Sedimentary Record Research Articles

Plant response to decreasing soil moisture under rising atmospheric CO2 levels

Widespread drought driven by global warming is predicted across the 21st century, just as CO2 level is projected to as much as double over the same time period. However, the potential interplay between increasing CO2 and decreasing soil moisture on plant function is uncertain, as previous works have not successfully separated and quantified these two competing effects. Here we evaluated the interaction between soil moisture and CO2 using stable carbon isotope measurements of Arabidopsis grown under the simultaneous modulation of an exhaustive range of both variables. Results showed that both increasing soil water content and increasing CO2 increased isotopic discrimination, and that the soil moisture effect was not influenced by the CO2 level and vice versa. Our data confirm that changes in the carbon isotope record of terrestrial organic matter preserved within the geologic record are best interpreted as deriving from changes in atmospheric CO2.

Sea level controls on Ediacaran-Cambrian animal radiations.

The drivers of Ediacaran-Cambrian metazoan radiations remain unclear, as does the fidelity of the record. We use a global age framework [580-510 million years (Ma) ago] to estimate changes in marine sedimentary rock volume and area, reconstructed biodiversity (mean genus richness), and sampling intensity, integrated with carbonate carbon isotopes (δ13Ccarb) and global redox data [carbonate Uranium isotopes (δ238Ucarb)]. Sampling intensity correlates with overall mean reconstructed biodiversity >535 Ma ago, while second-order (~10-80 Ma) global transgressive-regressive cycles controlled the distribution of different marine sedimentary rocks. The temporal distribution of the Avalon assemblage is partly controlled by the temporally and spatially limited record of deep-marine siliciclastic rocks. Each successive rise of metazoan morphogroups that define the Avalon, White Sea, and Cambrian assemblages appears to coincide with global shallow marine oxygenation events at δ13Ccarb maxima, which precede major sea level transgressions. While the record of biodiversity is biased, early metazoan radiations and oxygenation events are linked to major sea level cycles.

Neoproterozoic transition from subduction to breakup along the margin of the Rodinia supercontinent: Sedimentary evidence from the northwestern Tarim Block, Northwest China

The Tarim Block, northwest China, was positioned on the periphery of Rodinia during the Neoproterozoic Era, and preserves a geological archive chronicling the assembly and breakup of the supercontinent. Due to its antiquity and limited exposure, sedimentary records along the margin of the Rodinia supercontinent remain sparsely documented. This study focuses on the Xifangshan and Dongqiaoenbrak formations, the oldest sedimentary units in the northwestern Tarim Block, which comprise a Neoproterozoic sedimentary record at the supercontinent margin during the transition from subduction to breakup. A comprehensive analysis employing sedimentology, petrology, elemental geochemistry, and UPb detrital zircon chronology was undertaken, to elucidate paleoenvironment, parent rocks, and tectonic-sedimentary evolution. Findings show that the Neoproterozoic witnessed the subduction of an oceanic plate beneath the Tarim Block, resulting in the formation of a continental margin magmatic arc. The Xifangshan Formation, deposited during the late phase of this arc (with the earliest sedimentary age recorded at 770 Ma), represents a submarine fan dominated by turbidity currents. Around 760 Ma, rapid crustal uplift occurred, and the tectonic setting gradually shifted from subduction to rift, giving rise to the coastal alluvial fan sedimentary system observed in the Dongqiaoenbrak Formation. Both the Xifangshan and Dongqiaoenbrak Formations record deposition in an oxic to suboxic marine environment with moderate salinity, influenced by a semiarid to semihumid palaeoclimate. The continental margin arc served as the primary source for sedimentation in both formations, and a few magmatic products linked to extension (syenite, monzonite) were also cannibalized into the sedimentary system of Dongqiaoenbrak Formation. This transition from a turbidite system to a coastal alluvial fan represents a sedimentary response to the subduction-to-breakup dynamics along the margin of the Rodinia supercontinent.

