Holocene environmental history of the Kara Sea (Siberian Arctic, Russia) inferred from marine palynological records

Abstract

Two marine sediment cores and 13 surface sediment samples located along three N-S transects in the southern Kara Sea (Arctic Ocean, northern Siberia) were studied for their palynological content in order to reconstruct the Holocene paleoenvironmental evolution of the Kara Sea region. Both well-dated sediment cores show a continuous deposition with high sedimentation rates since ca. 9600 / 9400 cal. BP up to today and 600 years ago, respectively. The marine palynological analysis includes terrestrial palynomorphs (pollen and spores) as well as aquatic palynomorphs (organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts, chlorophycean algae, acritarchs, and organic benthic foraminifer linings).