CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IN ARCTIC CANADA: OBSERVATIONS FROMUPPER AND LOWER MURRAY LAKES, ELLESMERE ISLAND, NUNAVUT

A Dissertation Presented
by
TIMOTHY COOK

Submitted to the Graduate School of the
University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillmentof the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

September 2009

Geosciences© Timothy L. Cook 2009
All rights Reserved

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This project was made possible by funding from the National Science Foundation (grant numbers
ATM-0402421 and ARC-0454959) to Raymond Bradley. I additionally benefited from a Massachusetts
Space Grant Summer Fellowship. A number of people have contributed to the success of this project
including Mark Besonen, Ray Bradley, Pierre Francus, Ted Lewis, and Whit Patridge, all of whom helped
make my time in the field enjoyable and productive. I am especially grateful for the wisdom passed on bythem during three separate field campaigns on Ellesmere Island. I also benefited from many thoughtful
discussions with my fellow graduate students, including those previously mentioned and Nick Balascio,
Carsten Braun, Michael Griffiths, Ambarish Karmalkar, Kinuyo Kanamaru, and Kate Zalzal. Additional
thanks are due to John Sweeney for his engineering and fabrication support; Derek Mueller for providing
considerable guidance getting started with the analysis of synthetic aperture radar data; John Jaeger for
helping with the dating of sediments; Joe Stoner and Maureen Davies for conducting paleomagnetic
analyses that proved critical in the verification of the varve chronology produced in this study; JeanFrançois Crémer and Pierre Francus for their considerable help with the acquisition of ITRAX data andtheir hospitality in Quebec; Anna Gilmore for helping with the chemical analysis of water samples; and ofcourse Frank Keimig for his considerable help processing data and for making sure that the Climate Center
was an enjoyable place to work. Finally, I would like thank Ray for sharing his passion for arctic
exploration with me.

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ABSTRACTCLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IN ARCTIC CANADA: OBSERVATIONS FROMUPPER AND LOWER MURRAY LAKES, ELLESMERE ISLAND, NUNAVUTSEPTEMBER 2009
TIMOTHY COOK, Sc.B., BROWN UNIVERSITY
M.S., UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
Directed by Professor Raymond S. BradleyThis study was designed with the overriding goal of improving our understanding of the nature,causes, and impacts of past climatic conditions in the High Arctic and to evaluate the potential impacts offuture climatic warming. Specifically, the focus of this project was centered on Upper and Lower Murray
Lakes (81° 21’ N, 69° 32’ W) on northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. Sediment cores werecollected from each of the lakes in order to reconstruct past climate and environmental variability andspace-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data were used to evaluate recent variability in the ice cover ofthese lakes.
The climatic setting and physical characteristics of Lower Murray Lake has led to the formationand preservation of annually laminated sediments (varves). Varve deposition began ca. 5200 calendar years
BP and continued through 2004 AD, providing an annual record of sediment accumulation spanning thepast 5200+ years. Annual mass accumulation was correlated to regional July temperatures providing ameans of quantitatively evaluating past temperature changes in the region. The temperature reconstruction
suggests that recent temperatures are ~2.6°C higher than minimum temperatures observed during the Little
Ice Age, maximum temperatures during the past 5200 years exceeded modern values by ~0.6°C, and thatminimum temperatures observed approximately 2900 varve years BC were ~3.5°C colder than recent
conditions.
SAR observations of the ice cover Upper and Lower Murray Lake were used to assess thepotential effects of past and future temperatures on lake-ice conditions. Under current climatic conditions
the lakes average several weeks of ice-free conditions in August and early September, although in somev

years a continuous ice cover persists throughout the year. The relationship between summer temperatureand ice melt at the lakes suggests that recent warming in the High Arctic has forced the lakes across athreshold from a state of perennial ice cover to seasonal melting. Projected future warming will
significantly increase the duration of ice free conditions on Upper and Lower Murray Lakes. Ice-out ispredicted to occur between 6 and 28 days earlier for every 1°C of warming.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................... iv
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................... v
LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................................... x
LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................................xii
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1
Context of the study .......................................................................................................................... 1
Objectives and hypotheses ................................................................................................................ 3
Research strategy and thesis organization ......................................................................................... 3
2. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MODERN AND ANCIENT ENVIRONMENT OF UPPER AND
LOWER MURRAY LAKES .......................................................................................................................... 5
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Description of the study area............................................................................................................. 6
Physical setting ................................................................................................................... 6
Geologic setting .................................................................................................................. 7
Modern climatic setting ...................................................................................................... 7
Methods ............................................................................................................................................ 8
Field work ........................................................................................................................... 8
Laboratory analysis ........................................................................................................... 10
Chronological control ....................................................................................................... 13
Results ............................................................................................................................................. 13
Surface air temperatures ................................................................................................... 13
Lake and stream water properties ..................................................................................... 14
Core stratigraphy & physical characteristics .................................................................... 15
Geochemical data.............................................................................................................. 17
Chronology ....................................................................................................................... 19
Discussion ....................................................................................................................................... 21
Modern climatic setting of the Murray Lakes ................................................................... 21
Modern limnology of the Murray Lakes ........................................................................... 23
Holocene evolution of the Murray Lakes ......................................................................... 25
Summary and conclusions .............................................................................................................. 28
3. ORIGIN, CHRONOLOGY, AND CLIMATIC SIGNIFICANCE OF VARVED SEDIMENTS IN
LOWER MURRAY LAKE........................................................................................................................... 56
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 56
vii

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 57
Study area........................................................................................................................................ 58
Methods .......................................................................................................................................... 59
Field work ......................................................................................................................... 59
Core analysis ..................................................................................................................... 60
Radioisotope analysis ....................................................................................................... 61
Results ............................................................................................................................................. 61
Core stratography.............................................................................................................. 61
Chronology ....................................................................................................................... 62
Lamina Characteristics ..................................................................................................... 65
Discussion ....................................................................................................................................... 67
Climatic controls on Lower Murray Lake sedimentation ................................................. 67
Stability of the climate-sedimentation system .................................................................. 72
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................... 73

4. RECENT ADVANCES AND LIMITATION IN QUANTITATIVE TEMPERATURE
RECONSTRUCTIONS FROM THE CANADIAN ARCTIC ...................................................................... 88
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 88
Quantitative indicators of past temperature .................................................................................... 89
Ice cores ............................................................................................................................ 89
Boreholes .......................................................................................................................... 91
Changes in ice extent ........................................................................................................ 91
Dendroclimatology ........................................................................................................... 92
Lake studies ...................................................................................................................... 93
Limitations in our current understanding of past temperatures ....................................................... 96
Summary and Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 100
5. PAST AND FUTURE CHANGES IN THE ICE COVER OF HIGH-ARCTIC LAKES: EVIDENCE
FROM UPPER & LOWER MURRAY LAKES, ELLESMERE ISLAND, CANADA ............................. 109
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 109
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 110
Study area...................................................................................................................................... 111
Data and Methods ......................................................................................................................... 111
Annual ice break-up ........................................................................................................ 114
Past ice conditions .......................................................................................................... 118
Future ice conditions....................................................................................................... 119
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 121
6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ...................................................................................................... 137
APPENDICES
viii

1.
2.

THIN SECTION PHOTOS ........................................................................................................... 141
INDEX OF THIN SECTIONS...................................................................................................... 148

BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................................... 151

ix

LIST OF TABLES
Table

Page

2.1

Main physiographic characteristics of Upper and Lower Murray Lakes ........................................ 30

2.2

1971-2000 Climate normals for Alert and Eureka .......................................................................... 31

2.3

Key locations discussed in the text ................................................................................................. 32

2.4

List of cores collected from Upper and Lower Murray Lakes and associated analyses .................. 33

2.5

ITRAX analyses of Lower Murray Lake Cores. Cores labeled in bold were used toconstruct the composite geochemical record................................................................................... 34

2.6

AMS radiocarbon data from Upper & Lower Murray Lakes. Radiocarbon ages were
calibrated using Calib 5.0.1 (Reimer et al., 2004)........................................................................... 35

2.7

Water sample anion and cation concentrations (mg/L) ................................................................... 36

2.8

Chemical composition of Lower Murray Lake sediments based on ICP-AES analysis) ................ 37

2.9

Correlation coefficients determined between different elemental intensities measured by
ITRAX XRF.................................................................................................................................... 38

3.1

Ordered list of thin sections used to create the composite varve chronology from Lower
Murray Lake. (Appendix 1 includes images of each of these thin sections including themarker beds used to tie the sequence between successive thin sections. Appendix 2 includes
a list of all thin sections produced from Murray Lake sediments and a description of theircorresponding depth interval.) ........................................................................................................ 75

3.2

Coefficient of determination (r2) values and their significance (p values) calculated forlinear regressions between log-transformed Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation andassorted climatic data recorded at the Alert and Eureka weather stations ....................................... 76

4.1

List of study locations discussed in text and shown on map in Figure 1. Site numbers listed
in bold have established quantitative paleotemperature records that have been reproduced in
Figures 4.2 through 4.5 ................................................................................................................. 103

4.2

Correlation coefficients determined between June-August temperatures at various stations
around the Canadian Arctic and western Greenland and a principle component based JuneJuly-August NAO index. Correlation coefficients were determined on 5-year runningmeans of annual June-August values. Canadian station data is from Environment Canada
National Climate Data and Information Archive (www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca).
Greenland temperature records are from Vinther et al. (2005). NAO Index Data provided by
the Climate Analysis Section, NCAR, Boulder, USA, Hurrell (1995) ......................................... 104

5.1

Results of correlation analysis between the mean daily temperature record at the Murray
Lakes and the available long-term regional records ...................................................................... 122

5.2

Pearson product moment correlation results between the timing of ice-out on Upper (UML)and Lower (LML) Murray Lakes mean temperatures over various time intervals. Significant
correlations are in bold .................................................................................................................. 123

x

5.3

Ice-out dates and the total cumulative melting degree days (CMDD) required to reach ice
out on Upper and Lower Murray during each year of the record. Missing values indicatecomplete ice-out did not occur ...................................................................................................... 124

