Chironomid δ 18O as a proxy for past lake water δ 18O: a Lateglacial record from Rotsee (Switzerland)

Abstract

We explored whether the stable oxygen isotope composition (δ 18O) of fossil chironomid remains can be used to reconstruct past variations in lake water δ 18O from Lateglacial and early Holocene sediments from Rotsee (Switzerland). A sediment core from the former littoral zone of the lake was examined since it contained both high concentrations of chironomid remains and abundant authigenic carbonates and therefore allowed a direct comparison of chironomid δ 18O with values measured on bulk carbonates. Since carbonate particles adhering to chironomid remains potentially affect 18O measurements we tested two methods to chemically remove residual carbonates. Trials with isotopically heavy and light acid solutions indicated that treatment with hydrochloric acid promoted oxygen exchange between chironomid remains and the water used during pretreatment. In contrast, a buffered 2 M ammonium chloride (NH 4Cl) solution did not seem to affect chironomid δ 18O to a significant extent. Fossil chironomid δ 18O was analyzed for the Rotsee record both using standard palaeoecological methods and after pretreatment with NH 4Cl. Samples prepared using standard techniques showed a poor correlation with δ 18O of bulk carbonate ( r 2 = 0.14) suggesting that carbonate contamination of the chironomid samples obscured the chironomid δ 18O signature. Samples pretreated with NH 4Cl correlated well with bulk carbonate δ 18O ( r 2 = 0.67) and successfully tracked the well-known Lateglacial changes in δ 18O. Chironomid δ 18O indicated depleted lake water δ 18O during the Oldest Dryas period, the Aegelsee and Gerzensee Oscillations, and the Younger Dryas, whereas enriched δ 18O values were associated with sediments deposited during the Lateglacial interstadial and the early Holocene. Differences in the amplitude of variations in bulk carbonate and chironomid δ 18O are attributed to differential temperature effects on oxygen isotope fractionation during the formation of carbonates and chironomid head capsules or seasonal changes of lake water δ 18O, potentially affecting δ 18O of these two substances to a different extent. Our results indicate that chironomid δ 18O can successfully reconstruct centennial to millennial-scale changes in lake water δ 18O and that the method can be applied to carbonate-rich records provided that care is taken to eliminate carbonate contamination from the samples.