Late-Glacial and Holocene Record of Lake Levels of Mathews Pond and Whitehead Lake, Northern Maine, USA

Abstract

Paleohydrology studies at Mathews Pond and Whitehead Lake in northern Maine revealed synchronous changes in lake levels from about 12,000 14C yrs BP to the present. We analyzed gross sediment structure, organic and carbonate content, mineral grain size, and macrofossils of six cores from each of the two lakes, and obtained 72 radiocarbon dates. Interpretation of this paleo-environmental data suggests that the late-glacial and Younger Dryas climate was dry, and lake levels were low. Early Holocene lake levels were considerably higher but declined for an interval from about 8000 to 7200 14C yrs BP. Sediment of both lakes contains evidence of a dry period at ∼7400 14C yrs BP (8200 cal yr). Lake levels of both sites declined abruptly about 4800 14C yrs BP and remained low until 3000 14C yrs BP. Modern lake levels were achieved only within the past 600 years. The west-to-east, time-transgressive nature of lake-level changes from several sites across northeastern North America suggests periodic changes in atmospheric circulation patterns as a driving force behind observed moisture balance changes.