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LIST OF FIGURES
FigurePage

2.1

ITRAX analyses of Lower Murray Lake Cores. Cores labeled in bold were used toconstruct the composite geochemical record................................................................................... 39

2.2

Map of the Murray Lakes watershed indicating the position of local ice caps, the boundaryof the watershed, and the location of air temperature loggers installed as part of this study.
Shown at right is the general bathymetry of Upper and Lower Murray Lakes and thelocations where sediment cores were collected ............................................................................... 40

2.3(Top) Mean daily air temperature recorded at lake level (113 m elevation) and on the upper
slope adjacent to Lower Murray Lake (611 m elevation). Bottom panel indicates thedifference between the mean daily temperatures recorded by the two loggers ............................... 41

2.4

Water column properties measured in Upper and Lower Murray Lakes. Solid lines indicate
data obtained in June 2005; dashed lines are from August 2006; dotted lines are from a
repeat profile in Upper Murray in June 2005 .................................................................................. 42

2.5

Profiles of dissolved ion concentrations in Upper and Lower Murray Lakes ................................. 43

2.6a

Brief description and correlation of the sediment cores recovered from Lower Murray Lake ....... 44

2.6b

Brief description and correlation of the sediment cores recovered from Upper Murray Lake ........ 45

2.7

Down core variations in grain size, bulk density, and percent loss on ignition (LOI) in
Lower Murray Lake ........................................................................................................................ 46

2.8

Size distribution plots illustrating the range of particle sizes characterizing different
portions of the Lower Murray Lake sedimentary record................................................................. 47

2.9

Photograph of core LML-05-C1-E1 illustrating fine laminations characteristic of the upper
240 cm of Lower Murray Lake sediments. Boxes indicated the location of sub samples
utilized for ICP-AES analysis ......................................................................................................... 48

2.10

Subsection of core photos indicating the major transition to finely laminated sediments at a
depth of 240 cm (core LML-05-C1-A2) and the variable, coarse deposits recovered in thebasal core section (core LML-05-C2-E2) ....................................................................................... 49

2.11

Percent loss-on-ignition (LOI) results from Lower Murray Lake Sediments. Apparent
cyclicity in the % LOI values reflects errors associated with the placement of samples in the
furnace during analysis. Shaded regions correspond to samples placed on the lower shelf ofthe furnace that consistently produced higher percent loss-on-ignition values relative
samples on the upper rack ............................................................................................................... 50

2.12

Minimum detection limits of the ITRAX X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument for elementsof various atomic numbers based on acquisition times of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 sec (original
figure provided by Cox Analytical Systems) .................................................................................. 51

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2.13

ITRAX XRF profiles of major chemical elements compared to down core variations inparticle size. Dotted line indicates a break in the timing of sample analysis. Data frombelow the dotted line were recorded more than a year after the original analyses were
performed, introducing the potential for analytical bias associated with the desiccation of
the cores over time .......................................................................................................................... 52

2.14

Results from 210Pb and 137Cs analyses of Upper (top panel) and Lower (bottom panel)
Murray sediments. Plots on the left depict 210Pb and 137Cs activity versus depth. Plots on theright show 210Pb data interpreted according to the constant rate of supply (CRS) plotted as
age versus depth. The bottom right plot also shows the raw varve chronology and adjusted
varve chronology as described in Chapter 3. Discrepancies between the 210Pb age mode, the137
Cs stratigraphy, and the Lower Murray varve chronology reflect likely disturbances in
the upper most deposits sediments of the two lakes ........................................................................ 53

2.15

Age model for Upper and Lower Murray lake sediment accumulation. Lower Murray Lakeage model is based on the varve chronology for the past 5200 years. The dashed line
indicates a presumed increase in the rate of sediment accumulation prior to the varved
portion of the record. Upper Murray Lake age model based on calibrated radiocarbon ages ......... 54

2.16

XRF profiles of redox sensitive elements Mn and Fe. The decrease in Mn:Fe ratio above ~405 cm likely indicates the onset of anoxia in the bottom waters of Lower Murray Lake.
Determination of the correlation coefficient between of Mn and Fe over a moving 10 cm(101 point) window highlights this transition. Under oxic condition Mn and Fe are more
likely to behave in a similar fashion, whereas Mn becomes more mobile under anoxic
conditions, leading to poor correlation in the behavior of the two elements ................................... 55

3.1

Map of Lower Murray Lake and surrounding region. The lower right panel shows a close
up of Lower Murray Lake, including approximate bathymetry and the location of the coringsite. Inset shows Ellesmere Island and surrounding region ............................................................. 77

3.2

Down-core variations in grain size in Lower Murray Lake sediments. The distinct transition
that occurs at ~245 cm depth marks the beginning of the laminated portion of the sequence ........ 78

3.3

Scanned image of a thin section under cross-polarized light showing fine-scale laminations
punctuated by coarse grained event deposits (marked X on thin section). Inset shows asequence of fining-upwards silt and clay couplets that are characteristic of typical varves in
Lower Murray Lake ........................................................................................................................ 79

3.4(a) 210Pb and 137Cs activity versus depth for core LML- 05-C1-E5. The 210Pb minimum
between ~1 and 1.5 cm depth suggests non-uniform deposition and is consistent with thedepth of a turbidite observed in the sediment. (b) Comparison of the varve chronology withthe 210Pb age model (CRS model) and 137Cs activity. Horizontal error bars are 1 σ
uncertainties and vertical error bars represent the sampling interval. The gap in the varve
chronology reflects suspected erosion resulting from a ca. 1990 turbidite, which likely
contributes to the discrepancy between the varve and 210Pb chronologies. Shaded regions
indicate the first occurrence (~1954) and peak (1963) horizons of 137Cs activity in thesediment, and their general agreement with the varve chronology ................................................. 80

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3.5

Comparison of paleomagnetic secular variation records in sediment cores from Lower
Murray Lake and South Sawtooth Lake on their independently derived varve-based
chronologies. From top to bottom, the records include: the characteristic remanent
magnetization (ChRM) declination; ChRM inclination; relative paleointensity estimatedusing the mean of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) intensity normalized byanhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) over a range of progressive alternating fielddemagnetization steps; the ratio of ARM after 30 mT demagnetization to the ARM before
demagnetization. See Stoner and St-Onge (2007) for further explanation of thesemeasurements. Due to the higher rate of sedimentation in Sawtooth Lake, those data havebeen smoothed with a 20 point running mean filter ........................................................................ 81

3.6

Comparison of the independently derived varve chronologies from cores collected in 2005
(LML-05; this study) and 2000 (ML-00; Besonen et al. 2008). Offset between the tworecords illustrates the uncertainty in varve delineation and reflects error in both thechronology and thickness measurements. Total offset after 1000 varve years is <20 years or
2%. Most of the offset can be isolated within a single portion of the record where laminae
are particularly diffuse and difficult to distinguish. Adjusting one record to match the otheris difficult to justify ......................................................................................................................... 82

3.7

Sedimentological results from Lower Murray Lake. Time-series data are a combination of
the least disturbed sections of multiple cores. Top panel shows raw varve thickness
measurements (grey) and varve thickness after anomalous depositional units have been
removed (black). Bottom panel shows varve thickness (grey) and mass accumulation(black) after the data have been smoothed with a 25 year running mean filter. Massaccumulation is calculated from the varve thickness and bulk density measurements. Dottedlines in each panel reflect the series mean value ............................................................................. 83

3.8(a) Time-series of Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation and 600 m temperatures
recorded by radiosondes at Alert and Eureka. (b) Scatter plot showing the relationshipbetween Alert and Eureka 600 m temperatures and mass accumulation rates in Lower
Murray Lake.................................................................................................................................... 84

3.9

Lower Murray Lake temperature reconstruction based on the calibration between massaccumulation rate and July 600 m temperatures at Alert. 25 year running mean temperatures
are plotted as anomalies relative to the 1001– 2000 AD mean. Shaded gray region reflects±1.04°C standard error of the regression equation .......................................................................... 85

3.10

Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation over the past 1000 varve years (black) relative toexternal forcings of global temperatures (Crowley 2000): volcanic forcing (top panel), solar
variability (third from top), and greenhouse gasses (bottom panel). Note the different scales
for radiative forcing by the different variables. Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation,
radiative forcing from greenhouse gasses, and solar variability are plotted relative to their1001–2000 AD mean. Periods of increased mass accumulation in the twelfth to fourteenth
centuries coincide with episodes of elevated solar activity and reduced volcanic activity,
whereas reduced mass accumulation around 1450, 1700, and 1800 AD coincides withperiods of enhanced volcanism and reduced solar activity. Increased mass accumulation in
the twentieth century coincides with anthropogenic forcing of greenhouse gas
concentrations ................................................................................................................................. 86

3.11(a) Comparison of the last 2000 years of Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation with Lake
Tuborg (T. Lewis, unpublished data) and Lake C2 (Lamoureux and Bradley 1996) varve
thickness and Agassiz Ice Cap melt percentage (Fisher et al. 1995; Fisher and Koerner
1994). Running means (25 year) are plotted for each record; varve data are log transformed,
normalized departures from 1000 to 2000 AD mean. Arrows indicate periods of widespread
ice-cap expansion identified in northern Baffin Island ca. ~1280 and ~1450 AD (Anderson
et al. 2008). (b) Long-term, 5,200 year record of Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation

xiv

compared to Aggasiz Ice Cap melt percentage and d18O (Fisher et al. 1995; Fisher andKoerner 1994) ................................................................................................................................. 87
4.1