Paleoenvironmental characterisation of the Campos Basin slope (SE Brazil) in front of Cape São Tomé based on benthic foraminiferal biofacies succession since MIS 5

The distribution of benthic foraminifera and the assemblage dynamics were analysed on piston core GL-54 to understand the changes in paleoecology since Marine Isotopic Stage 5 (MIS 5). The core was drilled on the upper slope of the Campos Basin on the Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) coast. Benthic foraminifera biofacies, ecological indices, lithological facies, biostratigraphy, and isotopic analyses were undertaken to characterise the paleoenvironment in front of Cape of São Tomé. Two distinct biofacies were identified in the GL-54 sedimentary record since the Last Interglacial Period (MIS 5). These two biofacies point to seasonal organic matter and a well-oxygenated environment, however, Biofacies 2 can be differentiated from Biofacies 1 by the presence of significant bottom water currents. Biofacies 2 has the same species as Biofacies 1, except for Miliolinella subrotunda. Benthic foraminiferal species and biofacies from GL-54 were compared to the ones present in the upper portion of the GL-39 piston core, which was drilled from the middle slope of the same basin. Species such as Globocassidulina crassa, Islandiella norcrossi, Alabaminella weddellensis, Bolivina paula, M. subrotunda, Bulimina aculeata, Globocassidulina subglobosa, Rotorbinella lepida, and Uvigerina peregrina were found in both piston cores. The biofacies of both piston cores were correlated, pointing to similarities between the upper slope and the middle slope in the Campos Basin since MIS 5. In general, the upper and middle slopes of the Campos Basin are characterised as a well-oxygenated environment with variation in the deposition of organic matter. In addition to these environmental factors, there is evidence for a strong bottom current in MIS 2 at both sites, probably due to the displacement of Brazil Current and Intermediate Western Boundary Current.

Evolution and origins of rubisco

Rubisco (D-ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) is the most abundant enzyme in the world, constituting up to half of the soluble protein content in plant leaves. Such is its ubiquity that its chemical fingerprint can be detected in the geological record spanning billions of years. Rubisco catalyses the conversion of inorganic CO2 into organic sugars, which underpin almost all of the biosphere, including our entire food chain. Due to its central role in the global carbon cycle, rubisco has been the subject of intense research for over 50 years. Rubisco is often considered inefficient due to its slow rate of carboxylation compared with other central metabolism enzymes, and its promiscuous oxygenase activity, which competes with the productive carboxylation reaction. It is hoped that engineering improved CO2 fixation will have significant advantages in agriculture and climate change mitigation. However, rubisco has proven difficult to engineer, with decades of efforts yielding limited results. Recent research has focused on reconstructing the evolutionary trajectory of rubisco to help elucidate its cryptic origins. Such evolutionary studies have led to a better understanding of both the origins of more complex rubisco forms and the broader relationship between rubisco's structure and function.

The major uplift in Himalayas was no earlier than the Miocene: Evidence from marine sediment record in the Bay of Bengal

The major uplift in Himalayas was no earlier than the Miocene: Evidence from marine sediment record in the Bay of Bengal

Revisiting Elevated δ13C Values of Sediment on Modern Carbonate Platforms

AbstractThe measured carbon isotopic compositions of carbonate sediments (δ13Ccarb) on modern platforms are commonly 13C‐enriched compared to predicted values for minerals forming in isotopic equilibrium with the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of modern seawater. This offset undermines the assumption that δ13Ccarb values of analogous facies in the rock record are an accurate archive of information about Earth's global carbon cycle. We present a new data set of the diurnal variation in carbonate chemistry and seawater δ13CDIC values on a modern carbonate platform. These data demonstrate that δ13Ccarb values on modern platforms are broadly representative of seawater, but only after accounting for the recent decrease in the δ13C value of atmospheric CO2 and shallow seawater DIC due to anthropogenic carbon release, a phenomenon commonly referred to as the 13C Suess effect. These findings highlight an important, yet overlooked, aspect of some modern carbonate systems, which must inform their use as ancient analogs.

