Sedimentation rates and depositional processes in Lake Superior from /sup 210/Pb geochronology
- Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Sedimentation rates range from 0.01 to 0.32 cm/yr in 17 sediment box cores from Lake Superior, as determined by /sup 210/Pb geochronology. Shoreline erosion and resuspension of nearshore sediments causes moderate to high (0.05-0.11 cm/yr) sedimentation rates in the western arm of Lake Superior. Sedimentation rates are very high (> 0.15 cm/yr) in marginal bays adjoining Lake Superior; and moderate to very high (0.07-0.19 cm/yr) in open lake regions adjacent to marginal bays. Resuspension of nearshore and shoal top sediments in southern and southeastern Lake Superior by storms is responsible for depositional anomalies in /sup 210/Pb profiles corresponding to 1905, 1916-1918, and 1940 storms. Sedimentation rates are very low (0.01-0.03 cm/yr) in the central basins due to isolation from sediment sources. These data indicate that sedimentation rates and processes vary significantly in different regions of Lake Superior. The sedimentation rates provided by this study, in conjunction with previously-reported sedimentation rates, yield a better understanding of the Lake Superior depositional environment.
- OSTI ID:
- 5639978
- Journal Information:
- J. Great Lakes Res.; (United States), Vol. 7:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
LAKE SUPERIOR
SEDIMENTATION
LIMNOLOGY
TRACER TECHNIQUES
AGE ESTIMATION
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LEAD 210
PARTICLE RESUSPENSION
SAMPLING
SEDIMENTS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
GREAT LAKES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LAKES
LEAD ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
520101* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- Radiometric Techniques- (-1989)