Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T12:51:26.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Climate Variability in East-Central California during the Past 1000 Years Reflected by High-Resolution Geochemical and Isotopic Records from Owens Lake Sediments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Hong-Chun Li ,
James L. Bischoff ,
Teh-Lung Ku ,
Steven P. Lund  and
Lowell D. Stott
Hong-Chun Li
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90089-0740
James L. Bischoff
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, MS 910, Menlo Park, California, 94025
Teh-Lung Ku
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90089-0740
Steven P. Lund
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90089-0740
Lowell D. Stott
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90089-0740
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core OL-97A, retrieved from the depocenter of Owens Lake, represents a depositional history spanning the past 1000 yr. Among the 17 elements analyzed in the acid-leachable fractions of 315 salt-free samples (at ∼3 yr/sample), Mg and Li, which come chiefly from authigenic Mg-hydroxy-silicates, were found to have concentration variations reflecting lake salinity and climatic changes during the past. A total of 231 isotopic measurements on carbonates from the same samples in the upper 181 cm show that δ18O and δ13C values range from −5.66 to 0.12‰ (PDB) and 1.38 to 4.28‰ (PDB), respectively. The rate of change with time in δ18O records the rate of change in lake's volume due to climate fluctuations, whereas variations in δ13C reflect mainly variations in biological productivity, nutrient supply, and dissolved carbonate in the lake. Results indicate an effectively dry climate between A.D. 950 and 1220, corresponding to the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (a warm period in northern Europe), during which Owens Lake approached playa conditions. Wet climates prevailed during A.D. 1220–1480, producing relatively large and deep lakes. Beginning about A.D. 1550, the regional climate turned colder but had frequently oscillating precipitation. Six wet/dry cycles with ∼50-yr duration occurred between A.D. 1480 and 1760, during the later half of which Owens Lake became a playa. Since ∼A.D. 1880, the lake level has steadily dropped from its historic high stand under strong impact of human activity.

Keywords

stable isotopesacid-leachable Mg and Lilacustrine environmentcentral Californiapaleoclimatology
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 54 , Issue 2 , September 2000 , pp. 189 - 197
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alderman, S.S. Jr.. Geology of the Owens Lake evaporite deposit. Schreiber, B.C., Harner, H.C.(1985). Sixth Symposium on Salt. The Salt Institute, Alexandria.75–83.Google Scholar
Benson, L.V., Burdett, J.W., Kashgarian, M., Lund, S.P., Phillips, F.M., Rye, R.O.(1996). Climatic and hydrologic oscillations in the Owens Lake basin and adjacent Sierra Nevada, California. Science, 274, 746–748.Google Scholar
Berner, R.A. (1971). Principles of Chemical Sedimentology. McGraw-Hill, New York.Google Scholar
Bischoff, J.L., Chazan, D., Canavan, R.W.IV. A high-resolution study of sediments from the last interglaciation at Owens Lake, California: Geochemistry of sediments in core OL-92, 83–32 m depth. Bischoff, J.L.(1998). The Last Interglaciation at Owens Lake, California: Core OL-92. 35–65.Google Scholar
Bischoff, J.L., Fitts, J.P., Fitzpatrick, J.A.. Responses of sediment geochemistry to climate change in Owens Lake sediment: An 800-k.y. record of saline/fresh cycles. Smith, G.J., Bischoff, J.L.(1997). An 800,000-year geologic and climatic record from Owens lake, California: Core OL-92. 37–47.Google Scholar
Bischoff, J.L., Menking, K.M., Fitts, J.P., Fitzpatrick, J.A.(1997). Climatic oscillations 10,000–155,000 yr B.P. at Owens Lake, California reflected in glacial rock flour abundance and lake salinity in core OL-92. Quaternary Research, 48, 313–325.Google Scholar
