Characterization of (paleo)lacustrine landforms using sedimentological and portable OSL investigations at Schweriner See, north‐eastern Germany

Abstract

We investigated four subaerial (paleo)lacustrine landforms at the north‐eastern shoreline of Schweriner See, north‐eastern Germany. These included two beach ridges, one subaerial nearshore bar and a silting up sequence located close to a fossil cliff, which marks the former maximum extent of Schweriner See. We used luminescence profiling with a SUERC portable OSL device (POSL) on all four sediment sequences in combination with sedimentological investigations such as grain size, loss‐on‐ignition and magnetic susceptibility to provide information on the various formations in a lacustrine depositional environment. The POSL reader was used on pre‐treated polymineral samples to gain an insight into luminescence distribution within the individual sediment sequences, but also among the four sequences. POSL proved valuable to understand depositional processes, which were not visible in lithology or sedimentological parameters. With somewhat larger uncertainty this method provides relative chronologies of the sediment sequences. Additionally, we carried out radiocarbon dating and full optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to establish a chronological framework. OSL ages proved to be more reliable to date beach ridges in this setting than radiocarbon samples, which were severely influenced by sediment reworking. This combined approach of sedimentological analyses, luminescence profiling and absolute age determinations revealed details in depositional processes at Schweriner See which otherwise would have remained undetected. Furthermore, it helped to set these subaerial (paleo)lacustrine landforms in a chronological framework.

Introduction to the Women in Geomorphology special issue

“…Lacustrine environments are represented by an examination of paleolacustrine landforms (Adolph et al, 2022).…”

“…Eolian processes and landforms are examined in papers on the morphology and chronology of sand stringers along the margin of the last glacial maximum (Shandonay et al, 2022); the influence of sorting and bedforms on the magnitude of coastal eolian transport (Uphues et al, 2022); grainflow morphology on the slipface of barchan dunes (Zhang et al, 2022); and dust deposition in an ice‐free area of West Greenland (Van Soest et al, 2022). Lacustrine environments are represented by an examination of paleolacustrine landforms (Adolph et al, 2022).…”