TY - JOUR
T1 - Event layers in the Japanese Lake Suigetsu 'SG06' sediment core
T2 - Description, interpretation and climatic implications
AU - Schlolaut, Gordon
AU - Brauer, Achim
AU - Marshall, Michael H.
AU - Nakagawa, Takeshi
AU - Staff, Richard A.
AU - Bronk Ramsey, Christopher
AU - Lamb, Henry F.
AU - Bryant, Charlotte L.
AU - Naumann, Rudolf
AU - Dulski, Peter
AU - Brock, Fiona
AU - Yokoyama, Yusuke
AU - Tada, Ryuji
AU - Haraguchi, Tsuyoshi
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the German Research Foundation (DFG grants TA-540/3-1 , BR 2208/7-1 ), the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC grants NE/D000289/1 , NE/F003048/1 , SM/1219.0407/001 ), the KAKENHI project of Japan (grant 211001002 ) and INTIMATE EU cost for funding. Furthermore, we thank Prof. K. Takemura for providing map material of the Lake Suigetsu region and Dr. R. Hayashi for providing the raw Lake Biwa pollen data. We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their suggestions, which helped us to improve the manuscript. The data presented here are available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.821829 .
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - Event layers in lake sediments are indicators of past extreme events, mostly the results of floods or earthquakes. Detailed characterisation of the layers allows the discrimination of the sedimentation processes involved, such as surface runoff, landslides or subaqueous slope failures. These processes can then be interpreted in terms of their triggering mechanisms. Here we present a 40ka event layer chronology from Lake Suigetsu, Japan. The event layers were characterised using a multi-proxy approach, employing light microscopy and μXRF for microfacies analysis. The vast majority of event layers in Lake Suigetsu was produced by flood events (362 out of 369), allowing the construction of the first long-term, quantitative (with respect to recurrence) and well dated flood chronology from the region. The flood layer frequency shows a high variability over the last 40ka, and it appears that extreme precipitation events were decoupled from the average long-term precipitation. For instance, the flood layer frequency is highest in the Glacial at around 25ka BP, at which time Japan was experiencing a generally cold and dry climate. Other cold episodes, such as Heinrich Event 1 or the Late Glacial stadial, show a low flood layer frequency. Both observations together exclude a simple, straightforward relationship with average precipitation and temperature. We argue that, especially during Glacial times, changes in typhoon genesis/typhoon tracks are the most likely control on the flood layer frequency, rather than changes in the monsoon front or snow melts. Spectral analysis of the flood chronology revealed periodic variations on centennial and millennial time scales, with 220yr, 450yr and a 2000yr cyclicity most pronounced. However, the flood layer frequency appears to have not only been influenced by climate changes, but also by changes in erosion rates due to, for instance, earthquakes.
AB - Event layers in lake sediments are indicators of past extreme events, mostly the results of floods or earthquakes. Detailed characterisation of the layers allows the discrimination of the sedimentation processes involved, such as surface runoff, landslides or subaqueous slope failures. These processes can then be interpreted in terms of their triggering mechanisms. Here we present a 40ka event layer chronology from Lake Suigetsu, Japan. The event layers were characterised using a multi-proxy approach, employing light microscopy and μXRF for microfacies analysis. The vast majority of event layers in Lake Suigetsu was produced by flood events (362 out of 369), allowing the construction of the first long-term, quantitative (with respect to recurrence) and well dated flood chronology from the region. The flood layer frequency shows a high variability over the last 40ka, and it appears that extreme precipitation events were decoupled from the average long-term precipitation. For instance, the flood layer frequency is highest in the Glacial at around 25ka BP, at which time Japan was experiencing a generally cold and dry climate. Other cold episodes, such as Heinrich Event 1 or the Late Glacial stadial, show a low flood layer frequency. Both observations together exclude a simple, straightforward relationship with average precipitation and temperature. We argue that, especially during Glacial times, changes in typhoon genesis/typhoon tracks are the most likely control on the flood layer frequency, rather than changes in the monsoon front or snow melts. Spectral analysis of the flood chronology revealed periodic variations on centennial and millennial time scales, with 220yr, 450yr and a 2000yr cyclicity most pronounced. However, the flood layer frequency appears to have not only been influenced by climate changes, but also by changes in erosion rates due to, for instance, earthquakes.
KW - μXRF
KW - Earthquakes
KW - East Asia
KW - Floods
KW - Lacustrine
KW - LGM
KW - Microfacies
KW - Microscopy
KW - Typhoons
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84890099294&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.026
DO - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.026
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84890099294
SN - 0277-3791
VL - 83
SP - 157
EP - 170
JO - Quaternary Science Reviews
JF - Quaternary Science Reviews
ER -