The Térapa fossil vertebrate site, northcentral Sonora, Mexico, provides a rare opportunity to study the paleoenvironmental conditions present in northwestern Mexico during mid-Oxygen Isotope Stage (OIS) 3. Ostracode faunal assemblages and stable oxygen (δ18O) and stable carbon (δ13C) isotope values from ostracode calcite were used to reconstruct the seasonality of precipitation and vegetation cover at Térapa at 40-43 ka. The ostracode fauna was a non-analogue mix of temperate and tropical ostracode species composed of 13 species from 12 genera. The nearctic ostracodes Fabaeformiscandona caudata, Physocypria pustulosa, Cypridopsis vidua and the cosmopolitan ostracode Darwinula stevensoni dominate the assemblage. Two tropical ostracode genera, Chlamydotheca arcuata and Stenocypris sp., were present throughout the deposit and indicate that mean monthly summer temperatures were probably no more than 4°C to 6°C cooler than at present, based on available ecological information. Winter precipitation dominated the hydrologic cycle as evidenced by low ostracode δ18O values (-6‰ to -8‰ VPDB). Low ostracode δ13C values (-7‰ to -8‰ VPDB) suggest that local vegetation was dominated by C3 plants. A previous tooth enamel-based paleoenvironmental reconstruction at the same site favored a summer-dominated or evaporative hydrology and abundant C4 vegetation. The Térapa megafauna site exemplifies the need for multi-indicator paleoclimate reconstructions in desert environments where marked differences in the seasonality of precipitation and vegetation cover may occur.

This thesis presents a multi-proxy paleoenvironmental reconstruction from the sedimentary archives of Lilandsvatnet, a small arctic lake on Vestvågøy, in the Lofoten Islands, Norway. Lofoten has a rich history of human settlements existing throughout the Holocene. The catchment of Lilandsvatnet was the location of a prominent Viking chieftain farm that existed throughout the Iron Age, and the sedimentary archive contains a strong signal of prehistoric and historic human settlements and land-use practices. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions in this thesis show evidence for Holocene environmental variability in response to both natural and anthropogenic forcing. Cryptotephra deposits from Icelandic eruptions further contrain sediment chronology in the study, allowing reconstructions of subtle changes in the landscape with excellent chronological control during the late Holocene period of settlement. Additionally, I attempt to improve existing methods for crypto-tephrochronology through the development of new techniques.

Elemental proxy models for temperature and seawater chemistry begin by assuming compositional signatures reflect environmental conditions of formation. The Mg/Ca ratio in marine cements and calcified skeletal structures is a widely used proxy for reconstructing past earth environments. Many studies have positively correlated Mg content in biogenic carbonates with temperature, but it is difficult to differentiate the effect of temperature from other environmental factors. Supersaturation, precipitation rate, salinity, pH, and ion concentration have also been proposed as drivers of Mg/Ca. Furthermore, it is difficult to distinguish environmental signatures from the “vital effect,” or the influences superimposed by the growth needs and metabolic activities of the organism. To construct viable paleoenvironmental proxies from biomineral compositions, we must resolve the effects of environmental conditions from the vital effects of the organism by first understanding the underlying thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms for incorporating minor and trace elements. Using in situ Atomic Force Microscopy, controlled solution chemistries, and different ion microprobe techniques, this dissertation investigates the kinetics and thermodynamics of calcite growth to establish an inorganic baseline for uptake of Mg. I use this information to quantify the enhancement in Mg/Ca due to the presence of hydrophilic 27-mer peptides, demonstrating a possible origin of vital effects. Likewise I measure the effect of ionic strength on signatures and find that growth rate and background electrolyte proved more important than salinity in determining Mg contents. The findings contribute to the ongoing discussion regarding the relative importance of unique seawater parameters in determining Mg/Ca in calcite. Mg contents are significantly enhanced by biomolecules relative to the amounts attributed to temperature differences, while Mg content is less influenced by salinity variation than by changing supersaturation or driving force. In addition to sorting out the relative importance of environmental factors, our results begin to address the interplay of these different parameters in concert, and at different scales. At sites of calcification, the local biochemistry within an organism may shift in response to more saline waters. At a geological scale, interpreting past temperatures and particularly those of the Last Glacial Maximum depends on our ability to sort out and account for this interplay of salinity and temperature on Mg/Ca. Processes underlying inorganic and biogenic carbonate mineralization and interpretations of their formation environments are better understood by examining the influence of environmental parameters and biomolecular chemistry on kinetics and thermodynamics of calcite growth and stability. / Ph. D.

