Carbon isotope composition of lake sediments in relation to lake productivity and radiocarbon dating

Abstract

Carbon-13 profiles and radiocarbon dates were obtained from two Canadian kettle basins having similar geological and hydrological characteristics to develop criteria for evaluating the validity of radiocarbon dates on lake sediment from basins in calcareous terrain. Radiocarbon dates from a site in Alberta show a variable hard-water effect related to local hydrological changes during postglacial history of the lake basin, whereas radiocarbon dates from the other site in Ontario show no noticeable influence of old carbon during its history. These differences are mainly related to lake water residence time, which has influenced carbon isotopic exchange between atmospheric CO 2 and dissolved inorganic carbon in lake water. δ 13C values for bulk organic sediment and terrestrial and aquatic macrofossils reveal that the main component of lake sediment at both sites is autocthonous in origin. Furthermore, each site supported different submerged aquatic plant communities that used different sources of carbon for photosynthesis, thereby imprinting the organic sediments with a characteristic 13C composition. Both sites reflect a clear relationship between 13C values and paleoproductivity. This study shows the individualistic response of the developing lake system to the hydrology, lake biota, and local geology, and demonstrates the problem of using 13C in lake sediments as a single criterion to recognize the validity of radiocarbon dates of lake sediment without supporting paleoecological information.