Briffa, K.R., Jones, P.D., Bartholin, T.S., Eckstein, D., Schweingruber, F.H., Karlen, W., Zetterberg, P., Eronen, M.(1992). Fennoscandian summers from A.D. 500: Temperature changes on short and long timescales. Climate Dynamics, 7, 111–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Champion, D.E. (1980). Holocene geomagnetic secular variation in the western United States: Implications for the global geomagnetic field. U.S. Geological Survey, Open-File Report CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eighmy, J.L., Hathaway, J.H., Kane, A.E.. Archeomagnetic secular variation in the American Southwest, A.D. 700–900: Final results from the Dolores archeological program. Eighmy, J.L., Sternberg, R.(1990). Archeomagnetic Dating. Univ. of Arizona Press, Tuscon.226–236.Google Scholar
Frogley, M.R., Tzedakis, P.C., Heaton, T.H.E.(1999). Climate variability in Northwest Greece during the last interglacial. Science, 285, 1886–1889.Google Scholar
Gale, H.S. (1915). Salines in the Owens, Searles, and Panamint basins, southeastern California. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin, 580, 281–323.Google Scholar
Garrels, R.M., Mackenzie, F.T.. Origin of the chemical compositions of some springs and lakes. (1967). Equilibrium Concepts in Natural Water Systems. p. 222–242.Google Scholar
Gasse, F., Fontes, J.Ch., Van Campo, E., Wei, K.(1996). Holocene environmental changes in Bangong Co basin (Western Tibet). Part 4. Discussion and conclusions. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 120, 79–92.Google Scholar
Gat, J.R.. Stable isotopes of fresh and saline lakes. Lerman, A., Imboden, D., Gat, J.R.(1995). Physics and Chemistry of Lakes. Springer-Verlag, New York.139–166.Google Scholar
Gonfiantini, R.. Environmental isotopes in lake studies. Fritz, P., Ch. Fontes, J.(1986). Handbook of Environmental Isotope Geochemistry. Elsevier, New York.113–168.Google Scholar
Graumlich, L.J. (1993). A 1000-year record of temperature and precipitation in the Sierra Nevada. Quaternary Research, 39, 249–255.Google Scholar
Grove, J.M. (1988). The Little Ice Age. Methuem, London, New York.Google Scholar
Jones, B.F.. Clay mineral diagenesis in lacustrine sediments. Mumpton, F.(1986). Studies in Diagenesis. 291–300.Google Scholar
Knopf, A. (1918). A geological reconnaissance of the Inyo Range and the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, California. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 110, Google Scholar
LaMarche, V.C. Jr.(1974). Paleoclimatic inferences from long tree-ring records. Science, 183, 1043–1048.Google Scholar
H.-C., Li (1995). Isotope Geochemistry of Mono Basin, California: Applications to Paleoclimate and Paleohydrology. Ph.D. dissertation,University of Southern California, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Li, H.-C., Ku, T.-L.(1997). δ13C–δ18O covariance as a paleohydrological indicator for closed-basin lakes. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 133, 69–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, H.-C., Ku, T.-L., Bischoff, J.L., Stott, L.D.. Climatic and hydrologic conditions in Owens Basin, California between 45 and 145 ka as reconstructed from the high-resolution stable isotope records. Bischoff, J.L.(1998). The Last Interglaciation at Owens Lake, California: Core OL-92. 66–81.Google Scholar
Li, H.-C., Ku, T.-L., Stott, L.D., Anderson, R.F.(1997). Stable isotope studies on Mono Lake (California)—I: δ18O in lake sediments as proxy for climatic change during the last 150 years. Limnology and Oceanography, 42, 230–238.Google Scholar
