Holocene Variations of Organic Carbon Contents in Lake Langer of King George Island, South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica

Abstract

A sediment core drilled from Lake Langer on King George Island was analyzed for a variety of textural and geochemical properties along with 14C age dates. These data were combined with published records of other cores to provide a detailed history of Holocene variation of total organic carbon (TOC) contents with respect to terrestrial paleoclimate change. The lithologic contrast of the lower diamicton and upper fine-grained sediments shows the glacier activity and subsequent lake formation. Low TOC contents fluctuated during the diamicton deposition whereas the increase of TOC began with the lake formation during the postglacial period that started about 5,000 yr B.P. More notable are the distinct TOC peaks that may imply enhanced primary productivity during the warm period. The uniform and low TOC contents may reflect the limited productivity during the evolution of the lake. However, the recent TOC readvance clearly indicates gradual warming on King George Island. However, the paleoclimatic signature in the terrestrial lake environment during the Holocene seems to be subtle and less distinct, compared to the marine environment.