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Organic lacustrine sediment varves as indicators of past precipitation changes: a 3,000-year climate record from Central Finland

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Abstract

Annually laminated (varved) sediments from Lake Kallio-Kourujärvi, Central Finland, provide high-resolution sedimentological data for the last three millennia. These varves consist of two laminae that represent (1) deposition during the spring-to-autumn growing season, composed of degraded organic matter and a variety of microfossils, and (2) deposition during winter, composed of fine-grained homogenous organic matter. Because of the absence of a clastic lamina, these varves differ from the typical, well-described, clastic-organic varve sequences in Fennoscandian lakes. Such organic varves in Finnish lakes have not been studied in detail before. Three thousand varves were counted and their seasonal deposition was distinguished. Comparison of varve thickness with meteorological data revealed a positive correlation between organic varve thickness and precipitation. This suggests that catchment erosion processes and consequent organic matter and nutrient inputs are important factors in organic varve formation. The correlation between temperature and growing-season lamina thickness varied from insignificant, to positive, to negative during different time spans. This suggests that organic matter accumulation can sometimes have a significant, but unpredictable role in organic varve formation, via organic matter production and degradation, processes that are influenced strongly by water column temperature. The organic varves of Lake Kallio-Kourujärvi enable a unique, high-resolution approach for the study of past climate and environment. Our results suggest that decadal periods of increased precipitation occurred during BP 2150–2090, 1710–1620, 1410–1360, 920–870 (1030–1080 AD), and after 370 BP (1580 AD). Dryer intervals occurred during BP 2750–2720, 1900–1850, 1800–1740, 1600–1500, and 780–700 (1170–1250 AD), 590–520 (1360–1430 AD).

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Acknowledgments

We thank H. Wenho and A. Peltola for technical support in the field and laboratory, A. Brauer, J. Mingram and M. Czymzik for guidance with microscope work, M. Saari and J. Sandholm for technical support with microscope facilities, and E. Haltia for valuable comments on the manuscript. We acknowledge two anonymous referees for their comments and suggestions, and Mark Brenner for language editing. This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (Grant No. 123724) and the Kone Foundation (Grant No. 27-5385).

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  1. Geology Division, Department of Geography and Geology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Saija Saarni & Timo Saarinen

  2. Environmental Science and Technology Division, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Anssi Lensu

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  1. Saija Saarni
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Correspondence to Saija Saarni.

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Saarni, S., Saarinen, T. & Lensu, A. Organic lacustrine sediment varves as indicators of past precipitation changes: a 3,000-year climate record from Central Finland. J Paleolimnol 53, 401–413 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-015-9832-8

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