Lister, G.S., Kelts, K., Chen, K.-Z., Yu, J.-Q., Niessen, F.(1991). Lake Qinghai, China: Closed-basin lake levels and the oxygen isotope record for ostracoda since the latest Pleistocene. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 84, 141–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lund, S.P. (1996). A comparison of Holocene paleomagnetic secular variation records from North America. Journal of Geophysical Research, 101, 8007–8024.Google Scholar
Johnson, T.C., Halfman, J.D., Showers, W.J.(1991). Paleoclimate of the past 4000 years as Lake Turkana, Kenya, based on the isotopic composition of authigenic calcite. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 85, 189–198.Google Scholar
Menking, K.M., Bischoff, J.L., Fitzpatrick, J.A., Burdette, J.W., Rye, R.O.(1997). Climate/hydrologic oscillations since 155,000 yr B.P. at Owens Lake, California, reflected in abundance and stable isotope composition of sediment carbonate. Quaternary Research, 48, 58–68.Google Scholar
Newton, M.S. (1991). Holocene Stratigraphy and Magnetostratigraphy of Owens and Mono Lakes, Eastern California. University of Southern California, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Patten, D.T., Conte, F.P., Cooper, W.E., Dreiss, S., Harper, K., Hunt, G.L., Kilham, P., Klieforth, H.E., Melack, J.M., Temple, S.A.(1987). The Mono Basin Ecosystem: Effects of Changing Lake Level. National Academy Press, Washington.Google Scholar
Peng, T.-H., Broecker, W.S.(1980). Gas exchange rates for three closed-basin lakes. Limnology and Oceanography, 25, 789–796.Google Scholar
Ricketts, R.D., Anderson, R.F.(1998). A direct comparison between the historical record of lake level and the δ18O signal in carbonate sediments from Lake Turkana, Kenya. Limnology and Oceanography, 43, 811–822.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, G.L., Bischoff, J.L.. Core OL-92 from Owens Lake: Project rationale, geologic setting, drilling procedures, and summary. Smith, G.I., Bischoff, J.L.(1997). An 800,000-year geologic and climatic record from Owens Lake, California: Core OL-92. 1–8.Google Scholar
Smith, G., James, G.. History. Putnam, J., Smith, G.(1995). Deepest Valley, Guide to Owens Valley, its roadsides and mountain trails. Univ. of Nevada Press, Reno.231–268.Google Scholar
Smith, G.I., Street-Perrott, F.A.. Pluvial lakes in the Western United States. Wright, H.E.(1983). Late Quaternary environments of the United States. Univ. of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.190–211.Google Scholar
Smoot, J. P.,Litwin, R. J.,Bischoff, J. L. Lund, S. P. in press, . Sedimentary record of the 1872 earthquake and “Tsunami” at Owens Lake, southeast California. Journal of Sedimentary Geology.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R.S., McGuire, R.H.. Archeomagnetic secular variation in the American southwest, A.D. 700–1450. Eighmy, J.L., Sternberg, R.(1990). Archeomagnetic Dating. Univ. of Arizona Press, Tuscon.199–225.Google Scholar
Stine, S. (1990). Late Holocene fluctuation of Mono Lake, eastern California. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 78, 333–381.Google Scholar
Stine, S. (1994). Extreme and persistent drought in California and Patagonia during mediaeval time. Nature, 369, 546–549.Google Scholar
Stine, S.. Medieval Climatic Anomaly in the Americas. Issar, A.S., Brown, N.(1998). Water, Environment and Society in Times of Climatic Change. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht.43–67.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M., Reimer, P.J., Braziunas, T.F.(1998). High-precision calibration for terrestrial and marine samples. Radiocarbon, 40, 1127–1152.Google Scholar
Weaver, C.E., Pollard, L.D.(1975). The Chemistry of Clay Minerals. Elsevier, New York.Google Scholar
Williams, L.D., Wigley, T.M.L.(1983). A comparison of evidence for late Holocene summer temperature variations in the Northern Hemisphere. Quaternary Research, 22, 286–307.Google Scholar
Wolfman, D.. Archeomagnetic dating in Arkansas and the border areas of adjacent states II. Eighmy, J.L., Sternberg, R.(1990). Archeomagnetic Dating. Univ. of Arizona Press, Tuscon.237–260.Google Scholar