Regional map of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland depicting study locations discussed in
the text: (1) GISP2, (2) GRIP, (3) Dye-3, (4) Hans Tausen ice cap, (5) Agassiz ice cap, (6)Meighen Island ice cap, (7) Devon Island ice cap, (8) Barnes ice cap, (9) Penny ice cap,(10) Lake C2, (11) Lower Murray Lake, (12) Lake Tuborg, (13) Big Round Lake, (14)Donard Lake, (15) Lake KR02, (16) Lake MB01, (17) Lake SLO6, (18) Hikwa Lake, (19)Lake Jake, (20) Iglutalik Lake, (21) Patricia Bay Lake, (22) Lake CF3, (23) Lake CF8, (24)
Dyer Lake, (25) Fog Lake, (26) Kangerlussuaq, (27) Hazen Plateau Lakes ................................. 104

4.2

Proxy paleotemperature records from ice cores in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland.
Shown from top to bottom are Agassiz ice cap δ18O (Fisher and Koerner, 1990); Devon
Island ice cap δ18O (Patterson et al., 1977); Hans Tausen ice cap δ18O (Claus et al., 2001;
Hammer et al., 2001); Greenland borehole temperatures from GRIP and Dye-3 (Dahl
Jensen et al., 1998); GISP2 temperature reconstruction (Cuffey and Clew, 1997; Alley,
2001; 2004) Also shown are July insolation anomalies relative to 1950 values (Berger andLoutre, 1991); Agassiz ice cap percent melt (Koerner and Fisher; 1990). The main
Holocene trend in temperatures largerly parallels the gradual decrease in summer throughthe Holocene ................................................................................................................................. 105

4.3

Pollen based paleotemperature reconstructions from the Canadian Arctic. Shown from top
to bottom are smoothed composite July temperature anomalies from Baffin Island lakes(Kerwin et al., 2004; plots reflect the thick black lines in their Figure 5); composite
northern Canada temperature anomalies (Andrews, 1991); mean July temperatures from
Lake KR02, Victoria Island (Peros and Gajewski, 2009); and mean July temperatures from
Lake SL06, Boothia Penninsula and Lake MB01, Victoria Island (Peros and Gajewski,2008). Note that temperatures in the top two panels are plotted according to 14C years
before 2000, whereas the bottom two records are plotted according to calendar years before
2000 .............................................................................................................................................. 106

4.4

Assorted paleotemperature reconstructions from the Canadian Arctic and southwestern
Greenland. Shown from top to bottom are diatom-inferred summer water temperatures fromFog Lake, Baffin Island (Joynt and Wolfe, 2001); chironomid-inferred July air temperaturesfrom Lake CF8, Baffin Island (Axford et al., 2009); chironomid-inferred July air
temperature (early and mid Holocene) and water temperature (late Holocene) from lake
CF3, Baffin Island (Briner et al., 2006; Thomas et al., 2008); and Alkenone based summer
water temperature from two lakes near Kangerlussuaq, southwest Greenland (D’Andrea,2009) ............................................................................................................................................. 107

4.5

Varve records from the Canadian Arctic considered to reflect past temperature variability.
Annual data have been smoothed with a 25 year running mean filter to highlight decadalscale variability. Varves characteristics in Lower Murray Lake (Cook et al., 2009), Big
Round Lake (Thomas and Briner, 2009), and Donard Lake (Moore et al., 2001) have all
been correlated to summer temperatures. Lake C2 (Lamoureux and Bradley, 1996) and
Lake Tuborg (Lewis et al., 2008) varve characteristics have not been calibrated totemperature values, but are considered sensitive to past temperature variability .......................... 108

5.1

Regional map showing the location of Upper and Lower Murray Lakes as well as otherhigh-arctic lakes mentioned in the text. Also shown is the grid box associated with
NCEP/NCAR reanalysis temperature data used in this study ....................................................... 125

5.2

Aerial photograph looking north across Lower Murray Lake in the foreground and Upper
Murray Lake which wraps behind the hill to the left in the background. Note the significant
shadow across much of Lower Murray Lake which occurs in the afternoon ................................ 126

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5.3

Sequence of RADARSAT-1 SAR image sub-scenes showing an increase in the percentage
of open water (dark, textureless tone) on Upper and Lower Murray Lakes during the year
2000 melt season. The original RADARSAT-1 data (©Canadian Space Agency – CSA)
were provided by the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF). .................................................................. 127

5.4

Comparison of mean daily surface air temperature observation at the Murray Lakes fieldsite with the available long term regional temperature records. Plots along the left show
mean daily temperatures (in black) and the spline curve (in grey) fit to each time series inorder remove seasonal variability. Plots along the right show residual daily temperatures
relative to the spline value............................................................................................................. 128

5.5(left) Mean daily temperature at Murray Lakes compared to the reanalysis temperature datafrom the grid box centered on 82.5°N 70°W. The reanalysis data systematicallyunderestimated May-September temperatures at the Murray Lakes. Consequently, thereanalysis temperature record was adjusted based on a linear regression of the May throughSeptember temperature data (right). The adjusted reanalysis temperature series is plotted in
red on the upper panel and shows much better agreement with the local observations ................ 129

5.6

Annual record of ice decay on Upper and Lower Murray Lakes showing changes in the areaof the lake covered by ice during each summer from 1997 through 2007 .................................... 130

5.7

Plot showing mean June and July temperatures anomalies (relative to 1997-2007 mean) andice-out dates for the each year of the record. Note that the ice-out date scale has been
reversed in order to emphasis the consistent relationship between summer temperatures andthe timing of ice-out ...................................................................................................................... 131

5.8

RADARSAT-1 SAR image sub-scenes showing initial ice break-up on Upper and Lower
Murray Lakes. Note the consistent pattern of open water first occurring near the center of
the Upper Murray Lake and the south end of Lower Murray Lake. The original
RADARSAT-1 data (©Canadian Space Agency – CSA) were provided by the Alaska
Satellite Facility (ASF) ................................................................................................................. 132

5.9

Seasonal variations in the angle of the sun above the horizon for different times of day at
the Murray Lakes field site ........................................................................................................... 133

5.10

Recent summer temperature anomalies (relative 1961-1990 means) from Ellesmere Island,
including annual and 11-yr mean June and July reanalysis temperature records (Kalnay etal., 1996) and 11 yr mean reconstructed July-September temperatures from Alexandra Fiord(Rayback and Henry, 2006) .......................................................................................................... 134

5.11(top) Percent ice cover remaining on Upper and Lower Murray Lakes plotted as a functionof cumulative melting degree days (CMDD). Plots include all data from 1997-2007, witheach data point reflecting the percentage of ice cover remaining and the total CMDD on thedate the SAR image was acquired. (bottom) Cumulative melting degree days calculated
based on mean daily temperatures during 1997-2007 and 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5°C reductions
from this mean. Comparison of the top and bottom panels indicate that complete melting ofUpper and Lower Murray Lakes is unlikely to occur if temperatures are reduced by 1.0°C,
resulting in an end of melt-season total of only ~250 cumulative melting degree days ................ 135

xvi

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

Context of the study

In light of projected changes in the global climate system stemming from human activity it isimportant that we understand the causes and impacts of past, present, and future climatic changes.
Knowledge of how the climate system has responded to various forcing mechanisms in the past is usefulfor assessing how the climate system may respond to anticipated changes in future conditions. In addition,
reconstructions of past climatic conditions and coincident environmental impacts can help guide potential
mitigation and adaptation strategies to future changes. The Arctic is a region that is particularly sensitive toglobal climate change and it makes up an important component of the global climate system. These factors
make the Arctic an important site for studies of past climate and environmental conditions.
The significance of the Arctic within the global climate system and its enhanced sensitivity to
global climate change results from the complex interactions and feedbacks of a variety of processes. The
contrast in albedo between snow or ice and bare land or open water creates a positive feedback mechanism
where increased air temperatures cause melting and a reduction in the extent of snow and ice cover which
in turn leads to increased absorption of solar radiation at the Earth’s surface and further warming (e.g.
Manabe and Stouffer, 1980; Robock, 1980). Changes in sea-ice thickness and extent also influence thethermal inertia of the ocean and alter heat and moisture transfer between the ocean and atmosphere(Holland and Bitz, 2003). Increased cloud cover resulting from more open water can create a positive
feedback scenario by increasing the downward longwave radiation at the surface (Holland and Bitz, 2003).
Changes in snow, ice, vegetation and soil conditions in the Arctic can in turn influence the global climate
system through a variety of processes. Reduced sea-ice extent in the Arctic Ocean has the potential tocreate a significant sink for atmospheric CO 2 which is readily absorbed in cold water (Laxon et al., 2003).
However, warming of the Arctic may accelerate the rate of soil decomposition and cause the region tochange from a net carbon dioxide sink to a net source (Oechel et al., 1993). Ice sheets in the Arctic exert a
topographic influence on atmospheric circulation and alter the pattern of synoptic systems (Barry, 2002). In

1

addition, increased freshwater runoff and iceberg calving rates resulting from higher temperatures in the
Arctic may influence the freshwater flux to the North Atlantic and in combination with warmer surface
ocean conditions lead to a reduction in meridional overturning circulation, which in turn influences global
heat transport and climatic conditions (Stocker and Wright, 1991; Solomon et al., 2007). Thus, an improved
understanding of the Arctic climate system is critical to our comprehension of the causes and impacts ofglobal climate change.
According to climate model simulations using a range of emissions scenarios, globally averaged
surface temperatures are projected to increase by 1.1 to 6.4°C during the 21st century (Solomon et al.,2007). Model simulations suggest that warming over most land areas will occur even more rapidly than the
global average and that high northern latitudes in particular will see some of the most extreme warming(Solomon et al., 2007). For example, Holland and Bitz (2003) compared projections of Arctic and global
temperature changes based on output from 15 different climate models. All of the model projections show
significantly amplified warming at high northern latitudes, with warming from 75-90° N that is typically
two to three times the global average (Holland and Bitz, 2003).
The impacts of global warming on humans and the environment are likely to be particularly severein Arctic regions. In particular, indigenous communities are dependant on climate-sensitive resources forfood, commerce, and transportation and a warmer climate will cause considerable cultural and economic
impacts. Reduced sea ice is likely to create new opportunities for shipping and resource exploration in
Arctic waters, but also increases the threat of waves and storm surges on coastal areas. In addition, anumber of different species will be influenced by a warmer Arctic, with some species being pushed towards
extinction. Specifically, reductions in sea-ice extent reduce critical habitat necessary for the survival ofpolar bears, ice-inhabiting seals, and some seabirds. (ACIA, 2004)
Despite the potential impacts of global warming on the Arctic and the significance of the Arctic to
the global climate system our understanding of the Arctic climate system is severely limited by a lack of
information pertaining to past climatic conditions. The instrumental record is very short, spanning only thepast 50-100 years in most regions and provides limited spatial coverage. In addition, limited daylight andextremely low temperatures reduce the potential for paleoclimate reconstructions based on many proxy
indicators used in other regions, such as tree rings, fossil pollen, and plankton assemblages. The few long-2

term proxy records that are available provide limited geographic coverage and typically demonstrate low
temporal resolution (e.g. Gajewski and Atkinson 2003), thus there is a significant need for additional highresolution paleoclimatic data from the Arctic.