Environmental microbiology explains the largest positive carbon isotope excursion in Earth history, the Lomagundi-Jatuli Event.

The geological record of stable carbon isotopes preserved in marine carbonate rocks spans nearly 4 billion years. Numerous perturbations mark this record, but one stands out for its magnitude, the Lomagundi-Jatuli Event, which spanned the transition of the Earth's surface from an anoxic to an oxic state. An Applied and Environmental Microbiology article by D. Y. Sumner (90:e00093-24, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00093-24) provides, for the first time, a biological explanation for its initiation, cessation, environmental specific restriction, and geological singularity.

Giant sediment-wave field and supercritical flows in a distally steepened ramp, Fort Payne Formation (Lower Mississippian), Kentucky–Tennessee, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT Sediment waves are common in confined to unconfined settings on modern marine slopes and basin floors worldwide. Their morphology and stratal patterns show that many of them migrate upslope and upflow, a characteristic thought to record Froude-supercritical flow conditions associated with sediment gravity flows and density cascades. Few sediment waves of this type have been observed in the ancient rock record. This study reports the discovery of a giant (> 20,000 km2) sediment-wave field in Lower Mississippian carbonates and shales of the Fort Payne Formation in Tennessee and Kentucky, U.S.A. Sediment waves are present in the clinothem slopes and basin floor of a distally steepened ramp as seismic-scale bedforms ranging from 100 to 700 m long and 15 to 50 m high. Dominant facies include crinoidal shales, packstones, and rudstones. Many of the beds are sharp-based and graded, indicating sediment-gravity-flow deposition. Upslope-inclined rudstones (backsets) and wavy beds with upflow and downflow laminae are common and indicate supercritical flow conditions. These observations and interpretations are in stark contrast to previous interpretations of crinoidal bioherms and Waulsortian-type mounds. Basin physiography, a cool-water heterozoan carbonate factory and coastal upwelling were key factors in establishing a rapidly prograding ramp characterized by high rates of sediment production and basinward shedding. Sediment gravity flows and density cascades transported crinoidal grains downslope and entrained crinoids that inhabited the slope. Flows frequently reached Fr-supercritical flow conditions that led to the formation of sediment waves similar to those on modern marine slopes. This sediment-wave field is one of the first to be documented in the ancient rock record, and its extent is enormous. The near absence of other reported ancient examples must be due to misinterpretation (mounds, slumps) and the problem of observational scale and resolution. Sediment waves are often larger than outcrops. Lack of recognition of sediment waves in subsurface seismic sections is probably due to misinterpretation and insufficient resolution. Perhaps this study demonstrates the need for revisiting and updating existing facies models of carbonate-sediment transport and depositional processes across slopes and basin floors.

Shallow lake response to Holocene climate variation in south-central Minnesota, USA

Sedimentary deposits in lakes across the upper Midwest record the co-evolution of climate and biogeochemistry since the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet at the end of the last glacial period. Here, we report on a Holocene lake sediment record from Chub Lake, a shallow (3 m depth) eutrophic lake system in south-central Minnesota. High-resolution elemental data from scanning XRF along with variations in organic matter, carbonate minerals, clastic material, biogenic silica, charcoal, and carbon isotopes reveal internally consistent patterns of hydroclimatic influence on this shallow lake system from 11,300 years BP to present. In particular, authigenic carbonate mineral formation and preservation in Chub Lake appears to be well suited as a moisture proxy beginning around 9700 BP up until ∼2300 BP, when a combination of more humid climates and basin-infilling change the hydrology of Chub Lake. This work emphasizes the importance of evaluating shallow lake sediment records both as important archives of climate proxies and case studies on how changing climates impact aquatic systems.