The study of lake sediments can provide valuable insights into lake history and climate variation throughout time. In-depth studies have been carried out at Lake Miragoane, Haiti and in high- and mid-elevation sites in the Dominican Republic, and a few other inland and coastal locations throughout the Caribbean; however, to date little has been published on prehistoric conditions in other coastal areas of Hispaniola. Laguna Alejandro (informally named by researchers) (~18.31°N, 71.03°W), on the southwest coast of the Dominican Republic, was examined to expand our knowledge of long-term environmental history in this region. This ~25 hectare lake is separated from the Caribbean Sea by a 100 m wide limestone ridge about 3–5 m tall. We recovered two consecutive cores (0–100 cm, 100–185.5 cm) close to the limestone barrier to investigate the potential for paleotempestology and other paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Three AMS 14C dates indicate that the lake is ~1100 years in age. Sediment analyses revealed three major events that correlate with bands of uncharacteristic sediment composition and particle size at 74–77.5 cm, 150.5–153 cm, and 183.5–185.5 cm. Four distinct strata containing serpulids and several pockets of Ammonia beccarii provided insights on changes in salinity and the connections between the lagoon and the ocean. The upper deposit (74–77.5 cm, 620 ±60 YBP) contains gypsum and represents a period of increased salinity within the lake brought on by drought. The two lower bands are composed of sand consistent with nearby beach sands. The 150.5–153 cm band provides evidence of a hurricane landfall at 1022 ± 60 YBP. The combination of biological data from 165–183.5 cm and sediments within the 183.5–185.5 cm band provide evidence for salinity fluctuations that indicate the closure of the lake. Sediments contained a variety of invertebrates that helped to document changes in lake chemistry through time. This study of Laguna Alejandro sediments documented lake history and provided information on recent climatic shifts in the region. / Master of Science

The long-term climatic and environmental history of Southeast Asia is still fragmentary. This thesis therefore aims at studying lake sediment/peat sequences using a multi-proxy approach to reconstruct the environmental history and the impact of past changes in monsoon variability and intensity on lake ecosystems in Thailand. The study focuses on two lakes located in northeast Thailand: the larger Lake Kumphawapi and the smaller Lake Pa Kho. The comparison of multiple sediment sequences and their proxies from Kumphawapi suggests a strengthening of the summer monsoon between c. 10,000 and 7000 cal yr BP. Parts of the lake had been transformed into a wetland/peatland by c. 7000 cal yr BP, while the deeper part of the basin still contained areas of shallow water until c. 6600 cal yr BP. This gradual lowering of the lake level can point to a weakening of the summer monsoon. Paleoenvironmental information for the time interval between 6200 and 1800 cal yr BP is limited due to a several thousand-year long hiatus. This new investigation demonstrates that arguments using the phytolith and pollen record of Lake Kumphawapi to support claims of early rice agriculture in the region or an early start of the Bronze Age are not valid, because these were based upon the assumption of continuous deposition. The lithostratigraphy and multi-proxy reconstructions for Pa Kho support a strengthened summer monsoon between 2120-1580 cal yr BP, 1150-980 cal yr BP, and after 500 cal yr BP; and a weakening of the summer monsoon between 1580-1150 cal yr BP and between 650-500 cal yr BP. The increase in run-off and higher nutrient supply after AD 1700 can be linked to agricultural intensification in the region. Conclusively, the Holocene records from northeast Thailand add important paleoclimatic information for Southeast Asia and allow discussing past monsoon variability and movements of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in greater detail. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Accepted. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p>

