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The Upper Laacher See Tephra in Lake Geneva sediments: paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatological implications

Publication date1997
Abstract

Microstratigraphical analysis of Late glacial lacustrine sediments from Geneva Bay provided evidence of a tephra layer within the upper Allerød biozone. The layer consists of alkali feldspar, quartz, plagioclase, amphibole, pyroxene, opaques, titanite and glass shards. Electron microprobe analyses and morphological study of glass shards allowed correlation with the upper part of the Laacher See Tephra of the Laacher See volcano (Eifel Mountains, Germany). Sedimentological features of enclosing lacustrine sediments suggest that a momentary decrease in precipitation occurred in the catchment area and consequent reduction in detrital supply in the lake, after the ash fall-out. This has been interpreted as the environmental response to a momentary cooling following the Laacher See Tephra aerosols emission. Comparison with sedimentological features characterizing the Allerød-Younger Dryas transition highlights the sensitivity of Lake Geneva system in recording both short and long-terms climate-induced environmental changes.

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Keywords
  • Sedimentology
  • Geochemistry
  • Tephra
  • Glass shard
  • Late glacial
  • Lake Geneva
  • Sédimentologie
  • Géochimie
  • Téphra
  • Tardiglaciaire
  • Léman (lac)
Citation (ISO format)
MOSCARIELLO, Andrea, COSTA RODRIGUEZ, Fidel. The Upper Laacher See Tephra in Lake Geneva sediments: paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatological implications. In: Schweizerische mineralogische und petrographische Mitteilungen, 1997, vol. 77, n° 2, p. 175–185. doi: 10.5169/seals-58479
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accessLevelPublic
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ISSN of the journal0036-7699
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