Lake level fluctuations and varve preservation – The sediment record from Lake Suminko (Poland) reflects European paleoclimatic changes

We present a reconstruction of Holocene lake-level fluctuations at Lake Suminko, a eutrophic hardwater lake in northern Poland. The lake contains annually laminated (varved) sediments, forming a unique archive of past hydroclimatic variability. Employing a combination of sedimentological and geochemical methods, we demonstrate that sediment core sections with well-preserved varves and lower Ca/Fe ratios correspond to periods of higher water levels associated with colder and wetter climatic conditions. We identify twelve periods of lake level high stands, consistent with other lake sediment records from western Poland and Europe, as well as with North Atlantic IRD events. Pollen data and geochemical proxies confirm negligible human impact on the lake during most of the Holocene, except for the last 500 years when accelerated soil erosion related to landscape opening and agricultural activities occurred. Therefore, we conclude that Holocene lake-level fluctuations at Lake Suminko are primarily controlled by climatic conditions regulating water availability and groundwater supplies to the lake. Our study also highlights the potential of varve preservation as a useful indicator of lake-level changes.

Xenolith Petrochronology (San Luis Potosi, Mexico) Constrains Heat Sources for Cenozoic Ultrahigh‐Temperature Metamorphism in the Lower Crust

AbstractUltrahigh‐temperature (UHT; >900°C) metamorphism drives crustal differentiation and is widely recognized in the rock record, but its geodynamic causes are debated. Previous work on granulite‐facies metapelite xenoliths from San Luis Potosí, Mexico suggests the lower crust experienced a protracted UHT metamorphic event that coincided with the onset of regional extension. To determine the duration, conditions, and heat sources of UHT metamorphism recorded by these xenoliths, this study characterizes the major‐element, trace‐element, and U‐Pb isotopic systematics of quartz, rutile, feldspar, garnet, and zircon by in situ electron microprobe (EPMA) and laser‐ablation inductively coupled‐plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS), and augments these data with detailed petrography, thermobarometry, phase equilibria modeling, and diffusion modeling. Thermobarometry and phase equilibria modeling suggest peak metamorphic conditions exceeded 0.7 GPa and 900°C. Zircon petrochronology confirms >15 Myr of UHT conditions since its onset at ∼30 Ma. A small population of zircon record elevated temperatures following transition from backarc compression to extension during the waning stages of orogenesis (60–37 Ma). Garnet preserves trace‐element zoning and mineral inclusions consistent with suprasolidus garnet growth and subsequent compositional modification by intracrystalline rare‐earth element diffusion during protracted heating, with diffusion chronometry timescales in agreement with zircon data, followed by fluid‐driven remobilization of trace elements along now‐healed fractures within ∼1 Myr of eruption. In sum, these data are most compatible with lithospheric mantle attenuation or removal as the dominant heat transport mechanism driving synextensional UHT metamorphism and crustal melting, which has bearing on models for crustal differentiation and formation of modern and ancient granulite terranes globally.

Direct Measurements of Dust Settling Velocity Under Low‐Density Atmospheres Using Time‐Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry

AbstractDust dynamics influence planetary atmospheres. However, the settling velocity of dust—and thus its residence time in the atmosphere—is often mispredicted. Challenging, indirect experiments involving few ideal particles revealed that dust settling velocity deviates from Stokes' law under rarefied atmospheres. While useful, such experiments are inadequate to simulate more complex scenarios, including variable particles sizes and shapes. Here, we present direct measurements of settling velocity for spherical particles under Earth‐to‐Mars atmospheric pressures using time‐resolved particle image velocimetry (TR‐PIV), and validate their robustness with existing models. Our results demonstrate that TR‐PIV provides a relatively simple approach to quantifying dust settling velocity from direct observations of over 10,000 particles, enabling systematic investigations of dust settling under realistic scenarios. Such experiments will have significant implications for our understanding of Mars' past, present, and future ‐ from providing a tool to decipher its sedimentary record to enhancing predictive capabilities of atmospheric models.

