The Late Quaternary sediment successions of Llangorse Lake, south Wales

A. P. Palmer; I. P. Matthews; A. MacLeod; A. Abrook; K. Akkerman; S. P.M. Blockley; I. Candy; C. Francis; W. Z. Hoek; F. Kingston; D. Maas; S. R. El-Hady; R. Gulliford; P. Lincoln; M. Perez-Fernandez; R. A. Staff

doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2021.01.004

The Late Quaternary sediment successions of Llangorse Lake, south Wales

A. P. Palmer^*
, I. P. Matthews
, A. MacLeod
, A. Abrook
, K. Akkerman
, S. P.M. Blockley
, I. Candy
, C. Francis
, W. Z. Hoek
, F. Kingston
, D. Maas
, S. R. El-Hady
, R. Gulliford
, P. Lincoln
, M. Perez-Fernandez
, R. A. Staff

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The last British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) created a landscape with many sedimentary basins that preserve archives of paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic change during the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition (LGIT; ~ 18-8 ka BP). The typical lithostratigraphic succession of these archives is composed of minerogenic/allogenic sediments formed during cold climatic conditions and organic-rich/authigenic sediments during warmer climates. This paper presents a multi-core lithostratigraphy compiled from the extant lake and surrounding basin at Llangorse Lake, south Wales, a basin lying within the southernmost limits of the last BIIS. This lake contains one of the longest continuous terrestrial sediment successions in the UK. Uncertainty previously existed concerning the presence and distribution of sediments at the site related to the Windermere Interstadial (~ 14.7 to ~ 12.9 ka BP) and Loch Lomond Stadial (~ 12.9 to 11.7 ka BP). A new borehole survey demonstrates that LGIT-age sediments are present at the site with nekron mud (gyttja), corresponding to the Lateglacial Interstadial, deposited in the deeper part of the lake waters and that these deposits are equivalent in age to marl deposits found at shallower depths at the margins of the basin. These deposits are associated with warmer conditions experienced during the Windermere Interstadial and Holocene, whilst minerogenic-rich sediments were deposited during the colder climatic conditions of the Dimlington Stadial and the Loch Lomond Stadial with rangefinder radiocarbon dates confirming this attribution. A model of lake level changes shows that drainage of the Dimlington Stadial glacial lake caused the largest fall, but there was also a further, smaller lake level fall at the end of the Windermere Interstadial and/or the start of the Loch Lomond Stadial, before the level rose in the early Holocene. The lithostratigraphic results presented here form the framework for further paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic research at Llangorse Lake.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	284-296
Number of pages	13
Journal	Proceedings of the Geologists' Association
Volume	132
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2021.01.004
Publication status	Published - Jun 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The Quaternary Research Association is acknowledged for its support through a Quaternary Research Fund award made to support the 2014 deep water coring campaign. Rangefinder radiocarbon determinations were supported through NERC Radiocarbon Facility award 2116.0418. Sedimentological work was supported by a Royal Holloway, University Research Strategy Fund award. Access to extract the cores from the crann?g area in 2003 was granted by the Ancient Monuments, CADW; the Countryside Council for Wales; and to Mr J.A.V. Blackham. Clive Jones is gratefully acknowledged for his continued support in allowing access to the field in the north west corner of Llangorse basin. Rebecca Smith is thanked for the use of data collected during an undergraduate dissertation. Jen Thornton and Joshua Pike are also thanked for their considerable help in developing the figures. Rachel Avery and two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the paper.

Funding Information:
The Quaternary Research Association is acknowledged for its support through a Quaternary Research Fund award made to support the 2014 deep water coring campaign. Rangefinder radiocarbon determinations were supported through NERC Radiocarbon Facility award 2116.0418. Sedimentological work was supported by a Royal Holloway, University Research Strategy Fund award. Access to extract the cores from the crannóg area in 2003 was granted by the Ancient Monuments, CADW; the Countryside Council for Wales; and to Mr J.A.V. Blackham. Clive Jones is gratefully acknowledged for his continued support in allowing access to the field in the north west corner of Llangorse basin. Rebecca Smith is thanked for the use of data collected during an undergraduate dissertation. Jen Thornton and Joshua Pike are also thanked for their considerable help in developing the figures. Rachel Avery and two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the paper.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Funding

