Mineral composition of lake Sabakty sediments as an indicator of paleoclimate, Southern Urals, Russia

Abstract

Relevance. Reconstruction of climatic changes based on the lacustrine sediments of lakes makes it possible to identify climatic trends and events in the late Quaternary. The Urals is considered as one of the climatic divisions, therefore, studies of the conditions of lake sedimentation, including climatic ones, are relevant in this area. Aim. To study mineral composition as an indicator of paleoclimate of Lake Sabakty sediments. Object. Core of Lake Sabakty sediments (length is 298 cm). The age of the core is ~25 thousand years old. Materials and methods. Sampling was carried out taking into account seismoacoustic data, lithological description, as well as measurements of magnetic susceptibility and radiometric dating data. The granulometric analysis was carried out by laser granulometry using a Bluewave particle size analyzer (Microtrac, USA) combined with a sample loading and circulation system with an integrated ultrasonic dispersant. Mineral composition of the sediments was determined using the D2 PHASER X-ray diffractometer and the Merlin auto-emission scanning electron microscope. Results. The predominance of the siltstone fraction was established. The mineral composition is characterized by the predominance of allotigenic minerals in sediments (quartz, microcline, albite, mica, chlorite, mixed-layer clay minerals, hornblende, kaolinite) according to X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Autigenic minerals include biogenic silica (cristobalite, tridymite), pyrite, carbonates (calcite, dolomite), sulfates (gypsum, barite). Conclusions. The ratio of allogenic and autogenic components reflects the changes in the accommodation of the reservoir and the supply of clastic material associated with changes in climate humidity. Changes in climate humidity are reflected in changes in the contents of carbonate and sulfate minerals. At the beginning of sedimentation, Lake Sabakty was shallow and mineralized due to climate aridization, which probably included the global Bond 8 event (~26000–11700 BP). The study of the mineral composition of the sediments of Lake Sabakty allowed us to establish the events of climate aridization: ~10000 BP, ~7600 BP, ~6900 BP ~1900 BP and ~1400 BP. In Sabakty Lake, there is a bright episode of a decrease in climate humidity in the range of ~7300-5200 BP, which is marked by an increase in carbonate content up to 70% and the detection of gypsum at ~6900 BP.

Keywords

• paleoclimate
• holocene
• lacustrine sediments
• mineral composition
• granulometry