Chemostratigraphy of Lago Albano sediments (Central Italy): geochemical evidence of palaeoenvironmental changes in late Quaternary

Abstract

The results of the geochemical investigation on bulk sediment fromthree cores collected in Albano crater lake (Central Italy) are reported, andthe main markers of the palaeoenvironmental changes in the last 26ka are discussed. The sediment of Lago Albano consists of greysilt and mud, and is made of volcanogenic, calcareous, siliceous and organicmaterial. Some tephra layers provide a chronological framework for thesequence. The chemical features of the sediments are strongly impacted by theAlban Hills volcanism (Roman volcanic area), but there are also strong changesof organic/inorganic matter ratios, owing to variations in biologicalproductivity and terrigeous supply from the catchment. Six chemostratigraphiczones record the main steps of the transition from the cold and dry climate ofGlacial Maximum to the warmer and more humid Holocene climate. The most usefulgeochemical indices are: biogenic silica, CO2, Br and organiccontent (OM) for biological productivity; Al, Y, CIA (Chemical Index ofAlteration), Al/Rb, Ti/Zr and Y/Al ratios for terrigenous clasticmaterial; OM/Al ratio for organic/terrigenous ratio; S/Fe andMo/Fe ratios and Authigenic U for redox diagenetic conditions of the lakesediment. The geochemical records agree rather well with those of thelithological and paleomagnetic studies, and despite the information obtainedare less detailed than those acquired by the study of biological remains, thepalaeoenvironmental significance inferred is consistent. A comparison of thechemostratigraphic results of Lago Albano with those obtained on coevalsediments from Central and Southern Italy lakes supports the role of thegeochemical investigation as important complement to more sophisticatedtechniques in the palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.