Objectives and Hypotheses

In light of the sensitivity of the Arctic to climatic changes, the importance of the Arctic as acomponent of the global climate system, and the considerable uncertainty which remains in our knowledgeof the Arctic climate system, both past and future, this study was designed with the overriding goal of
improving our understanding of the nature, causes, and impacts of past climatic conditions in the High
Arctic and to evaluate the potential impacts of future climatic warming. Specifically, this project utilizedlake sediments as archives of past environmental conditions in the High Arctic and examined the impactsof climate change on High Arctic lake systems. The focus of this project was centered on Upper and Lower
Murray Lakes (81° 21’ N, 69° 32’ W) on northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada.
In order to meet the goals outlined above, this study tested three main hypotheses:
1.

The physical characteristics of annually laminated sediments in high Arctic lakes are asensitive indicator of past climate variability.

2.

Changes in summer climate in the High Arctic are related to shifts in radiative forcing caused
by variations in solar irradiance, explosive volcanism, and the concentration of greenhousegases in the atmosphere.

3.

Ice cover on high arctic lakes is sensitive to small temperature changes and recent warming
has caused a significant reduction in the duration of ice cover on High Arctic lakes.

Research Strategy and Thesis Organization

The research strategy of this project involved multiple components that are reflected in theorganization of this thesis. First, field observations and long sediment cores were used to characterize themodern environment of Upper and Lower Murray lakes and to trace their evolution following deglaciation

3

(Chapter 2). This information provides essential context for understanding and evaluating the significanceof the paleoclimate record preserved in the lake sediments. The second component of the study involved
investigating the climatic processes controlling sedimentation in the Murray Lakes and using thisinformation to identify the major climatic variations recorded in Murray Lake sediments over the past
5000+ years and to evaluate the mechanisms responsible for these variations (Chapter 3). Chapter 4
summarizes the current understanding of Holocene climate change in the Canadian High Arctic andevaluates the significance of the Lower Murray lake record and other varve-based climate reconstructions
within this regional context. Finally, recent instrumental and satellite based observations were used to
identify the effects of recent temperature changes on ice cover on Upper and Lower Murray lakes and toevaluate the impacts of continued warming on these lakes (Chapter 5). Chapter 6 provides a summary of
the major conclusions derived from this study, describes the need for continued research on Arctic
environmental change, and evaluates the potential for further research focused on Upper and Lower Murraylakes.

4

CHAPTER 2

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MODERN AND ANCIENT ENVIRONMENTOF UPPER AND LOWER MURRAY LAKESIntroduction

Lake sediments provide an important archive of past environmental conditions and comprise avaluable resource for climate and global change studies. The utility of lakes in studies of arctic
environmental change is based on a number of factors, including: (1) lakes and ponds are widely distributed
in arctic regions; (2) lake basins often contain continuous records of environmental change spanning
thousands of years; (3) local human activity has had little or no impact on most arctic lakes; and (4)biological, chemical, and physical processes occurring in arctic lakes are closely linked to climate andmeteorological variability at a variety of timescales (Pienitz et al., 2004).
This chapter describes field observations at Upper and Lower Murray lakes and discusses thesubsequent analysis of sediment and water samples that were collected in the field. This information is used
to characterize the modern environment of the study site. In addition, a discussion of the physical andinorganic geochemical characteristics of the sediment is used to trace the evolution of Upper and Lower
Murray lakes after regional deglaciation. The purpose of this section is to provide context for thesubsequent evaluation of the paleoclimatic signal preserved in the sediments of Lower Murray Lake, as
described in Chapter 3. These lakes were originally identified as a potential study site for reconstructing
past climate and environmental change by researchers from the University of Massachusetts while
conducting field work on a pair of small icecaps located on the plateau adjacent to the lakes (cf. Braun,2006). Reconnaissance work in 2000 and additional work in 2001 recovered the first sediment cores fromthe two lakes and identified annually laminated sediments which have proven to be useful indicators of past
climatic conditions at other sites in the Arctic (e.g. Hardy et al., 1996; Lamoureux and Bradley, 1996;
Hughen et al., 2000; Moore et al., 2001). The results of the preliminary work were described by Besonen etal. (2008) who established a ~1000 year record of climate change based on the characteristics of laminatedsediments in Lower Murray Lake. The present study has extended this climate record through the past5

5,000 years and has defined a quantitative relationship between July temperatures and the amount of annual
sediment accumulation in Lower Murray Lake (cf. Chapter 3).

Description of the study area
Physical Setting
Upper and Lower Murray Lakes are located within the Hazen Plateau region of northeastern
Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada (81°21’ N, 69°32’ W; Figure 2.1). The long, narrow lakes occupy a
glacially carved valley within an extensive upland plateau (Figure 2.2). Upper Murray Lake is ~7.5 kmlong and has a surface area of ~7.5 km2; Lower Murray Lake is ~6.5 km long with a surface area of ~5 km2.
The drainage basin of the two lakes is characterized by considerable relief, with the majority of thewatershed located on adjacent upland plateaus. Lower Murray Lake has a total drainage basin of 261 km2.
However, the majority of this area (184 km2) first drains into Upper Murray Lake which is connected to thelower lake by a shallow stream. The elevation of the upper and lower lakes are 107 and 106 m,
respectively, while the adjacent plateau has a maximum elevation between ~1100 and 1300 m at thesummits of several small ice caps located partially within the drainage basin. Runoff associated with snow
and ice melt in the upland areas drains into the lakes via several short, high gradient streams. The main
tributary entering Upper Murray Lake drains an approximately 55 km2 ice cap located southwest of thelakes. Two small, stagnant ice caps located east of the lakes drain directly into Lower Murray Lake at its
extreme north and south ends. Apart from the outlet stream which runs from the upper lake into the lower
lake, the largest tributary entering Lower Murray Lake is found at its southeast corner, near its outflow
stream. Streamflow in the outlets of Upper Murray Lake (~1.5 m3/s) and Lower Murray Lake (~2.9 m3/s)
was estimated in early August of 2006 using the Embody (1927) method. These results suggest that 50% ormore of the total runoff into Lower Murray Lake first flows through the upper lake. At the time of thesurvey the stream connecting the two lakes was ~33 m wide and <0.2 m deep. Upper Murray Lake has asingle deep basin in its northeast corner with a maximum depth of 83 m. The remainder of the lake istypically less than 30 m deep. Lower Murray Lake has a central basin with a maximum depth of 46 m. Thisbasin is separated from the southern portion of the lake and the main inlet stream by an approximately 300

6m wide channel of unknown depth. Table 2.1 provides a summary of the main physiographic characteristicsof the two lakes.

Geologic Setting
The bedrock geology of the Murray Lakes region and surrounding Hazen Plateau consists mainlyof calcareous-dolomitic sandstone and slaty mudrock of the Danish River Formation, deposited during theLower Silurian to Lower Devonian in a deep water setting (Trettin, 1994). Compositionally the Danish
River Formation is rather homogenous, with the silicate fraction of the sandstones consisting mainly ofquartz (mean content ~ 52%) with lesser proportions of feldspar (albite 8%, K-feldspar 4%), phyllosilicates(muscovite, chlorite and biotite combined 4%), low grade metamorphic rock fragments (3%), and chert(1%). The balance of the material (~28%) consists of carbonate grains mixed with the silicates (Trettin,1994). Weathered bedrock and colluvium are the dominant surficial deposits within the lake basin, withfluvial and gelifluction processes the dominant agents of erosion. Weathering of the Danish River
Formation provides a regular source of carbonate and siliciclastic material for transport to and deposition
within the lakes.

Modern Climatic Setting
Long term observations of climatic conditions in the Canadian High Arctic are of limited duration(~60 years) and sparsely distributed, thus our ability to fully characterize the local climatic setting of Upperand Lower Murray Lakes is somewhat limited. The two nearest permanent weather stations are located at
Alert, approximately 180 km north of the Murray lakes, and at Eureka, approximately 325 km to the west.
While the two stations provide a useful record of climatic conditions, caution must be used when making
regional generalizations due to the effects of local influences at each station. Specifically, Alert is
influenced by cold air advection from the Arctic Ocean and the blocking of solar radiation by frequent low
clouds and fog while Eureka is subject to the rainshadow effect of surrounding mountains (Maxwell, 1981).
Keeping these limitations in mind, northern Ellesmere Island and the region surrounding the Murray Lakes
can be characterized by extreme seasonality in temperatures and low annual precipitation totals (Maxwell,1981). For the period 1971-2000, mean annual temperatures at Alert and Eureka were -18° C and -20° C,

7respectively. Temperatures above freezing are typically experienced only during the months of June, July,and August, with mean daily maximum temperatures during the summer of 3.6° C at Alert and 6.1° C at
Eureka. Total annual precipitation at Alert and Eureka are extremely low, averaging only 154 and 76 mm
water equivalent (weq), respectively. The majority of this precipitation occurs as snow, with total annual
rainfall at Alert and Eureka averaging only 16 and 26 mm, respectively (Table 2.2)
In addition to the observations from the permanent stations at Alert and Eureka, ~24 months of
local observations (during 1999-2001) were recorded on the Hazen Plateau adjacent to the Murray Lakes
and provide additional details about the local climatic setting (Braun, 2006). These data are particularly
relevant to our understanding of the processes influencing the Murray Lakes, as much of the drainage basin
is located on the upper plateau, within the focus area of the study by Braun (2006). Comparison of mean
monthly temperatures on the Hazen plateau with the measurements from Alert and Eureka confirmed thatthese long term stations can provide a reasonable approximation of temperature conditions near the Murray
Lakes, (Braun, 2006). Based on snow accumulation measurements on Murray and Simmons ice caps, andnearby St. Patrick Bay ice caps, Braun (2006) concluded that high elevation regions of the Hazen Plateau
probably receive, on average, about 100 to 125 mm weq of winter snow accumulation and 125 to 150 mm
weq total annual precipitation. Approximately 80 percent of the annual precipitation typically occurs during
the fall, winter and spring as snow.

