Statistical analysis of grain size distribution in Pleistocene sediments from Lake Biwa, Japan

Abstract

Time series of grain-size distributions from Pleistocene sediments deposited in Lake Biwa during the past 550 millennia show dominant periods of 40,000 and 20,000 yr that are very close to those predicted by the Milankovitch theory, as well as a period of about 70,000 yr not directly predicted by this theory. The 70,000-yr period is strongest, followed by the 20,000-yr period. The sequences also show that coarser particles were deposited, in general, during strong solar insolation, whereas finer particles were deposited during weak insolation.