Tree-ring series of oak, from both living trees (Quercus petraea and Q. robur) and historic timbers in southeastern Slovenia were assembled into a 548-year regional chronology spanning the period A.D. 1456–2003. It is currently the longest and the most replicated oak chronology in this part of Europe located at the transition between Mediterranean, Alpine and continental climatic influence. The chronology correlated significantly with regional and local chronologies up to 700 km away in Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Czech Republic and southern Germany. It also showed good ‘‘heteroconnection’’, i.e. agreement with chronologies of beech (Fagus sylvatica), ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and silver fir (Abies alba) in Slovenia. A preliminary dendroclimatic analysis shows that precipitation and temperature in June accounted for a high amount of variance (r250.51) in the tree-ring widths. The chronology thus contains considerable potential as a climate archive. We also present its use as a tool for the dating of wooden objects of the cultural heritage. Moreover, the chronology can be a point of reference for building tree-ring chronologies in neighboring regions.

O presente estudo foi desenvolvido em uma turfeira localizada no baixo curso do rio Ribeira de Iguape, Litoral Sul de São Paulo com o objetivo de reconstituir os paleoambientes e as possíveis variações ambientais ocorridas na área por meio da análise de palinomorfos e das características dos sedimentos do testemunho de sondagem de 520 cm de profundidade. A análise de bio e geoindicadores permitiu reconstituir parte da história de evolução sedimentar holocênica da área. Para isso a análise foi fundamentada sob o ponto de vista da biogeografia, envolvendo a interpretação e correlação entre as variáveis: sedimentológicas, espongológica, foraminíferos, palinológicas e isótopos de 13C. Antes de 7.300 anos cal AP as características sedimentológicas evidenciam o início da sedimentação da planície de inundação onde foi depositado espículas de esponjas continentais de O. navicella, é provável que o aporte de água doce na área de estudo tenha causado o desaparecimento de espécies de foraminíferos, tecamebas e ostracodes pela dissolução das carapaças em águas com pH ácidos, o mesmo aporte que pode ter lixiviado o material polínico, pois os sedimentos são arenosos. Os elementos isotópicos com valores de -27,6 evidenciam que a matéria orgânica é de origem fluvial. Por volta de 7.300 anos AP (fácies 430 cm) o NRM cruzou o zero pela primeira vez no Holoceno. Essa interpretação é corroborada pela chegada de espículas de origem marinha nos sedimentos. Além disso, no nível de 430 cm observa-se redução da concentração de esponjas de água doce. Os valores de 13C - 25,9 indicam que a origem da matéria orgânica é mista. Entre 7.200 e 6.430 anos cal AP ocorreu novamente uma rápida regressão do NRM verificado pela presença frequente de esponjas continentais e raríssima presença de espículas marinhas. A área era colonizada por plantas típicas de ambientes sob influência marinha e fluvial como Asteraceae, Poaceae, Araceae, Begoniaceae, Ulmaceae, Arecaceae Bactris sp. (encontrada em áreas alagadas e/ou FPa). Antes de 6.430 anos cal AP ocorre o início da segunda e mais duradoura fase de transgressão marinha caracterizada pela espongofácies marinha e pela queda nas porcentagens de todos os táxons polínicos. O pico da transgressão ocorre antes de 5.124 anos cal AP nesse momento foi depositado material espicular marinho e continental evidenciando o ambiente estuarino, onde plantas herbáceas adaptadas a esse ambiente ainda colonizavam essa área com concentrações como Amaranthaceae. Posteriormente, o NRM decai lentamente chegando ao nível zero atual, aqui as porcentagens de espículas marinhas decaem paulatinamente até a profundidade de 225 cm. Por volta de 3.200 anos cal AP (médias das idades de 145 cm) o ambiente já se comportava como um pântano, há aumento na concentração de Bignoneaceae (Tabebuia), Cluseaceae (Clusia) e novamente Amaranthaceae