Morphology and internal structure of small-scale washovers formed in the coastal zone of the semi-enclosed tideless basin, Gulf of Gdańsk, Baltic Sea

This study explores the morphological features and internal structure of small-scale washovers along the south-eastern Baltic Sea coast, providing insights into these most widespread yet often neglected deposits in the recent research of geomorphological and sedimentary record of storm surges. A 15-year-long record of morphological changes of the coast was acquired from regional orthophotos to analyse their geometry and spatial characteristics. Sedimentological analyses comprising a description of deposits, grain size and shape analyses, and Ground Penetrating Radar profiling were undertaken to investigate the internal structure of washovers. The formation of washovers appeared to be correlated with the average winter NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) index. The study revealed different scaling relationships of selected spatial parameters in two coastal settings and extended previously hypothesized relationships of length-area, area-volume, and length-volume. The internal structure of washovers is defined by low-angle planar cross-stratification and horizontal stratification, both disrupted by small troughs. Grain-size data indicated extremely short transport of dune and beach sediments, lately deposited in the form of washovers. The study proves that in all domains, the geomorphological characteristics of washovers are scalable, despite the different coastal settings, and even small-scale washovers fit the existing development models.

Investigation on the failure mechanism for surrounding rock in small interval tunnels using finite element limit analysis method

This paper presents a case study to evaluate the failure mechanism of surrounding rock in mountain tunnels caused by small interval parallelism and the reinforcement effect of intermediate rock columns. The characteristics and reasons of surrounding rock collapse were analyzed through field investigation, taking Yaoxi Tunnel as a case study. The critical collapse and blowout pressure results obtained by the finite element difference method (FEDM) software FLAC and the finite element limit analysis method (FELAM) software OPTUM were compared based on Mollon’s theoretical solution. The critical support pressure errors for collapse are 18.803% and 8.129%, indicating that OPTUM has a slight advantage in accuracy for solving tunnel collapse. Therefore, the models of small interval tunnels were established by OPTUM to investigate the collapse failure mechanism and progressive failure process of surrounding rock. The effects of tunnel depth ratio (H/D), spacing ratio (S/D), and surrounding rock parameters (γ, φ, c) on critical support pressure, failure mode, and surrounding rock settlement laws were studied through simulation models. It shows that the gradual decrease in mechanical parameters of rock is the main cause of the increase in critical support pressure. The design parameters (H/D, S/D) have a mutagenic effect on the pressure arch of the double tunnel surrounding rock. As the distance between the two holes increases, the joint pressure point in the intermediate rock column gradually rises. Finally, the effectiveness of the reinforcement measures for the intermediate rock column was verified through on-site monitoring. The research results of this study have reference price for similar projects.

Mapping paleoelevations along active continental margins with igneous geochemistry: A case study from South America

Mountains and mountain ranges, often situated at convergent plate margins, play a pivotal role in many fields of the Earth, climate, and biological sciences. Reconstructing past episodes of mountain building from the geological rock record is one of the main challenges for unravelling the ancient physical geography of Earth’s surface. Established methods for quantifying past elevations traditionally relied on sedimentary rocks, but in recent years, alternative approaches have emerged on the basis that geochemical signatures of magmatic rocks formed in convergent settings correlate with crustal thickness or elevation. Consequently, methods based on igneous samples have the potential to allow quantitative mapping of past topographic change for large spans of space and time where existing maps are largely based on a qualitative approach. Here, we investigate the application of paleoelevation estimates derived from geochemistry using the western margin of South America as a case study. We investigate their consistency with independent indicators of past elevations such as stratigraphy, stable isotopes, fossils etc. for Cenozoic samples along the Andean margin. For older times, we compare the estimated paleoelevations with more general aspects of the geological record, as well as paleoelevations from global paleogeography models widely used in climate modelling studies, to evaluate the extent to which these models are consistent with the igneous geochemical proxies. We find that estimates based on multiple geochemical proxies, and which account for variations in elevation as a function of MgO, are preferable to those based on individual proxies. The multi-mohometer estimates yield estimates of elevation that better match both present-day topography and Cenozoic paleoelevations, and retain more samples during the data filtering stage. In deeper time, we show that igneous geochemistry quantifies changes in elevation related to documented phases of crustal thickening and thinning, and is thus likely to allow improvements to existing maps of paleotopography.

