Biogeochemical evidence for freshwater periods during the Last Glacial Maximum 
recorded in lake sediments from Nam Co, south-central Tibetan Plateau

Witt, Roman; Günther, Franziska; Lauterbach, Stefan; Kasper, Thomas; Mäusbacher, Roland; Yao, Tandong; Gleixner, Gerd

doi:10.1007/s10933-015-9863-1

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Biogeochemical evidence for freshwater periods during the Last Glacial Maximum recorded in lake sediments from Nam Co, south-central Tibetan Plateau

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Witt, Roman
Department Biogeochemical Processes, Prof. S. E. Trumbore, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Society;
IMPRS International Max Planck Research School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry , Max Planck Society;

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Günther, Franziska
Department Biogeochemical Processes, Prof. S. E. Trumbore, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Society;

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Gleixner, Gerd
Molecular Biogeochemistry Group, Dr. G. Gleixner, Department Biogeochemical Processes, Prof. S. E. Trumbore, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Society;

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Citation

Witt, R., Günther, F., Lauterbach, S., Kasper, T., Mäusbacher, R., Yao, T., et al. (2016). Biogeochemical evidence for freshwater periods during the Last Glacial Maximum recorded in lake sediments from Nam Co, south-central Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Paleolimnology, 55(1), 67-82. doi:10.1007/s10933-015-9863-1.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0028-FAB8-8

Abstract

Improved knowledge of deglaciation processes during the termination of the Last Glacial Maximum on the Tibetan Plateau can provide important information for understanding deglaciations in climate-sensitive high-altitude ecosystems. Little, however, is known about this time interval because most lacustrine sediment records from the Tibetan Plateau are younger than 19,000 years. This study focused on a lake sediment record from Nam Co, south-central Tibetan Plateau, covering the interval from *23.7 to 20.9 cal ka BP. We analysed the distribution and compound-specific hydrogen isotope composition (dD) of sedimentary n-alkanes, as well as the bulk sediment TOC, TN, d13Corg and d15N composition, to infer lake system development. Pronounced changes in environmental conditions between *21.6 and 21.1 cal ka BP, as well as between 23.1 and 22.5 cal ka BP (Greenland Interstadial 2), were inferred from increased aquatic nalkane amounts and decreased dDn-C23 values within these time intervals, respectively. Freshwater inputs, which most likely resulted from enhanced glacier melting, caused these changes. Our results suggest that mountain glacier retreat on the Tibetan Plateau started earlier than previously assumed. The required energy for thawing was probably provided by temperature changes caused by reorganization of atmospheric circulation, which has also been recorded in Greenland ice records.