sugerem a colonização de FPa. Plantas do gênero Tabebuia sp. destacam-se por se agruparem em áreas alagadas. Posteriormente, o aumento significativo nas concentrações polínicas de todos os táxons, principalmente dos indicadores de FPaT, indicam o desenvolvimento dessa formação vegetal. Devido à complexidade desse ambiente por causa de sua morfodinâmica há necessidade de cuidados na interpretação dos resultados, pois os registros de mega-eventos podem ser confundidos, mascarar ou levar as interpretações paleoambientais inadequadas. Por isso, o uso de multiindicadores e o conhecimento dos processos mostraram-se fundamentais e foi possível obter uma excelente resposta. / This study was developed in a peat bog located on the lower course of Ribeira river, South Coast of Sao Paulo, in order to reconstruct the paleoenvironments and possible environmental changes occurred in the area through analysis of palynomorphs and the characteristics of the sediments drill core depth of 520 cm. The analysis of bio and geoindicators allowed to reconstruct a part of the history of the Holocene sedimentary evolution of the area. The analysis was based on the point of view of Biogeography, involving the interpretation and correlation between variables: sedimentological, belong sponge, foraminifera, pollen and 13C isotopes. Before 7300 cal years BP the sediment characteristics show the beginning of sedimentation of the floodplain where it was deposited spicules of sponges continental O. navicella, it is likely that the freshwater inflow in the study area has caused the disappearance of species of foraminifera, ostracods and thecamoebian by dissolving the shells in waters with acidic pH, the same approach that may have leached the pollen material, because the sediments are sandy. The isotopic elements with values of -27.6 show that the organic matter is of fluvial origin. Around 7300 years BP (430 cm depth) NRM crossed zero for the first time in the Holocene. This interpretation is corroborated by the presence of spicules in the sediments of marine origin. Furthermore, at the level of 430 cm was observed a reduction of the concentration of freshwater sponges. 13C values of -25.9 indicate that the source of the organic matter is mixed. From 7200 until 6430 years cal AP occurred a rapid regression of NRM verified by the frequent presence of continental sponges and extremely rare presence of marine spicules. The area was colonized by plants typical of marine and fluvial environments under influence like Asteraceae, Poaceae, Araceae, Begoniaceae, Ulmaceae, Arecaceae Bactris sp. (found in flooded and / or FPa areas). Before 6430 years cal AP occurred the beginning of the second and more lasting phase of marine transgression characterized by marine espongofácies and for the decreased in percentages of all pollen taxa. The peak transgression occurs before 5124 years cal AP, when was deposited marine and continental espicular materials evidencing the estuarine environment, where herbaceous plants adapted to this environment yet colonized this area with concentrations as Amaranthaceae. Subsequently, the NRM decays slowly coming to the current zero level. Here the percentages of marine spicules decay gradually to a depth of 225 cm. Around 3200 cal years BP (mean ages of 145 cm) the environment has behaved like a swamp, there is an increase in the concentration of Bignoneaceae (Tabebuia), Cluseaceae (Clusia) and again Amaranthaceae suggest colonization of FPa. The genus Tabebuia sp. stands out for getting together in wetlands. Later, the significant increase in the pollen concentrations of all taxa, especially indicators of WPF, indicates the development of this plant formation. Due to the complexity of this environment because of their morphodynamics, caution is necessary in interpreting of the results because the records of megaevents can be confused, to mask or take inadequate paleoenvironmental interpretations. Therefore, the use of multi-indicators and the knowledge of the process were essentials and it was possible to obtain excellent response.