Archaeological landscapes and long-term settlements in the Perputxent valley (eastern Iberia): Exploring land use strategies and sustainability in a Mediterranean mountain area

In this paper, we present the long-term occupation of the Perputxent Valley with the purpose of exploring the factors that could explain the long-lasting and trans-cultural occupation of resilient sites and landscapes for nearly two millennia. The first part describes the archaeological research carried out based on remote sensing and intensive coverage survey methods and geoarchaeological analysis. The characterisation of the intensive agricultural uses has been studied from the geochemical analysis of the soil and sedimentary record. The objective is to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental processes and the possible evidence of the agricultural practices. This research has identified the residential spaces, the sites and the agrarian land-uses, especially intensive farmlands. The second part analyses the evidence of this long-term settlements in the context of the archaeological, ethnographic and historical record of the region. Understanding these practices of agriculture and land-use can contribute to understandings of what makes societies sustainable.

Sedimentation record of a complete glacial-interglacial cycle: Down-slope deposits, contourites and plumites of the North Sea trough mouth fan

Trough mouth fans (TMFs) are major submarine depocentres that form in front of ice streams advancing onto the continental shelf, and they provide extensive records of past glaciations and ice-sheet dynamics. However, early research about TMFs was conducted using primarily 2D seismic data, which limits the insights on the deposit's geometries and internal structures and more recent studies using 3D data have focused on the general depositional history of TMFs. Here, we assess the spatial and temporal changes of the glacio-marine landforms and deposits throughout the last glacial-interglacial cycle (Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 to 1, ∼130 ka to present) recorded in a >550 m thick progradational sequence. We use 3D reflection seismic data with significant vertical resolution (up to 2 m) imaging over 14000 km2 from the uppermost North Sea Fan (NSF) to document the seismic stratigraphy and sedimentary processes, by combining horizon picking and geomorphological analyses. The studied interval comprises five mappable units, four on the slope and one on the shelf, spanning from the modern seabed down to the top of the Tampen Slide (∼130 ka). Five different channel types (here included slide scars), as well as contourite and plumite packages are described based on their seismic facies, morphology, geometry, and stratigraphical position. We propose that contour currents are responsible for sediment delivery after the Tampen Slide deposition during the interglacial period before the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum, when high meltwater influx from the shelf produced turbidites. Sedimentation became debris-flow-dominated towards the end of the period of shelf-edge glaciation. The deglacial interval is characterized by the deposition of plumites on the slope. On the shelf, subglacial tills are deposited during both glacial and deglacial periods. We calculate an average sedimentation rate of <1 m/kyr during the interglacial (MIS 5-3), and around 50–65 m/kyr during the glacial and deglacial periods (MIS2-early MIS1). Thus, we document a change of two orders of magnitude in sedimentation rate during a glacial cycle on the slope of a glaciated margin.

