Radiocarbon Dating of Holocene Moraines in Lapland, Northern Sweden
Abstract
Two palaeosols were investigated within glacial moraines in front of Nipals glacier, Lapland, Sweden. Some decades ago Wibj⊙rn Karlén dated these soils already by conventional radiocarbon dating techniques. We present new results from AMS-dating of promising different components from these soils, such as Coleoptera (beetle) fragments, Cenococcum geophilum-spores and a sieved fraction <0,09 mm of woody plant tissues. The ages of four dated parts of one soil show two age clusters at 740-1170 and 1630-2340 cal yr BP. The first cluster is composed by spores and beetles and the second cluster by woody plant tissues and the soluble organic fraction. The cluster around 1000 cal yr BP is well known from former studies in Swedish Lapland, whereas the second cluster represents a soil development event in the Holocene that is not yet known in Swedish Lapland. Our preferred hypothesis to explain two clusters represented in one soil is that two different aged soils have been smeared into each other by a later advance of Nipals glacier. A second dated soil shows an age of 4300-6300 cal yr BP based on spores, soluble organic fraction and insoluble organic fraction. One outlier with an age of 7600-7800 cal yr BP, from a Cenococcum sample can most probably be explained by bioturbation. AMS ages of different fractions contribute to a better understanding of soil development than the results measuring bulk samples. The glacial variability in Lapland is shown in comparison with other archives from Lapland and dates from Swiss glaciers in order to discuss regional differences in palaeoclimate based on glacier investigations.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2002
- Bibcode:
- 2002AGUFMPP61A0282H
- Keywords:
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- 1827 Glaciology (1863);
- 3322 Land/atmosphere interactions;
- 3344 Paleoclimatology;
- 9315 Arctic region