Tephrostratigraphic studies on a sediment core from Lake Prespa in the Balkans

Abstract

A detailed tephrostratigraphic record, which dates back to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5, has been established from a 17.76 m long core (Co1215) from Lake Prespa (Macedonia, Albania and Greece). A total of eleven tephra and cryptotephra layers (PT0915-1 to PT0915-11) were identified, using XRF scanning, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and macro- and microscopic inspection of the sediments. The major element composition of glass shards and/or micro-pumice fragments indicates that the tephras and cryptotephras originate from the explosive volcanism of Italy. Eight tephra and cryptotephra layers were correlated with specific volcanic eruptions: cryptotephra PT0915-1 with the 512 AD eruption of Somma-Vesuvius (1438 cal yr BP), tephra PT0915-2 with the Mercato eruption of Somma-Vesuvius (8890 ± 90 cal yr BP), cryptotephras PT0915-3 and PT0915-4 with Tufi Biancastri/LN1-LN2 of the Campi Flegrei (14 749 ± 523 cal yr BP and 15 551 ± 621 cal yr BP), tephra PT0915-5 with the SMP1-e/Y-3 eruption of the Campi Flegrei (30 000–31 000 cal yr BP), tephra PT0915-7 with the Campanian Ignimbrite/Y-5 of the Campi Flegrei (39 280 ± 110 cal yr BP), cryptotephra PT0915-8 with the SMP1-a event of Ischia Island (around 44 000 cal yr BP) and tephra PT0915-9 with the Green Tuff/Y-6 eruption of Pantelleria Island (around 45 000 cal yr BP). Tephra PT0915-11 could be attributed to the volcanic activity of Mount Etna, but probably represents a hitherto unknown eruption at ca. 60 000 cal yr BP. Cryptotephras PT0915-6 and PT0915-10 remain unclassified so far, but according to the presented age-depth model these would have been deposited around 35 000 and 48 500 cal yr BP, respectively. Some of the tephras and cryptotephras are recognised for the first time in the Balkan region. The tephrostratigraphic work provides important information about ash dispersal and explosion patterns of source volcanoes and can be used to correlate and date geographically distant paleoenvironmental and archaeological archives in the central Mediterranean region. Moreover, the tephrostratigraphic work in combination with radiocarbon and electron spin resonance (ESR) dating is a precondition for paleoclimatic reconstructions inferred from the sediment succession Co1215

Quaternary climate change and Heinrich events in the southern Balkans: Lake Prespa diatom palaeolimnology from the last interglacial to present

“…Analytical core analysis, described in detail in Aufgebauer et al (2012), Wagner et al (2012), Leng et al (2013) and Panagiotopoulos et al (2014) consisted of non-destructive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning, total carbon (TC) and total inorganic carbon (TIC) measurements, stable isotope ratios, X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogy and palynological analysis. The final age-depth model for the sequence was presented in detail by Damaschke et al (2013).…”

“…Core Co1215 was recovered in the north-central part of Lake Prespa at a water depth of 14 m, during two field campaigns, in November 2009 and June 2011 Damaschke et al 2013). Coring was performed from a floating platform equipped with gravity corers for surface sediments and a 3-m-long percussion piston corer for deeper sediments (UWI-TEC Corp. Austria).…”

“…Calibration of the radiocarbon ages to calendar years (cal ka BP) was accomplished using the INTCAL09 calibration curve (Reimer et al 2009), except for the uppermost sample, which was calibrated using the Levin 14 C dataset (Levin and Kromer 2004). At a core depth of 1,463-1,458 cm, a layer of shells of the mollusk Dreissena was dated by electron spin resonance (ESR) and was discussed in Damaschke et al (2013) and Wagner et al (2014c). Ages presented here are calendar years before present (cal ka BP) with 2r ranges.…”

“…2) was developed using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14 C dating, tephra analysis, electron spin resonance (ESR) and correlation with NGRIP ice core data (Damaschke et al 2013). Calibration of the radiocarbon ages to calendar years (cal ka BP) was accomplished using the INTCAL09 calibration curve (Reimer et al 2009), except for the uppermost sample, which was calibrated using the Levin 14 C dataset (Levin and Kromer 2004).…”

“…48 ka (Leng et al 2010;Wagner et al 2010). A 17.76-m sequence, Co1215, spans the last *91 ka (Damaschke et al 2013). Multiproxy analysis of the last glacial to Holocene sequence from *17 ka to present in Co1215 Wagner et al 2012;Leng et al 2013;Panagiotopoulos et al 2013;Cvetkoska et al 2014a) provides a useful interpretive tool for longer-term climate variability.…”