Methods

Field work
Upper and Lower Murray Lake were visited in June 2005 and August 2006 to conduct coring andto survey the lake environment. The bathymetry of the lakes was determined by drilling a hole through theice and lowering an echosounder into the hole to measure water depth. Occasional spot checking with atape measure and weight confirmed the accuracy of the echosounder to within 10 cm (Figure 2.2). A suiteof cores were collected from the deepest point in each of the lakes: 83 m water depth in Upper Murray
Lake at 81.39872° N, 69.81638° W and 46 m water depth in Lower Murray Lake at 81.34175° N,
69.55204° W (Table 2.3; Figure 2.2). Two overlapping, long cores were collected at each site using an

8Uwitec piston corer. Special care was taken to collect an undisturbed record of the upper-most sediments
and to preserve an intact sediment-water interface using an Aquatic Research Instruments gravity corer andan Ekman dredge-type sampler. Both the Aquatic Research and Ekman cores displayed clear water
overlying the sediment, confirming that an undisturbed sediment water interface was recovered. The
Ekman samples were subsampled by inserting a 6 cm diameter polycarbonate tube into the sediment andthen sealing both ends of the tube. Table 2.4 contains a complete list of the sediment cores collected fromboth Upper and Lower Murray Lakes and a description of the analyses performed on the individual cores.
Water samples were collected from a number of depths at each of the coring locations and from each of themain streams draining into or out of the lakes (Table 2.3). Water column measurements of temperature, pH,
conductivity, and dissolved oxygen were recorded using a Hach Corporation Hydrolab MiniSonde. In June
2005, water column measurements were recorded at the coring site (deepest basin) in each lake. In August,2006 access to the deepest points in the lakes was limited by ice conditions, so profiles were recorded at the
deepest location that was accessible through leads in the ice (Table 2.3: Fig 2.2).
A process monitoring program was planned in order to better understand the connection between
local meteorological conditions and sedimentation within the lakes. Two Onset Computer Corporation
HOBO Pro Temp H08-030-08 air temperature loggers were placed in the watershed to record local
temperature conditions. The temperature loggers were configured with a 1 hr sampling interval and placed
within a solar radiation shield located 2 m above the ground surface. One logger was located near the lakeshore at the north end of Lower Murray Lake; the second logger was located on the upper portion of theslope leading to the plateau east of the lakes (Table 2.3; Figure 2.2). The temperature loggers were
deployed in early June 2005 and recovered in early August 2006. According to the manufacturer, the statedaccuracy of the loggers is better than ± 0.5 °C for temperatures between 0 and 40 °C. Between 0 and -40 °C
temperature accuracy decreases to approximately ±1.25 °C. No additional verification of the accuracy of
the temperature loggers was conducted.
In addition, moorings were deployed at the coring sites in both lakes in order to monitor sedimentaccumulation and lake-water temperature. Each mooring consisted of two automated sedimentaccumulation sensors (Lamoureux, 2005) located ~1.2 m above the lake bottom and 10 m below the lake
surface and an Onset Computer Corporation HOBO U22 Water Temp Pro v2 water temperature logger

9located 10 m below the surface. Mooring recovery was planned for August of 2006. At this time however,the lakes remained more than 80% covered by a severely candled ice surface that prohibited boat travel andproved unsafe as a working platform, thus the sediment accumulation sensors were never recovered. Thissituation underscores the challenges associated with field work on remote high-arctic lakes.

Laboratory Analysis
All cores were split, photographed and described in the lab in order to facilitate further analysis
and interpretation of the sedimentary record. The initial core descriptions were used to guide targeted
physical and geochemical analysis of sediments with the goal of producing a continuous record ofenvironmental change using the least disturbed sections of the cores. Preliminary analytical results andchronological data were then used to refine the sampling scheme throughout the process. Due to the overall
poor quality of the cores recovered from Upper Murray Lake (UML sediments contained highconcentrations of gas vesicles and considerable disturbances likely originating from core recovery), theprimary focus of the laboratory work became the analysis of Lower Murray Lake sediments.
Dry bulk density of the sediment was measured by extracting 1 cc sub samples using a cutoff
syringe, drying the sediment for 16 hours at 105°C and then measuring the mass. Dry bulk density wascalculated by dividing the dry mass of the sediment by the initial sampling volume. Organic carbon content
was then estimated by percent loss-on-ignition (LOI) using the same samples analyzed for bulk density.
Dried samples were placed in a preheated 550°C muffle furnace for 4 hours and then allowed to cool in a
dessicator. Percent LOI was estimated by dividing the mass difference between the dry sediment sample
and the post ignition sample by the mass of the dry sample (Dean, 1974; Heiri, et al. 2001). Bulk density
and LOI were measured on Lower Murray Lake sediments at 1 cm interval for the uppermost 15 cm, 2 cm
intervals from 15 to 500 cm depth, and 10 cm intervals from 500 to 1340 cm depth.
Sediment grain size was analyzed using a Beckman Coulter LS200 particle size analyzer. Sample
sizes ranged from 0.1 to 0.8 g depending on the grain size distribution of the sample. Coarser sedimentrequired larger sample sizes in order to meet the obscuration requirements of the instrument. Prior toparticle size analysis, sediment sub samples were pretreated to digest organic material. Two mL of
Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) solution was combined with the sediment sample in a 25 mL centrifuge tube.

10

The mixture was initially broken-up using a test tube shaker for ~20 seconds and then placing the tube in an
ultrasonic bath for 60 seconds. Samples were then left for 24 hours in a cold (tap water) bath with thecentrifuge tube loosely capped. After 24 hours the tubes were tightly capped, mixed for ~ 20 seconds,
sonicated for 60 seconds and placed in an oven at 50° C for at least 48 hours. After 48 hours in the oven but
not more than 24 hours prior to being analyzed 1 mL of dispersant solution (consisting of 30 g of NaPO3
and 7 g of NaCO3 per 1 L of solution) was added to the samples. Samples were again mixed for ~ 20seconds and sonicated for 60 seconds before being analyzed. Particle size was analyzed at 1 cm intervals
for the uppermost 500 cm and at 10 cm intervals from 500 to 1340 cm depth.
Subsamples for paleomagnetic analysis were recovered from the split cores using rigid u-shaped
plastic channels with a 2 cm x 2 cm cross section. Paleomagnetic analyses were conducted at Institut desSciences de la Mer de Rimouski, Québec, Canada. The primary purpose of the paleomagnetic
measurements in the present study was to provide an independent means of verifying the varve chronology
by comparing the paleomagnetic record from Lower Murray Lake with other independently dated regional
records (Chapter 3). The following measurements were used in this study: characteristic remanent
magnetization (ChRM) declination; ChRM inclination; relative paleointensity estimated using the mean of
the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) intensity normalized by anhysteretic remanent magnetization(ARM) over a range of progressive alternating field demagnetization steps; and the ratio of ARM after 30
mT demagnetization to the ARM before demagnetization. Refer to Stoner and St-Onge (2007) for a
detailed explanation of these measurements. Further analysis and interpretation of the paleomagnetic data is
being conducted by Maureen Davies and Joseph Stoner at Oregon State University.
High resolution geochemical analysis of the sediments was carried out using an ITRAX X-ray
flouresence (XRF) core scanner at Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Eau, Terre etEnvironment, Québec, Canada. The ITRAX scanner provides a rapid non-destructive technique foracquiring continuous geochemical measurements at a maximum resolution of 100 μm (Croudace et al.,2006). The XRF was configured with a 3 kW molybdenum target tube operating at 30 kV and 30 mA. A
wide range of elements can be detected by the ITRAX XRF and geochemical data for individual elements
are output as counts related to their relative abundance. Detection limits for individual elements vary basedon atomic number and the acquisition time of the analysis; under ideal conditions concentrations as low as

11

5 ppm can be detected for certain elements. Analyses were performed on either split core halves or uchannel subsamples. Measurements were acquired using various sampling intervals ranging from 100 to1000 μm and acquisition times of 1, 5 or 10 sec depending on the characteristics of the sediments (Table
2.5). Finely laminated portions of the sediment were targeted for higher resolution (100 μm) measurementswith a 1 sec acquisition time. One second acquisition times provided unsatisfactory detection limits, so thelonger 5 sec measurements, recorded at 500 and 1000 μm intervals were utilized for the construction of acomposite down core record of sediment geochemistry. One core section (LML-05-C1-B2) was
inadvertently analyzed with a 10 sec acquisition time. The count totals from this section were divided by
two so that the values were comparable with the rest of the data obtained using a 5 sec acquisition time.
Quantitative measurements of the chemical composition of sediments were acquired byinductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES; Boyle, 2001). Three subsamples,
representing different sedimentary facies found in the Lower Murray Lake record were analyzed for 26
different major, minor, and trace elements. Analyses were conducted on a Varian Instruments Vista AX
CCO Simultaneous ICP-AES at Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Eau, Terre etEnvironment, Québec, Canada. Sample LML-05-C1-E1-1 came from a depth of 6 cm, sample LML-05-C1E1-2 came from a depth of 8 cm, and sample LML-05-C1-C1-1 came from a depth of 573 cm.
Water samples were analyzed for both anion and cation concentrations. Anions were analyzed via
Ion Chromatography using a Lachat IC 5000 instrument using a setup based on EPA method 300.0.
Anions were separated based on their affinity for an ammonium resin column, identified based on theirretention times, and quantified using a calibration curve based on the analysis of known standards. Cations
were analyzed via ICP-OES using a Spectro M120 sequential instrument. Aqueous samples were madeinto a mist and then introduced into an Argon plasma. Light emissions given off by individual elements
were measured by photomultiplier tubes and quantified using a calibration curve. Individual samples were
measured three times by the instrument with the average value reported.