The Quaternary Research Association is acknowledged for its support through a Quaternary Research Fund award made to support the 2014 deep water coring campaign. Rangefinder radiocarbon determinations were supported through NERC Radiocarbon Facility award 2116.0418. Sedimentological work was supported by a Royal Holloway, University Research Strategy Fund award. Access to extract the cores from the crann?g area in 2003 was granted by the Ancient Monuments, CADW; the Countryside Council for Wales; and to Mr J.A.V. Blackham. Clive Jones is gratefully acknowledged for his continued support in allowing access to the field in the north west corner of Llangorse basin. Rebecca Smith is thanked for the use of data collected during an undergraduate dissertation. Jen Thornton and Joshua Pike are also thanked for their considerable help in developing the figures. Rachel Avery and two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the paper. The Quaternary Research Association is acknowledged for its support through a Quaternary Research Fund award made to support the 2014 deep water coring campaign. Rangefinder radiocarbon determinations were supported through NERC Radiocarbon Facility award 2116.0418. Sedimentological work was supported by a Royal Holloway, University Research Strategy Fund award. Access to extract the cores from the crannóg area in 2003 was granted by the Ancient Monuments, CADW; the Countryside Council for Wales; and to Mr J.A.V. Blackham. Clive Jones is gratefully acknowledged for his continued support in allowing access to the field in the north west corner of Llangorse basin. Rebecca Smith is thanked for the use of data collected during an undergraduate dissertation. Jen Thornton and Joshua Pike are also thanked for their considerable help in developing the figures. Rachel Avery and two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the paper.

Keywords

Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition
Lithostratigraphy
Llangorse Lake, south Wales

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10.1016/j.pgeola.2021.01.004Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S0016787821000158-mainFinal published version, 2.97 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Palmer, A. P., Matthews, I. P., MacLeod, A., Abrook, A., Akkerman, K., Blockley, S. P. M., Candy, I., Francis, C., Hoek, W. Z., Kingston, F., Maas, D., El-Hady, S. R., Gulliford, R., Lincoln, P., Perez-Fernandez, M., & Staff, R. A. (2021). The Late Quaternary sediment successions of Llangorse Lake, south Wales. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 132(3), 284-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2021.01.004

@article{97308e3242384ef1baa5f147b5689fef,

title = "The Late Quaternary sediment successions of Llangorse Lake, south Wales",

abstract = "The last British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) created a landscape with many sedimentary basins that preserve archives of paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic change during the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition (LGIT; \textasciitilde{} 18-8 ka BP). The typical lithostratigraphic succession of these archives is composed of minerogenic/allogenic sediments formed during cold climatic conditions and organic-rich/authigenic sediments during warmer climates. This paper presents a multi-core lithostratigraphy compiled from the extant lake and surrounding basin at Llangorse Lake, south Wales, a basin lying within the southernmost limits of the last BIIS. This lake contains one of the longest continuous terrestrial sediment successions in the UK. Uncertainty previously existed concerning the presence and distribution of sediments at the site related to the Windermere Interstadial (\textasciitilde{} 14.7 to \textasciitilde{} 12.9 ka BP) and Loch Lomond Stadial (\textasciitilde{} 12.9 to 11.7 ka BP). A new borehole survey demonstrates that LGIT-age sediments are present at the site with nekron mud (gyttja), corresponding to the Lateglacial Interstadial, deposited in the deeper part of the lake waters and that these deposits are equivalent in age to marl deposits found at shallower depths at the margins of the basin. These deposits are associated with warmer conditions experienced during the Windermere Interstadial and Holocene, whilst minerogenic-rich sediments were deposited during the colder climatic conditions of the Dimlington Stadial and the Loch Lomond Stadial with rangefinder radiocarbon dates confirming this attribution. A model of lake level changes shows that drainage of the Dimlington Stadial glacial lake caused the largest fall, but there was also a further, smaller lake level fall at the end of the Windermere Interstadial and/or the start of the Loch Lomond Stadial, before the level rose in the early Holocene. The lithostratigraphic results presented here form the framework for further paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic research at Llangorse Lake.",

