Aspects of the history and evolution of Alpine lakes in Austria

Höffler, H.

doi:10.1007/bf00027427

Cited by 19 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In the past century, studies on the sediments of Lake Mondsee focused mainly on historically recent changes in lake ecology related to eutrophication (Irlweck & Danielopol, 1985;Klee & Schmidt, 1987;Schmidt, 1991) and on general lake evolution (Behbehani et al, 1985;Löffler, 1983). Behbehani (1987) provided a low-resolution study on littoral cores up to 8 m in length (MON K1) taken in the easternmost part of Lake Mondsee (Fig.…”

Section: Kreuzsteinmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Glacial and Holocene sedimentary infill of Lake Mondsee (Eastern Alps, Austria) and historical rockfall activity revealed by reflection seismics and sediment core analysis

Daxer

Moernaut

Taylor

et al. 2018

Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences

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Glacigenic perialpine lakes can constitute continuous post-last glacial maximum (LGM) geological archives which allow reconstruction of both lake-specific sedimentological processes and the paleoenvironmental setting of lakes. Lake Mondsee is one among several perialpine lakes in the Salzkammergut, Upper Austria, and has been previously studied in terms of paleoclimate, paleolimnology and (paleo)ecology. However, the full extent and environment of Late Glacial to Holocene sediment deposition had remained unknown, and it was not clear whether previously studied core sections were fully representative of 3D sediment accumulation patterns. In this study, the sedimentary infill of Lake Mondsee was examined via high-resolution seismic reflection survey over a 57-km extent (3.5 kHz pinger source) and a sediment core extracted from the deepest part of the lake, with a continuous length of 13.76 m. In the northern basin, seismic penetration is strongly limited in most areas because of abundant shallow gas (causing acoustic blanking). In the deeper areas, the acoustic signal reaches depths of up to 80 ms TWT (two-way travel time), representing a postglacial sedimentary sequence of at least 60-m thickness. Holocene deposits constitute only the uppermost 11.5 m of the sedimentary succession. Postglacial seismic stratigraphy of Lake Mondsee closely resembles those of well-studied French and Swiss perialpine lakes, with our data showing that most of Lake Mondsee’s sedimentary basin infill was deposited within a short time period (between 19,000 BP and 14,500 BP) after the Traun Glacier retreated from the Mondsee area, indicating an average sedimentation rate of about 1.4 cm/yr. Compared to other perialpine lakes, the seismic data from Lake Mondsee reveal little indication of mass movement activities during the Holocene. One exception, however, is rockfalls that originate from a steep cliff, the Kienbergwand, situated on the southern shore of Lake Mondsee, where, in the adjacent part of the lake, seismic profiles show mass transport deposits (MTDs), which extend approximately 450 m from the shore and are mappable over an area of about 45,300 m2. Sediment cores targeting the MTDs show two separate rockfall events. The older event consists of clast-supported angular dolomitic gravels and sands, showing high amounts of fine fraction. The younger event exhibits dolomitic clasts of up to 1.5 cm in diameter, which is mixed within a lacustrine muddy matrix. Radiocarbon dating and correlations with varve-dated sediment cores hint at respective ages of AD 1484 ± 7 for Event 1 and AD 1639 ± 5 for Event 2. As our data show no evidence of larger-scale mass movements affecting Lake Mondsee and its surroundings, we infer that the current-day morphology of the Kienbergwand is the result of infrequent medium-scale rockfalls.

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Section: Kreuzsteinmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Glacial and Holocene sedimentary infill of Lake Mondsee (Eastern Alps, Austria) and historical rockfall activity revealed by reflection seismics and sediment core analysis

Daxer

Moernaut

Taylor

et al. 2018

Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences

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“…Past work on Lake Mondsee sediments mainly focused on recent and late Holocene limnological and sedimentological aspects (e.g. Löffler, 1983; Behbehani et al , 1985; Danielopol et al , 1985; Irlweck and Danielopol, 1985; Horsthemke, 1986; Klee and Schmidt, 1987; Herrmann, 1990), but also included a low‐resolution study on the Lateglacial to Holocene vegetation development (Schultze and Niederreiter, 1990).…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental responses to Lateglacial climatic fluctuations recorded in the sediments of pre‐Alpine Lake Mondsee (northeastern Alps)

