Mid-Holocene Littorina Sea transgressions based on stratigraphic studies in coastal lakes of NW Russia

The mid-Holocene Littorina Sea transgression has been studied in sediment cores from four coastal lakes in NW Russia. The basins are situated in the same drainage system at elevations from 6.9 to 9.2 m a.s.l. Complementary parameters have been applied to identify water-level changes. Chronological models are based on AMS radiocarbon dating of bulk sediments but also wood remains and moss sedge peat has been dated in a few cases. All radiocarbon ages have been calibrated to calendar years BP (cal. BP). Between 8000 and 6000 cal. BP the present-day lakes were in contact with the Littorina Sea and brackish conditions prevailed. The water level was higher than 6 m a.s.l. clearly documented in all four basins. A peak reaching above the level of the uppermost lake (9.2 m a.s.l.) has been dated to ca. 7500 cal. BP. During the high level phase a short lived regress ion/transgression is recognized in all but the uppermost basin. This minor water level fluctuation lasted for a few hundred years around 7000 cal. BP. It is reflected in various parameters in the different basins. Correlations are made with recent studies from Blekinge in southeastern Sweden situated at the 10 m Littorina isobase as the present investigation area. The parallel Littorina Sea history in these two areas seems to confirm a multi-transgression pattern across the southern Baltic Sea

Climate and environment on the Karelian Isthmus, northwestern Russia, 13000-9000 cal. yrs BP

Sediment sequences retrieved from Lake Medvedevskoye (60degrees13'N 29degrees54'E) and Lake Pastorskoye (60degrees13'N, 30degrees02'E). Karelian Isthmus, northwestern Russia, were analysed for lithology, pollen and diatom stratigraphy, total organic carbon content and mineral magnetic parameters. Age control for both sequences was provided by AMS C-14 measurements and the Vedde Ash tephra. The reconstructed climatic and environmental development shows the deglaciation of the sites a-ad the establishment of sparse shrub and herb/grass vegetation before 12650 cal. yrs BP ('Allerod'; GI-1a). Steppe tundra and cold, dry conditions prevailed until about 11000 cal. yrs BP. i.e. throughout the 'Younger Dryas' (GS-1) and the earliest Holocene. The establishment of open Picea-Pinus-Betula forest around the lakes at about 11000 cal. yrs BP coincides with the first distinct change towards gradually warmer and more humid climatic conditions. Boreal forest with Picea, Pinus, Betula, Alnus incana and Corylus was present at the lower altitude site between c. 10700 and 10200 cal. yrs BP. while open Betula-Pinus forest continued to dominate the vegetation around the higher altitude site. After a short, possibly colder, phase around 10200-10000 cal. yrs BP, which is expressed by a marked reduction in vegetation Cover and decreased lake productivity. Climatic conditions became significantly warmer and possibly more humid. Boreal forest with Pinus, Betula, Picea, Alnus incana, Con-his and Ulmus became widespread in the region after 10000 cal. yrs BP, The delayed environmental response of the lakes and their catchment to hemispheric warming at the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary may be explained by a sustained blocking of westerly air masses due to the presence of the Scandinavian ice sheet and associated strengthened easterlies and anticyclonic circulation and/or extensive permafrost