keywords = "Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition, Lithostratigraphy, Llangorse Lake, south Wales",

author = "Palmer, \{A. P.\} and Matthews, \{I. P.\} and A. MacLeod and A. Abrook and K. Akkerman and Blockley, \{S. P.M.\} and I. Candy and C. Francis and Hoek, \{W. Z.\} and F. Kingston and D. Maas and El-Hady, \{S. R.\} and R. Gulliford and P. Lincoln and M. Perez-Fernandez and Staff, \{R. A.\}",

note = "Funding Information: The Quaternary Research Association is acknowledged for its support through a Quaternary Research Fund award made to support the 2014 deep water coring campaign. Rangefinder radiocarbon determinations were supported through NERC Radiocarbon Facility award 2116.0418. Sedimentological work was supported by a Royal Holloway, University Research Strategy Fund award. Access to extract the cores from the crann?g area in 2003 was granted by the Ancient Monuments, CADW; the Countryside Council for Wales; and to Mr J.A.V. Blackham. Clive Jones is gratefully acknowledged for his continued support in allowing access to the field in the north west corner of Llangorse basin. Rebecca Smith is thanked for the use of data collected during an undergraduate dissertation. Jen Thornton and Joshua Pike are also thanked for their considerable help in developing the figures. Rachel Avery and two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the paper. Funding Information: The Quaternary Research Association is acknowledged for its support through a Quaternary Research Fund award made to support the 2014 deep water coring campaign. Rangefinder radiocarbon determinations were supported through NERC Radiocarbon Facility award 2116.0418. Sedimentological work was supported by a Royal Holloway, University Research Strategy Fund award. Access to extract the cores from the crann{\'o}g area in 2003 was granted by the Ancient Monuments, CADW; the Countryside Council for Wales; and to Mr J.A.V. Blackham. Clive Jones is gratefully acknowledged for his continued support in allowing access to the field in the north west corner of Llangorse basin. Rebecca Smith is thanked for the use of data collected during an undergraduate dissertation. Jen Thornton and Joshua Pike are also thanked for their considerable help in developing the figures. Rachel Avery and two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the paper. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.pgeola.2021.01.004",

language = "English",

volume = "132",

pages = "284--296",

journal = "Proceedings of the Geologists' Association",

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Palmer, AP, Matthews, IP, MacLeod, A, Abrook, A, Akkerman, K, Blockley, SPM, Candy, I, Francis, C, Hoek, WZ, Kingston, F, Maas, D, El-Hady, SR, Gulliford, R, Lincoln, P, Perez-Fernandez, M & Staff, RA 2021, 'The Late Quaternary sediment successions of Llangorse Lake, south Wales', Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, vol. 132, no. 3, pp. 284-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2021.01.004

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Late Quaternary sediment successions of Llangorse Lake, south Wales

AU - Palmer, A. P.

AU - Matthews, I. P.

AU - MacLeod, A.

AU - Abrook, A.

AU - Akkerman, K.

AU - Blockley, S. P.M.

AU - Candy, I.

AU - Francis, C.

AU - Hoek, W. Z.

AU - Kingston, F.

AU - Maas, D.

AU - El-Hady, S. R.

AU - Gulliford, R.

AU - Lincoln, P.

AU - Perez-Fernandez, M.

AU - Staff, R. A.

N1 - Funding Information: The Quaternary Research Association is acknowledged for its support through a Quaternary Research Fund award made to support the 2014 deep water coring campaign. Rangefinder radiocarbon determinations were supported through NERC Radiocarbon Facility award 2116.0418. Sedimentological work was supported by a Royal Holloway, University Research Strategy Fund award. Access to extract the cores from the crann?g area in 2003 was granted by the Ancient Monuments, CADW; the Countryside Council for Wales; and to Mr J.A.V. Blackham. Clive Jones is gratefully acknowledged for his continued support in allowing access to the field in the north west corner of Llangorse basin. Rebecca Smith is thanked for the use of data collected during an undergraduate dissertation. Jen Thornton and Joshua Pike are also thanked for their considerable help in developing the figures. Rachel Avery and two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the paper. Funding Information: The Quaternary Research Association is acknowledged for its support through a Quaternary Research Fund award made to support the 2014 deep water coring campaign. Rangefinder radiocarbon determinations were supported through NERC Radiocarbon Facility award 2116.0418. Sedimentological work was supported by a Royal Holloway, University Research Strategy Fund award. Access to extract the cores from the crannóg area in 2003 was granted by the Ancient Monuments, CADW; the Countryside Council for Wales; and to Mr J.A.V. Blackham. Clive Jones is gratefully acknowledged for his continued support in allowing access to the field in the north west corner of Llangorse basin. Rebecca Smith is thanked for the use of data collected during an undergraduate dissertation. Jen Thornton and Joshua Pike are also thanked for their considerable help in developing the figures. Rachel Avery and two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the paper. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2021/6

