Türkiye Jeoloji Bülteni

Termination of Little Ice Age in Northeastern Anatolia: A Multi-proxy Paleolimnology Study of Lake Aygır Sediments, (Kars, NE Anatolia)

Abstract: Sedimentary, geochemical and stable isotope analyses of a sediment core (core AY) recovered from LakeAygır (NE Anatolia) provide evidence of the climatic shifts during the last ~500 yrs. Sediments in Lake Aygırare composed of silty clay with a modeled ~0.16 cm/yr sedimentation rate. Multi-proxy analyses of the downcoredistribution of detritally-deposited proxy elements, total calcium carbonate, organic carbon and stable isotopes revealclimatic records of the Industrial Epoch (IE; 18th-19th centuries) and the termination of the Little Ice Age (LIA; AD1350 to 1850), represented by fluctuating Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Ca, Sr and relatively low detrital precursors(Fe, Ti, K, Rb, Zr), indicating low chemical weathering and dry conditions. The upper part of the core (192 cal yrsBP to present), identified with high detrital input, contains an increasing trend of Fe, Ti, K, Rb, and Zr together withhigh δ18O and δ13C values, indicating warmer conditions during the IE.