12

Chronological Control
Recent sedimentation rates were evaluated by measuring the activity levels of 210Pb and 137Cs insurface cores LML-05-C1-E5 and UML-05-A4. Cores were sub-sampled by removing 0.5 or 1.0 cm (LMLand UML, respectively) slices of sediment from the split core tube. Individual samples were then freezedried and powdered. Twelve samples from LML-05-C1-E5 and eight samples from UML-05-A4 wereanalyzed by gamma spectroscopy using Canberra ultra low background well-style germanium detectors at
the University of Florida.
Radiocarbon dating was used to provide additional age control on sediments in Upper and Lower
Murray Lakes. A total of seven samples from Upper Murray Lake cores and one sample from Lower
Murray Lake cores were collected (Table 2.6). The samples, consisting of terrestrial organic macrofossils,
were isolated from the sediments and sent to the University of Pittsburgh Radiocarbon Laboratory forcleaning and preparation following standard acid/alkaline/acid pretreatment methods (Abbott and Stafford,
1996). Dating of the samples was conducted at the University of California Irvine Keck Accelerated Mass
Spectrometry Radiocarbon Laboratory. Radiocarbon ages were calibrated to calendar years AD/BC using
CALIB 5.0.1 (Stuiver and Reimer, 1993; Reimer et al, 2004).
Additional age control was provided by counting annual laminations (varves) in the upper 2.3 m
of Lower Murray Lake sediments. Varve counts utilized digital images of thin sections made from epoxy
impregnated sediment slabs. The annual nature of the individual lamina and the accuracy of the long term
varve chronology were assessed by comparing paleomagnetic variations in Lower Murray Lake sediments
to the independently dated paleomagnetic record from South Sawtooth Lake. A thorough discussion of thetechniques used to construct and verify the varve chronology, and an assessment of its uncertainty ispresented in Chapter 3.

Results

Surface Air Temperatures
Approximately 14 months of surface air temperature data were acquired from June 10, 2005
through August 8, 2006 (Figure 2.3). The maximum temperatures during this period were recorded on July13

23, 2005 and reached 19.5 °C at lake level, and 14.2 °C on the upper slope. The minimum temperature atlake level, -41.2 °C, was recorded on March 14; the minimum temperature recorded on the upper slope, 40.1 °C occurred on February 11, 2006. During summer (June, July and August), temperatures weregenerally warmer at lake level than on the upper slope. Temperature inversions (defined by mean daily
temperatures on the upper slope which were higher than mean daily temperatures at lake level) wereobserved during 40 % of the days during the summer months. In contrast, temperature inversions wereobserved 76 % of the time during the remainder of the year (September through May). During the mostextreme cases temperatures on the upper slope were as much 15 °C warmer than lake level temperatures.
Because the two temperature loggers spanned a 500 m elevation range, the difference in mean daily air
temperature at each of the stations was used to estimate the surface air temperature lapse rate. Considering
only those days on which temperature inversions were not observed the average surface air temperature
lapse rate was -4.2 °C / 1000 m during the observation period.

Lake and Stream Water Properties
Hydrolab profiles in the two lakes from June 2005 and August 2006 provide an indication ofvertical changes in water column characteristics in addition to seasonal variations between early and latesummer (Figure 2.4). In June, surface temperatures in both lakes were ~0 °C and increased to ~3 °C at
depth. In Upper Murray Lake this transition occurs gradually over the upper 20 m of the water column,
whereas in Lower Murray Lake temperatures increase rapidly in the upper 7 m of the water column andthen remain constant below that depth. In contrast, August 2006 temperature profiles indicate a watercolumn without thermal stratification and near uniform temperatures around 3.5 °C. Dissolved oxygen(DO) concentrations in June 2005 ranged from ~13 mg/L at the surface of both lakes to 0.1 mg/L at
maximum depth in Upper Murray Lake and 3.3 mg/L at maximum depth in Lower Murray Lake. August
2006 DO concentrations were nearly uniform with depth and slightly higher overall, ranging from ~16 to
17 mg/L. Based on these profiles, anoxic and suboxic conditions appear to be confined to only the bottom
few meters of the water column in the deepest part of each lake. A second hydrolab cast in June 2005 at alocation where water depth was only 79.2 m (as opposed to 83 m at the deepest point) did not encounter
anoxic water, and helps to confirm this interpretation. Specific conductivity (SPC) in both lakes is nearly14constant with depth until within ~5 m of the bottom. In Lower Murray Lake, SPC ranges from ~140 µs/cm
at the surface to ~170 µs/cm at the bottom. In Upper Murray Lake, SPC ranges from ~130 µs/cm at thesurface to ~160 µs/cm at the bottom. These conductivity values correspond to salinity values ranging from0.05 to 0.07 ppt. Both Upper and Lower Murray Lakes display elevated pH levels. June 2005 pH values
ranged from ~8.2 at the surface to ~7.4 at maximum depth; whereas August, 2006 pH values were slightly
higher, ranging from 8.4 to 8.5 and displayed minimal variation with depth.
Chemical analysis of lake water samples indicate an increase in the concentration of majordissolved anions and cations in the deepest samples from each lake (Table 2.7; Figure 2.5) which isconsistent with the slight increase in conductivity observed at the bottom of the lakes. The one exception tothis is the concentration of Sulfate (SO42-) which decreases in the bottom waters of both lakes. The
concentration of dissolved ions in runoff into the lakes is consistent with the concentration in the lakes’surface waters, with dissolved calcium being most abundant (20.8 to 30.7 mg/L) followed by magnesium(2.6 to 8.2 mg/L) and sulfate (1.1 to 21.0 mg/L). The concentration of dissolved ions in the deepest waters(below ~70 m in UML and below 40 m in LML) is enriched relative to runoff into the lakes.

Core Stratigraphy & Physical Characteristics
Two overlapping Uwitec percussion cores were recovered from the deepest basin in each of thelakes, with sediment recovery in Upper Murray Lake extending 8.4 m below lake bottom and sedimentrecovery in Lower Murray Lake extending 13.4 below lake bottom (Figures 2.6a and 2.6b). An additional
suite of Ekman dredge samples and short gravity cores provided coverage of the sediment water interface
and correlate with the longer percussion cores in each lake (Figure 2.6a and 2.6b).
Initial description of Upper Murray Lake sediments identified fine (<1 mm) to coarsely (>1 cm)
laminated clastic sediment of clay, silt, and sand size. Upper Murray Lake sediment contained numerous
gas vesicles of unknown origin and displayed considerable deformation which likely originated during core
recovery.
Initial description of Lower Murray Lake sediment cores again identified predominantly clastic
sediment, with quantitative particle size analysis providing further details about changes in the style ofsedimentation (Figure 2.7a). The upper 240 cm of sediment are characterized by finely laminated (<1 mm)

15silt and clay sized particles (Figure 2.8a; Figure 2.9) interspersed with occasional coarse (up to 1 cm thick)layers of silt and very fine sand (Figure 2.8b). A distinct transition marking the bottom of the laminatedsediments occurs at 240 cm, below which the sediment consists predominantly of well sorted clay (Figure2.8c) consisting of extremely faint bedding of approximately 1 cm scale (Figure 2.10a). Particle size
gradual increases between depths of 310 cm to 400 cm and is characterized by massive or indistinct
bedding. Between 400 cm and 1250 cm the sediment consists of faintly bedded silt and clay sized particles(Figure 2.8e) with indistinct bedding of approximately 1 cm scale and intermittent very fine sand layers(Figure 2.8d). A distinct sequence of medium sand mixed with organic fragments and silt and clay layers
punctuates the sequence between 1250 cm and 1320 cm (Figures 2.8f, 2.8g, and 2.10b). The sediment
below 1320 cm is again characterized by faintly bedded silt and clay sized particles.
Dry bulk density measurements range from less than 1.0 g/cm3 near the sediment water interface
to nearly 2.0 g/cm3 at the bottom of the core (Figure 2.7b). The large scale pattern of sediment bulk density
largely follows changes in particle size. The upper 240 cm of the core are characterized by sediment ofrelatively low dry bulk density punctuated by spikes associated with coarse deposits of silt and very finesand. As mean particle size increases below 300 cm, dry bulk density similarly increases and thenmaintains relatively higher values until the bottom of the core is reached.
Percent loss-on-ignition (LOI) ranges from 1-2 % in the lowest part of the core (below ~ 400 cm)
to 3-5 % in the upper part of the core (Figure 2.7c). Although percent LOI can provide an estimate of theorganic carbon content of the sediment, actual carbon content in Lower Murray is likely even lower than
LOI values indicate because the dehydration of clay minerals continues at temperatures above 105°C (Dean
1974) such that some of the observed mass loss is due to continued removal of water from the sediment
during ignition at 550°C and possibly from the additional loss of volatile salts and/or inorganic carbon(Heiri et al., 2001).
Comparison of the LOI results from adjacent Lower Murray lake cores, LML-05-C1 and LML-05C2, suggests that small variations in core stratigraphy are consistently identified by LOI analysis (Figure2.11). The dominant feature in the LOI data is an apparent cyclicity displaying a pattern of increasing anddecreasing percent LOI which repeats every ~100 cm. Close review of the procedure of the LOI analysis incomparison with the observed results indicated that the cyclicity in the LOI values resulted from a bias in16the results associated with the laboratory procedure. Specifically, the furnace used for the LOI analysis held
two trays of 25 crucibles, one on an upper shelf and the other on a lower shelf, for a total run of 50 samples
per analysis. Because the LOI analyses were carried out on samples spaced at 2 cm intervals a single batchof samples represented 100 cm of core sequence. Consequently, a consistent pattern of core sampling andcrucible placement in the furnace resulted in the observed pattern in the LOI measurements, with samples
placed on the lower rack consistently producing elevated percent LOI values relative to those crucibles
placed on the upper rack. This interpretation is consistent with other studies which have reported the effectsof sample placement on LOI values (e.g. Heiri et al., 2001). Whereas the differences may be small andrelatively inconsequential when dealing with organic rich sediments, the results from the LOI analysis ofLower Murray Lake sediments indicate that extreme caution should be used when interpreting the results of
LOI data from sediments with extremely low organic content. In these cases errors inherent in the LOI
measurement procedure may be larger in magnitude than variations in LOI associated with actual changes
in the content of organic carbon in the sediment.