Y1 - 2021/6

N2 - The last British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) created a landscape with many sedimentary basins that preserve archives of paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic change during the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition (LGIT; ~ 18-8 ka BP). The typical lithostratigraphic succession of these archives is composed of minerogenic/allogenic sediments formed during cold climatic conditions and organic-rich/authigenic sediments during warmer climates. This paper presents a multi-core lithostratigraphy compiled from the extant lake and surrounding basin at Llangorse Lake, south Wales, a basin lying within the southernmost limits of the last BIIS. This lake contains one of the longest continuous terrestrial sediment successions in the UK. Uncertainty previously existed concerning the presence and distribution of sediments at the site related to the Windermere Interstadial (~ 14.7 to ~ 12.9 ka BP) and Loch Lomond Stadial (~ 12.9 to 11.7 ka BP). A new borehole survey demonstrates that LGIT-age sediments are present at the site with nekron mud (gyttja), corresponding to the Lateglacial Interstadial, deposited in the deeper part of the lake waters and that these deposits are equivalent in age to marl deposits found at shallower depths at the margins of the basin. These deposits are associated with warmer conditions experienced during the Windermere Interstadial and Holocene, whilst minerogenic-rich sediments were deposited during the colder climatic conditions of the Dimlington Stadial and the Loch Lomond Stadial with rangefinder radiocarbon dates confirming this attribution. A model of lake level changes shows that drainage of the Dimlington Stadial glacial lake caused the largest fall, but there was also a further, smaller lake level fall at the end of the Windermere Interstadial and/or the start of the Loch Lomond Stadial, before the level rose in the early Holocene. The lithostratigraphic results presented here form the framework for further paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic research at Llangorse Lake.

AB - The last British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) created a landscape with many sedimentary basins that preserve archives of paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic change during the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition (LGIT; ~ 18-8 ka BP). The typical lithostratigraphic succession of these archives is composed of minerogenic/allogenic sediments formed during cold climatic conditions and organic-rich/authigenic sediments during warmer climates. This paper presents a multi-core lithostratigraphy compiled from the extant lake and surrounding basin at Llangorse Lake, south Wales, a basin lying within the southernmost limits of the last BIIS. This lake contains one of the longest continuous terrestrial sediment successions in the UK. Uncertainty previously existed concerning the presence and distribution of sediments at the site related to the Windermere Interstadial (~ 14.7 to ~ 12.9 ka BP) and Loch Lomond Stadial (~ 12.9 to 11.7 ka BP). A new borehole survey demonstrates that LGIT-age sediments are present at the site with nekron mud (gyttja), corresponding to the Lateglacial Interstadial, deposited in the deeper part of the lake waters and that these deposits are equivalent in age to marl deposits found at shallower depths at the margins of the basin. These deposits are associated with warmer conditions experienced during the Windermere Interstadial and Holocene, whilst minerogenic-rich sediments were deposited during the colder climatic conditions of the Dimlington Stadial and the Loch Lomond Stadial with rangefinder radiocarbon dates confirming this attribution. A model of lake level changes shows that drainage of the Dimlington Stadial glacial lake caused the largest fall, but there was also a further, smaller lake level fall at the end of the Windermere Interstadial and/or the start of the Loch Lomond Stadial, before the level rose in the early Holocene. The lithostratigraphic results presented here form the framework for further paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic research at Llangorse Lake.

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KW - Lithostratigraphy

KW - Llangorse Lake, south Wales

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ER -

The Late Quaternary sediment successions of Llangorse Lake, south Wales

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

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