia 33: 395–431.
Long, A. J., D. H. Roberts & M. R. Wright, 1999. Isolation basin stratigraphy and Holocene relative sea-level change on Arveprinsen Ejland, Disko Bugt, West Greenland. J. Quat. Sci. 14: 323–345.
Lowe, R. L., 1975. Comparative ultrastructure of the valves of some Cyclotella species (Bacillariophyceae). J. Phycol. 11: 415–424.
Melles, M., T. Kulbe, P. P. Overduin & S. Verkulich, 1994. The expedition Bunger Oasis 1993/94 of the AWI Research Unit Potsdam. In: Melles, M. (ed.), The Expeditions Norilsk/Taymyr 1993 and Bunger Oasis 1993/94 of the AWI Research Unit Potsdam. Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven. Rep. Polar Res. 148: 27–80.
Metzeltin, D. & A. Witkowski, 1996. Diatomeen der Bären-Insel. Iconogr. Diatomol. 4: 3–232.
Meyer, B. & H. Håkansson, 1996. Morphological variation of Cyclotella polymorpha sp. nov. (Bacillariophyceae). Phycologia 35: 64–69.
Mölder, K. & R. Tynni, 1968–1973. Ñber Finnlands rezente und subfossile Diatomeen II-VII. Bull. Geol. Soc. Finland 40: 151–170 (1968), 41: 235–251 (1969), 42: 129–144 (1970), 43: 203– 220 (1971), 44: 141–159 (1972), 45: 159–179 (1973).
Müller, P. J. & R. Schneider, 1993. An automated leaching method for the determination of opal in sediments and particulate matter. Deep Sea Res. 40: 425–444.
Østrup, E., 1897. Ferskvands-Diatoméer fra Øst-Grønland. Meddr Grønland 15: 251–290.
Østrup, E., 1910. Diatoms from North East Greenland. Meddr Grønland 43: 199–256.
Pankow, H., 1990. Ostsee-Algenflora. Gustav Fischer, Jena: 648 pp.
Petersen, J. B., 1924. Freshwater-algae from the north coast of Greenland, collected by the late Dr. Th. Wulff. Meddr Grønland 64: 307–319.
Pienitz, R., J. P. Smol & H. J. B. Birks, 1995. Assessment of freshwater diatoms as quantitative indicators of past climatic change in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada. J. Paleolim. 13: 21–49.
Reavie, E. D., R. I. Hall & J. P. Smol, 1995. An expanded weightedaveraging model for inferring past total phosphorus concentrations from diatom assemblages in eutrophic British Columbia (Canada) lakes. J. Paleolim. 14: 49–67.
Sabater, S. & E. Y. Haworth, 1995. An assessment of recent trophic changes in Windermere South Basin (England) based on diatom remains and fossil pigments. J. Paleolim. 14: 151–163.
Scheffler, W., 1994. Cyclotella pseudocomensis nov. sp. (Bacillariophyceae) aus norddeutschen Seen. Diatom Res. 9: 355–369.
Scheffler, W. & J. Padisák, 1997. Cyclotella tripartita (Bacillariophyceae), a dominant species in the oligotrophic Lake Stechlin, Germany. Nova Hedwigia 65: 221–232.
Schrader, H. & R. Gersonde, 1978. Diatoms and Silicoflagellates. Utrecht Micropaleont. Bull. 17: 129–176.0
Simonsen, R., 1962. Untersuchungen zur Systematik und Ökologie der Bodendiatomeen der westlichen Ostsee. Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol., Syst. Beih. 1: 9–148.
Smol, J. P., 1988. Paleoclimate proxy data from freshwater arctic diatoms. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 23: 837–844.
Snoeijs, P. & M. Potapova, 1998. Ecotypes or endemic species? – a hypothesis on the evolution of Diatoma taxa (Bacillariophyta) in the northern Baltic Sea. Nova Hedwigia 67: 303–348.
Sorvari, S. & A. Korhola, 1998. Recent diatom assemblage changes in subarctic Lake Saanajärvi, NW Finnish Lappland, and their paleoenvironmental implications. J. Paleolim. 20: 205–215.
St. Jacques, J.-M., M. S. V. Douglas & J. H. McAndrews, 2000. Mid-Holocene hemlock decline and diatom communities in van Nostrand Lake, Ontario, Canada. J. Paleolim. 23: 385–397.
Stoermer, E. F., G. Emmert, M. L. Julius & C. L. Schelske, 1996. Paleolimnologic evidence of rapid recent change in Lake Erie's trophic status. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 53: 1451–1458.
Stoermer, E. F. & J. P. Smol, 1999. The diatoms: applications for the environmental and earth sciences. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 469 pp.
Straub, F., 1987. A propos de Cyclotella comensis Grunow (Bacillariophyceae). Cah. Biol. Mar. 28: 319–322.
Stuiver, M., P. J. Reimer, E. Bard, J. W. Beck, G. Burr, K. A. Hughen, B. Kromer, G. McCormack, J. Van der Plicht & M. Spurk, 1998. INTCAL 98 Radiocarbon age calibration, 24,000–0 cal BP. Radiocarbon 40: 1041–1083.
Tynni, R., 1974–1980. Ñber Finnlands rezente und subfossile Diatomeen, VIII-XI. Geol. Surv. Finland Bull. 274 (1974): 1–55, 284 (1976): 1–37, 296 (1978): 1–55, 312 (1980): 1–93.
Van Dam, H., A. Mertens & J. Sinkeldam, 1994. A coded checklist and ecological indicator values of freshwater diatoms from The Netherlands. Neth. J. Aq. Ecol. 28: 117–133.
Wagner, B., M. Melles, J. Hahne, F. Niessen & H.-W. Hubberten, 2000. Holocene deglaciation and climate history on Geographical Society Island, East Greenland – evidence from lake sediments. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol. 160: 45–68.
Wagner, B. & M. Melles, in press. Holocene climatic and oceanic changes at East Greenland – evidences from seabird affected lake sediments on Raffles Island. Boreas.
Weckström, J., A. Korhola & T. Blom, 1997. Diatoms as quantitative indicators of pH and water temperature in subarctic Fennoscandian lakes. Hydrobiologia 347: 171–184.
Wenzel, C. & G. W. Gabrielsen, 1995. Trace element accumulation in three seabird species from Hornøya, Norway. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 29: 198–206.
Williams, K. M., 1993. Ice sheet and ocean interactions, margin of the East Greenland ice sheet (14 ka to present): diatom evidence. Paleoceanography 8: 69–83.
Wunsam, S., R. Schmidt & R. Klee, 1995. Cyclotella-taxa (Bacillariophyceae) in lakes of the Alpine region and their relationship to environmental variables. Aquat. Sci. 57: 360–386.
Zale, F., 1994. 14C age corrections in Antarctic lake sediments inferred from geochemistry. Radiocarbon 36: 173–185.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cremer, H., Wagner, B., Melles, M. et al. The postglacial environmental development of Raffles Sø, East Greenland: inferences from a 10,000 year diatom record. Journal of Paleolimnology 26, 67–87 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011179321529
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011179321529