Geochemical Data
Three samples from Lower Murray Lake sediments were analyzed for bulk chemical composition
by ICP-AES. Each of the three samples represented different sedimentary facies. Consequently, the resultsof the chemical analyses should be treated as only an approximation of the potential range in the chemicalcomposition of the sediments. The three samples do show distinct chemical differences, however without
replicate analyses on multiple samples it is not known whether the individual samples are truly
representative of the facies from which they were sampled. Nonetheless the results highlight some
important characteristic of the composition of the sediments in Lower Murray Lake (Table 2.8). Overall,
SiO2 is the dominant chemical component comprising 56.2-69.5% of the sediment, followed by Al2O3(12.9-20.5%), CaO (2.47-15.8%), Fe2O3T (3.1-7.6%), MgO (3.2-4.4 %), and K2O (1.2-4.3 %). Thus, thecomposition of the sediments is consistent with that of the calcareous-dolomitic sandstone and slaty
mudrock of the Danish River Formation which characterizes the regional bedrock and acts as the source of
clastic material transported into the lake. Sample LML-05-C1-E1-1 was recovered from a typical section of
the laminated upper portion of the sediment core, whereas sample LML-05-C1-E1-2 was recovered from17

anomalous, coarse deposit within this same region of the core (Figure 2.9). Interestingly, the anomalous,coarse deposit contained significantly less CaO (only 2.47%) and more Al2O3 than the surrounding finely
laminated sediments. Sample LML-05-C1-C1-1, collected from the non-laminated portion of the record at
573 cm contains more SiO2 and less Al2O3 and Fe2O3T.
Whereas the ICP-AES analyses produced quantitative geochemical data from a few locations
within the cores, the ITRAX scanning XRF provided continuous, high-resolution (0.5 or 1.0 mm) dataspanning the entire sedimentary record. The theoretical detection limit of the ITRAX instrument isinversely related to the atomic number of the element of interest and the count time used during theanalysis (Cox Analytical Systems, personal communication; Figure 2.12). Based on a comparison of thequantitative results from ICP-AES analysis with the detection limits presented in Figure 2.12, interpretationof ITRAX data was limited to the following elements that were found in concentrations above the detection
limit of the instrument: Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr, and Zr.
Down-core profiles of ITRAX data are largely consistent with the variations observed in thephysical characteristics of the sediments (Figure 2.13). Specifically, the sedimentary record can be divided
into two distinct units, the upper finely laminated, fine-grained portion above 240 cm depth and the morecoarse-grained section below 400 cm. Despite considerable high frequency variation within both of these
sections, mean conditions are relatively stable. In contrast, the region between 240 and 400 cm ischaracterized by a gradual transition between the two end member states. The similarity in the pattern ofvariability in the ITRAX geochemical data and the physical characteristics of the sediment are consistent
with the limitations of the X-ray fluorescence analytical technique. Specifically, variations in particle size,
mineralogy, density, water content, and organic content all influence the amplitude of the signal recordedby the instrument (Croudace et al., 2006). Consequently it is difficult to unequivocally distinguish between
those variations in the ITRAX data caused by changes in chemical composition versus those related tochanges in the physical characteristics of the sediment.
In general, the down-core ITRAX profiles fall into two categories. The first category, including Si,
Ca, Sr, and Zr is characterized by those elements that start out with higher count values at the bottom of thecore, show decreasing counts between 400 and 240 cm, and have generally low count values above 240 cm.
The second category, including Ti, K, Rb, and Fe shows the inverse pattern with low count values below

18

400 cm, increasing values between 400 and 240 cm, and generally high values above 240 cm. Correlation
coefficients determined between each of the elements revealed a similar pattern of two groupings (Table
2.9). The strongest correlations coefficients were generally associated with either K or Ca, with Ti, Fe, andRb positively correlated with K and Si, Sr, Zr positively correlated to Ca. Thus, the ITRAX data reveal a
consistent relationship in the relative abundance of the different elements in response to both large-scale
trends in the down-core profiles as well as the high-frequency variability that prevails throughout therecord. The one exception to these groupings is the element Mn, which is closest in behavior to the groupcontaining Si, Ca, Sr, and Zr, but does not have a strong correlation with any of the elements.

Chronology
The short lived radioisotopes 210Pb and 137Cs provide a means of constraining the age of recent
sedimentary deposits. The decay of 226Ra (t1/2 = 1602 yrs) in soil and rock produces 222Rn (t1/2 = 3.82 days),some of which escapes to the atmosphere and decays to form 210Pb (t1/2 = 22.3 yrs). The fallout of
atmospheric 210Pb leads to the deposition of unsupported, or excess 210Pb in the sedimentary record, whichis added to the supported 210Pb that is produced in situ. Under idealized circumstances the total (supported+ unsupported) 210Pb activity in the sediments will be highest at the surface and decrease exponentiallydown core until reaching a constant activity level determined by the background activity of supported 210Pb.
With its short half life, 210Pb is generally only useful for dating sediments through the past ~150 years(Wolfe et al., 2004).
137

Cs (t1/2 = 30.1 yrs) is produced by human activity and was first introduced into the atmospherewith the onset of nuclear weapons testing ca. 1954. The fallout of atmospheric 137Cs peaked in 1963 justprior to the signing of the nuclear test ban treaty with a secondary peak associated with the 1986 Chernobyl
nuclear accident observed in some locations. Consequently, profiles of 137Cs activity in sediments may
include up to three stratigraphic markers associated with these events that can be used to verify the age
model produced by the 210Pb profile (Wolfe et al., 2004).
Age-depth models of recent Upper and Lower Murray Lakes sedimentation were constructedfrom the 210Pb profiles using the constant rate of supply (CRS) model (Appleby and Oldfield, 1978).
Comparison of the 210Pb age models with the 137Cs profiles indicate considerable uncertainty in the age

19determinations based on these short lived radionuclides (Figure 2.14). Specifically, the 137Cs peak occurs at
a depth of 5.0-6.0 cm in Upper Murray Lake whereas the 210Pb age model suggests that 1963 corresponds
to a depth of less than 2.0 cm. The 137Cs peak in Lower Murray Lake occurs at a depth of 1.5-2.0 cm incontrast to the 210Pb age model which assigns 1963 to a depth of ~1.0 cm. A number of processes including
turbidity currents, bioturbation, and mass movements can disturb 210Pb profiles and produce errors in theirassociated age models (Wolfe et al., 2004). Further complications can arise in arctic regions due to reduced
production of the parent isotope 222Rn in frozen grounds and reduced 210Pb deposition because of persistentice cover on lakes, both of which lead to very low total 210Pb activities in arctic lake sediments (Wolfe etal., 2004). Inspection of the uppermost sediments in the two lakes shows clear evidence of an erosive event
in Lower Murray Lake (ca. varve year 1990) and possible evidence of erosion in Upper Murray Lakeassociated with the deposition of anomalously coarse sediment. Consequently, these deposits have likely
produced unreliable 210Pb age determinations.
Given the limitations of the 210Pb and 137Cs data, additional age control in Lower Murray Lake wasprovided by counting annual laminations (varves) which are preserved in the upper 2.4 m of core section.
Confirmation of the varve chronology was established by comparing the record of paleomagnetic variations
preserved in Lower Murray Lake with an independently dated paleomagnetic record from South Sawtooth
Lake. A detailed description of the varve-based chronology and its uncertainty are discussed in Chapter 3.
According to the varve chronology, the upper 240 cm of the sedimentary record from Lower Murray Lake
spanned the interval from 2004 AD through 3236 BC providing a mean accumulation rate of 0.46 mm/yr(Figure 2.15). Only one organic sample suitable for radiocarbon dating, located at a depth of 1307 cm, wasidentified in Lower Murray Lake. The measured age of the sample was >50,800 14C years, beyond theuseful limit of radiocarbon dating and most likely reflecting older tertiary material that remained on thelandscape before eventually being washed into the lake. Consequently, no firm age control is available forsediments below 2.4 m in Lower Murray Lake. Nonetheless, the regional glacial history does provide someconstraint on age of the sediments in the lake. Specifically, deglaciation of the Murray Lakes region
occurred ~6900 14C years BP (~7700 calendar yrs BP; England 1983) providing a maximum age for post
glacial sediments deposited in the lakes. Thus, the 11 m of sediment recovered below the base of the varve
chronology at 2.4 m represent a maximum of ~2500 years of deposition. This indicates that deposition in20

the early part of the record was occurring at a rate ~4.4 mm/yr or an order of magnitude faster than during
the period of varve deposition (Figure 2.15).
A total of seven radiocarbon samples provided chronological control for the long-term
sedimentary record in Upper Murray Lake (Table 2.6; Figure 2.15). These samples range in age from 1826
AD at a depth of 21.5 cm to 2409 BC at a depth of 634 cm. Based on these ages the long term rate of
sedimentation in Upper Murray Lake is approximately 1.4 mm/yr, considerably higher than the rate of
sedimentation in Lower Murray Lake over the same time interval. Although the radiocarbon ages from
Upper Murray Lake indicate a relatively consistent rate of deposition over long time scales, the three
youngest ages, spanning the upper 24 cm of the record indicate a lower sedimentation rate ~0.7 mm/yr.
This may reflect erosion and redeposition of sediment elsewhere as suggested by the 210Pb data.
Two of the radiocarbon samples came from the same stratigraphic unit at a depth of 21.5 cm,
consisted of a coarse deposit containing numerous organic fragments. The two individual terrestrial organic
macrofossils which were dated independently provide ages that differ by ~75 radiocarbon years. This
discrepancy likely reflects the time lag associated with the transfer of terrestrial organic matter from thelandscape into the sedimentary record, with temporary storage occurring for differing lengths of time along
this transport pathway. Consequently, these results indicate that the uncertainty in ages determined byradiocarbon samples are in fact significantly greater than just the analytical error associated with theindividual measurements.