Soil development on upland landscapes in east-central Iowa Peoria Loess deposits has been occurring for approximately the last 12,500 years. Weathering zone and pedogenic processes depend on environmental factors such as climate, precipitation, time, parent material, biota, and topography, among others. Analyzing the weathering zones of modern and paleosol profiles provides insight into current and paleo-environmental processes. This study employs several bulk geochemical analytic techniques (XRF, pXRF, LIBS, ICP-MS) to examine the weathering profiles formed in modern Peoria Loess deposits and underlying weathering profiles formed during the Farmdale Interstadial and the Sangamon Interglacial. Results indicate advanced weathering occurred in the paleosol sequences of the Farmdale and Sangamon compared to the modern weathering zone, based on depletion and enrichment of elemental concentrations. The interstadial/last interglacial paleosol weathering profiles exhibit increased depletion in CaO, MgO, Na2O, and K2O compared to the Holocene weathering profile formed in Peoria Loess. Enrichment of CaO and MgO in non-pedogenically altered Peoria Loess deposits is a possible indication of rapid loess accumulation, representing insufficient weathering of deposited material synchronous with deposition. Post-depositional weathering and hydrogeological mechanisms may also account for this mid-profile enrichment, providing for some complexity for interpretation. Regional comparison between three sediment cores - an agricultural field, a restored prairie and a pioneer cemetery - exhibit minor land-use influence on geochemical evolution with the agricultural field core exhibiting greater relative depletion in most oxides in the upper one meter, compared to the other sediment cores. However, slight regional heterogeneity in parent material, vegetation cover, and slope position may also account for geochemical variations. Therefore, it is difficult to conclude how the last 150 years of extensive land-use from human activity has impacted weathering and pedogenesis in this region. Additionally, this study validates using pXRF technology on Quaternary weathering profiles, and documents its technological shortcomings which provides essential information for drawing interpretations from these data.

The Tamaulipan Biotic Province (TBP) is an ecotonal community that has been characterized in the twentieth century as a mixture of plains, woodland, and desert-adapted mammalian taxa. Some authors have proposed that this heterogeneous mixture of animals is a result of human influence on the environment in the post-European contact period. Others have proposed that the characteristically disharmonious mixture of fauna has been present in south Texas since prehistory. By considering the presence of certain key taxa across the archaeological record of the area this thesis demonstrates that the fauna characteristic of the Tamaulipan Biotic Province can be followed back in time as far as the archaeological record allows. This work also provides complete lists of all vertebrate organisms present in the archaeological record of the area, organized by time period and also by archaeological site and citation.

The Red Tail site is one of 19 archaeological sites that lie within central Saskatchewan’s Wanuskewin Heritage Park. Since the creation of a long-term research program in 1984, many of these sites have been excavated making this the longest running archaeological project in Canada. This has provided an extensive body of archaeological evidence of human activity dating as early as the Early Precontact Period. Despite the extensive archaeological excavation and research that has occurred, relatively few geomorphic and paleoenvironmental studies have been conducted within the area. Paleoenvironmental data provide important context in building archaeological interpretations of past lifeways. The Red Tail site was originally excavated in 1988 and 1989 to a depth of approximately 2.7 m. In 2007, the site was revisited in order to conduct subsurface coring to a depth of over 6 m using a Geoprobe coring rig. This method allowed recovery of culturally sterile soils/sediments beyond the depth of the original excavation. This project includes analysis of these cores in order to investigate geomorphic processes active at the site and proxy indicators of paleoenvironment and paleoclimate. Analysis of two of the cores included detailed description of the recovered soils and sediments, as well as stable isotope and phytolith analysis of selected units in one of the cores. This suite of methods provides a robust, multi-proxy interpretation of geomorphic change and paleoenvironmental conditions at the site. The site was geomorphically active during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene, reflective of a dynamic and fluctuating climate following the glacial retreat. As the environment became more stable during the Middle to Late Holocene, periods of landscape stability are reflected in a sequence of buried soils. The paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic record recovered from these buried soils shows a fairly consistent history of C3-plant dominated communities, reflective of moist, cool climate conditions. The relatively stable environmental and climatic conditions reflected at the site contribute to the understanding of the Wanuskewin area as an oasis on the prairies.