Lauterbach

Brauer

Andersen

et al. 2011

J Quaternary Science

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Investigation of the sedimentary record of pre‐Alpine Lake Mondsee (Upper Austria) focused on the environmental reaction to rapid Lateglacial climatic changes. Results of this study reveal complex proxy responses that are variable in time and influenced by the long‐term evolution of the lake and its catchment. A new field sampling approach facilitated continuous and precisely controlled parallel sampling at decadal to sub‐annual resolution for µ‐XRF element scanning, carbon geochemistry, stable isotope measurements on ostracods, pollen analyses and large‐scale thin sections for microfacies analysis. The Holocene chronology is established through microscopic varve counting and supported by accelerator mass spectrometry 14C dating of terrestrial plant macrofossils, whereas the Lateglacial age model is based on δ18O wiggle matching with the Greenland NGRIP record, using the GICC05 chronology. Microfacies analysis enables the detection of subtle sedimentological changes, proving that depositional processes even in rather large lake systems are highly sensitive to climate forcing. Comparing periods of major warming at the onset of the Lateglacial and Holocene and of major cooling at the onset of the Younger Dryas reveals differences in proxy responses, reflecting threshold effects and ecosystem inertia. Temperature increase, vegetation recovery, decrease of detrital flux and intensification of biochemical calcite precipitation at the onset of the Holocene took place with only decadal leads and lags over a ca. 100 a period, whereas the spread of woodlands and the reduction of detrital flux lagged the warming at the onset of the Lateglacial Interstadial by ca. 500–750 a. Cooling at the onset of the Younger Dryas is reflected by the simultaneous reaction of δ18O and vegetation, but sedimentological changes (reduction of endogenic calcite content, increase in detrital flux) were delayed by about 150–300 a. Three short‐term Lateglacial cold intervals, corresponding to Greenland isotope substages GI‐1d, GI‐1c2 and GI‐1b, also show complex proxy responses that vary in time. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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“…Organic matter may have originated from the littoral and catchment. According to Löffler (1983), Chaoborus most often is indicative of hypolimnic water lacking in oxygen, and in Carinthian meromictic lakes it is one of the common organisms. This indicates a littoral zone rich in macrophytes, although only Typha was detected by pollen analysis.…”

Section: Atlantic/subboreal Pp (Pz4)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Late and post-glacial history of meromictic Längsee (Austria), in respect to climate change and anthropogenic impact

et al. 1998

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Multidisciplinary palaeolimnological approaches were applied to long sediment cores from Längsee, Carinthia. Climate amelioration after deglaciation allowed the expansion of shrubs and timber-line trees and the onset of plankton and probably lake summer stratification. This phase called Pre-Bölling has an upper boundary of approx. 16 kyrs BP. The change from a steppe to a tundra-like vegetation culminated during the following less temperate, humid phase, with lower in-lake productivity (Oldest Dryas, Ia; 16 -13.6 kyrs BP). At about 13.6 kyrs BP when reforestation took place, summer surface water temperature increased towards recent temperatures and hypolimnetic anoxia developed. Different anoxic levels in respect to climate change underline the dynamic type of meromixis. Levels varied, being highest during the Preboreal/Boreal, and lowered during the Atlantic towards recent levels. The contrast between low trophic status and sediments enriched in organic matter characterizes "pseudeutrophic lake stratification" before the onset of human impact. Changes in the pelagic cladoceran communities during this time seem to be related to changes in predation. Aside long-term climatic change during the Atlantic, short-term fluctuations of precipitation within climate oscillations are suggested as possible causes of erosion processes, changes in lake level and water temperature. These are indicated for the Oldest and Younger Dryas, the Boreal/Atlantic and the Subboreal/Subatlantic transitions. They most likely act as the trigger mechanism for temporary mixing and changes in redox conditions. Extensive forest clearance in the catchment during Bronze-Age settlement caused a change in sediment type and temporary nutrient enrichment. The perturbations are comparable with erosion processes during the late-glacial when climate oscillations were the only driving forces. Anthropogenic influences on the lake environment vary according to land-use type.

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Aspects of the history and evolution of Alpine lakes in Austria

Cited by 19 publications

References 5 publications

Late Glacial and Holocene sedimentary infill of Lake Mondsee (Eastern Alps, Austria) and historical rockfall activity revealed by reflection seismics and sediment core analysis

Late Glacial and Holocene sedimentary infill of Lake Mondsee (Eastern Alps, Austria) and historical rockfall activity revealed by reflection seismics and sediment core analysis

Environmental responses to Lateglacial climatic fluctuations recorded in the sediments of pre‐Alpine Lake Mondsee (northeastern Alps)

Late and post-glacial history of meromictic Längsee (Austria), in respect to climate change and anthropogenic impact

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