2002 ARCSS All-Hands Workshop

Lake sediment paleoclimate research in the Lofoten Islands, Arctic Norway

Raymond S. Bradley¹, Pierre Francus², Lesleigh Anderson³, Jon Pilcher^4
1Climate System Research Center, Dept. of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Morrill Science Center, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA, Phone 413-545-2120, Fax 413-545-1200, rbradley@geo.umass.edu
²Climate System Research Center, Dept. of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Morrill Science Center, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA, Phone 413-545-0659, Fax 413-545-1200, francus@geo.umass.edu
³Climate System Research Center, Dept. of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Morrill Science Center, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA, Phone 413-545-9573, Fax 413-545-1200, land@geo.umass.edu
⁴Department of Palaeoecology, Queens University, Belfast, UK, j.pilcher@Queens-Belfast.ac.uk

The Lofoten Islands (at 67-69°N in the eastern Atlantic) are in a location that is sensitive to changes in ocean circulation within the Norwegian Sea, and they are strongly influenced by variations in the atmospheric circulation through the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). We therefore initiated a reconnaissance project in 2001 to recover lake sediments and peat deposits that might shed light on North Atlantic climate variability. Topography of the islands is mountainous, with deeply eroded lake-filled cirques (tarns) and impressive moraines, reflecting the dynamic glacial environment that characterized the region in the past. The islands are replete with lakes, many of which are deep and close to sea-level, and peat deposits are extensive.

Our initial goals, to recover high-resolution sedimentary records from the region were not realized, as sedimentation rates are surprisingly low. Nevertheless, we have recovered Holocene-length records that document climate variability, at the multi-decadal to century scale. Furthermore, we expect that the peat and lake sediments will shed light on several intriguing paleoenvironmental questions that we are now investigating. These include: climate variability during the time of Viking settlement in the region; relative sea-level changes in the region during the Holocene, including the extent of the Tapes marine transgression; evidence for tsunami effects in coastal regions. In addition, we are examining the peat for tephras (that may have spread from Iceland) in order to provide a high-resolution chronology for the region.

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