Tropical cyclone activity over the past 1200 years at the Pelican Cays, Belize

Tropical cyclone (TC) models indicate that continued planet warming will likely increase the global proportion of powerful TCs (specifically Categories 4 and 5 hurricanes), increasingly jeopardizing low-lying coastal communities and resources such as the Pelican Cays, Belize. The combination of increased coastal development and continued relative sea-level rise puts these communities at even higher risk of damage from TCs. The short TC observational record for the western Caribbean hampers the extensive study of TC activity on centennial timescales, which hinders our ability to fully understand past TC climatology and improve the accuracy of TC models. To better assess TC risk, paleotempestological studies are necessary to put future scenarios in perspective. Here, we present a high-resolution reconstruction of coarser-grained sediment deposits associated with TC (predominately ≥ Category 2 hurricanes) passages over the past 1200 years from Elbow and Lagoon Cays, two coral reef-bounded lagoons at the northern and southern end of the Pelican Cays; the most southern Belizean paleotempestological site to date. Coincident timing of historic storms with statistically significant coarser-grained deposits within cay lagoon sediment cores allows us to determine which historic TCs likely generated event layers (tempestites) archived in the sediment record. Our compilation frequency analysis indicates one active interval (above-normal TC activity) from 1740-1950 CE and one quiet interval (below-normal TC activity) from 850-1018 CE. The active and quiet intervals in the Pelican Cays composite record are anticorrelated with those from nearby and re-analyzed TC records to the north, including the Great Blue Hole (∼100 km north) and the Northeast Yucatan (∼380 km northwest). This site-specific anticorrelation in TC activity along the western Caribbean indicates that we cannot rely on any one single TC record to represent regional TC activity. However, we cannot discount that these anticorrelated periods between the western Caribbean sites are due to randomness. To confirm that the anticorrelation in TC activity among sites from the western Caribbean is indeed a function of climate change and not randomness, an integration of more records and TC model simulations over the past millennium is necessary to assess the significance of centennial-scale variability in TC activity recorded in reconstructions from the western Caribbean.

Tracing Holocene temperatures and human impact in a Greenlandic Lake: Novel insights from hyperspectral imaging and lipid biomarkers

Global warming particularly impacts terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Arctic. To constrain the sensitivity of Arctic lakes and make meaningful predictions about future change under global warming, we need to examine their response to previous warm phases. Lake sediments from Greenland's deglaciated area offer valuable archives to investigate past climate variability and associated lake changes.Here, we applied hyperspectral imaging and lipid biomarker thermometry to a Holocene-length sediment record from Lake 578 in the Eastern Settlement of the Norse (61.08° N, 45.62° W; ∼155 m a.s.l) to investigate local temperature, productivity, and anoxia histories. We calibrated branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) with summer mean water temperatures (SMWT) using a previously published site-specific calibration and analyzed pigment fluxes based on hyperspectral imaging. Notably, the anoxia reconstructions were corroborated with two independent proxies (GDGT-0/Crenarchaeol and bacterio pheophytins). We investigated the lake's environmental history and identified periods of significant change by employing generalized additive models (GAMs).Our results reveal significant transitions in Lake 578 driven both by natural climate shifts and anthropogenic impacts. During the early Holocene, low SMWT and productivity coupled with high anoxia suggest strong seasonality and prolonged inverted thermal stratification, possibly enhanced by extended ice cover. The mid-Holocene showed higher SMWT and productivity along with low anoxia, indicating a dimictic lake system. The early Holocene temperature rise lagged that of to the Northern Hemisphere, but closely followed the Atlantic-Fennoscandian stack. The Holocene Thermal Maximum (7.5–4.5 cal ka BP) aligns with other regional reconstructions. After 3 cal ka BP, we observed a Neoglacial cooling characterized by increased anoxia and reduced temperatures due to enhanced stratification. At around 1.0 cal ka BP, Lake 578 saw a surge in productivity and anoxia, which we attribute to land use and lake damming by the Norse. Despite a post-Norse decline in productivity and disappearance of anoxia, the lake never reverted to its pre-Norse state, with modern sheep farming further intensifying productivity in recent decades. While early Holocene anoxia resulted from natural cold temperature stratification, anoxia during the Norse period was anthropogenically induced.This research underscores the value of integrating lipid biomarkers with hyperspectral imaging for detailed reconstructions of changes within Arctic lakes. It provides crucial insights for anticipating the ecologic and climatic resilience of Arctic lakes to ongoing global warming and anthropogenic influence.