Discussion

Modern Climatic Setting of the Murray Lakes
The hydrology of high arctic watersheds is dominated by meltwater production and ultimately
driven by the surface energy balance (Woo, 1983). Surface air temperature data recorded at the Murray
Lakes (Figure 2.3) reflect the extreme seasonality of the energy balance in the High Arctic and highlightthe importance of temperatures on the annual hydrologic cycle. Because temperatures remain below
freezing for 9 months of the year, stream flow is limited to the brief period spanning June through Augustwhen temperatures are above 0 °C. Observations from the permanent weather stations at Alert and Eureka

21

further indicate that summer rainfall on northern Ellesmere Island is limited, thus the primary source of
surface runoff is meltwater derived from snow, ice, and frozen soil within the watershed. Consequently,
seasonal temperatures influence both the timing and the magnitude of surface water runoff. The
pronounced seasonal variability in surface water runoff will in turn influence the transfer of allochthonous
sediment into the Murray Lakes, producing an annual cycle of sediment deposition. If sediments areallowed to accumulate in the absence of disturbances such as bioturbation or resuspension, then annual
laminations are likely to be preserved in the sediment (Zolitschka, 2007). Consequently, the pronounced
seasonal air temperature cycle at the Murray Lakes and its influence on streamflow and sediment transfer
provides a mechanism to explain the formation of the annual laminations observed in the upper 240 cm ofLower Murray Lake sediments. (The significance of the relationship between air temperature and lamina
formation is discussed in Chapter 3).
Given the significance of surface air temperatures in governing meltwater production, streamflow,
and ultimately sediment transfer into the Murray Lakes it is important to evaluate the range of temperature
variability within the Murray Lakes watershed. Daily and seasonal variations in the lake level and upper
slope temperature records are highly correlated, yet significant differences are commonly observed between
the mean daily temperatures at the two stations (Figure 2.3). These differences provide an estimate of thelocal surface air temperature lapse rate and the frequency of air-temperature inversions in the study area.
The -4.2 °C / 1000 m mean daily lapse rate observed at the Murray Lakes is consistent with nearsurface temperature lapse rates observed over the Prince of Wales Icefield on southern Ellesmere Island,
where Marshall et al. (2007) observed a mean daily lapse rate during their study period of -4.1 °C / 1000 m
and an average summer lapse rate of -4.3 °C / 1000 m. In contrast, Braun (2006) measured surface airtemperature lapse rates on the Hazen Plateau just east of the Murray Lakes that ranged from -6.8 to -7.9 °C/ 1000 m. The difference between the lapse rate determined in the present study and those reported byBraun (2006) may be a function of the limited (100 m) elevation range of the temperature observations
used by Braun (2006) or the higher elevation of the measurement (~935 to 1035 m) in a region where
prolonged snow cover is likely to produce a different local energy balance and a different local air
temperature lapse rate relative to that observed at the lower elevations evaluated in this study (cf. Marshallet al., 2007).

22

The frequent occurrence of air-temperature inversions observed at the Murray Lakes is consistent
with the common incidence of inversions throughout the High Arctic. Air-temperature inversions at the
study site were observed on 76 % of days during the months of September through May and 40 % of days
during the summer months of June through August. Based on an analysis of radiosonde temperature datafrom permanent weather stations around the North American Arctic, Bradley et al. (1992) report a similar
maximum in the frequency of inversions during winter months when inversions occurred on > 70 % ofdays. The frequent occurrence of air-temperature inversions in the Arctic is related to extended darkness
during the winter months when a negative net radiation balance exists at the surface (Bradley et al., 1992).
Despite the limited temporal and spatial coverage of the air temperature data recorded in thisstudy, these results highlight the range of temperature variability which can exist within small areas in theHigh Arctic. Consequently, an accurate evaluation of the role of temperature on meltwater production,
streamflow, and sediment transfer in high arctic watersheds requires an understanding of the local
temperature variation within that watershed. Because much of the Murray Lakes watershed andconsequently the source region for meltwater production is located at high elevations, low-elevation
surface-temperature observations (characteristic of the permanent weather stations in the High Arctic) are
unlikely to provide an accurate indication of the processes driving surface runoff into the lakes. Morespecifically, variations in local surface air-temperature lapse rates and the frequent occurrence oftemperature inversions necessitate caution when extrapolating air temperature measurements throughout awatershed for the purpose of understanding or predicting meltwater production.

Modern Limnology of the Murray Lakes
Although only two temperature profiles are available (Figure 2.4), the thermal structures of the
Murray Lakes are consistent with classification as cold monomictic lakes in which water temperatures
never exceed 4 °C and circulation is limited to one period during the summer (Wetzel, 2001). Coldmonomictic lakes are typical of Arctic and mountain environments (Wetzel, 2001) and have been described
elsewhere on Ellesmere Island (e.g. Francus et al., 2008). In these lakes the prolonged ice cover inhibits
warming of surface waters and restricts wind driven mixing of the water column to brief ice-free intervals
during late summer.

23

The observed oxygen depletion at depth in both Upper and Lower Murray Lakes (Figure 2.4) ispuzzling given the oligotrophic status of the lakes and the presumed period of overturning which should
occur when thermal stratification breaks down in late summer. However, similar dissolved oxygen profiles
are observed in other cold monomictic lakes on northern Ellesmere Island including South Sawtooth Lake
(Francus et al., 2008) and Lake C3 (Cook, unpublished field data). Francus et al. (2008) hypothesize that
extended ice cover on South Sawtooth Lake isolates the water body from the atmosphere allowing biota
within the lake to gradually consume oxygen through respiration and the oxidation of organic matter (Ellisand Stefan, 1989; Wetzel, 2001). Over extended time periods this process can lead to anoxic conditions in
ice-covered water bodies (Golosov et al., 2007). It is plausible that a similar mechanism is responsible forthe oxygen depletion observed in the bottom waters of Upper and Lower Murray Lakes.
As dissolved oxygen concentrations decrease with depth in Upper and Lower Murray Lakes andSouth Sawtooth Lake, simultaneous increases in conductivity/salinity are observed in each lake (Figure2.4). Several mechanisms are capable of increasing the concentration of dissolved ions in arctic lakes,
including: evaporative enrichment (e.g. Anderson et al., 2001); trapping of marine water through isostatic
uplift (e.g. Van Hove et al., 2006); and the freeze-out of salt from saline groundwater or lake ice (e.g.
Ouellet et al. 1987, 1989; Ferris et al, 1991; Davidge, 1994). High salinity levels caused by evaporativeenrichment in West Greenland lakes are limited to a small number of closed basin (no outlet) lakes(Anderson et al., 2001). Given the significant inflow and outflow through the Murray Lakes, evaporativeenrichment is an unlikely explanation for the observed salinity gradient. At an elevations of 107 and 106 m
above sea level, Upper and Lower Murray Lakes are above the local marine limit (England, 1983) rulingout the possibility of seawater isolation. Furthermore, the role of ice exclusion of salts seems limited tothose lakes that have preexisting high salinities, in which ice exclusion acts to concentrates salts andproduce hypersaline bottom waters (e.g. Van Hove et al., 2006).
Francus et al. (2008) propose an additional mechanism to explain the conductivity profile in South
Sawtooth Lake which may also apply to the Murray Lakes. Specifically, the dissolved ions causing theincrease in conductivity near the sediment water interface may be the result of diffusion from the sediments
themselves. The observed ~10 mg/L increase in the concentration of Ca+ ions in the bottom waters of the
Murray Lakes (Figure 2.5) is consistent with the dissolution of clastic sediments derived from the24surrounding carbonate bedrock and accounts for the majority of ~20 µs/cm increase in conductivity.
Håkanson (2005) reports that while diffusion rates are low for many substances under oxic conditions,anoxia significantly increases diffusion rates. Thus, the increase in conductivity may actually be a productof the low oxygen concentration of the bottom waters.
The limited observations available from the Murray Lakes make it difficult to determine whether
the slight increase in the salinity of the bottom waters acts as a density barrier to mixing, thus helping tomaintain the existence of an anoxic zone, or if the salinity increase is simply a product of enhanced
diffusion caused by the anoxic conditions. Nonetheless the existence of anoxic bottom waters, which tends
to limit bioturbation of sediments (e.g. Zolitschka, 2006), appears critical to the preservation of the finelaminations observed in Lower Murray Lake. Besonen et al. (2008) describe several cores recovered fromslightly shallower depths in Lower Murray Lake in which laminations are either more diffuse or completely
absent. Thus, the preservation of laminations in Lower Murray Lake is closely linked to the oxygen content
of bottom waters and any past or future changes in the physical processes acting within the lake are likely
to significantly alter the characteristics of its sedimentary record.

Holocene Evolution of the Murray Lakes
The Holocene epoch in the High Arctic is characterized by significant environmental transitions
driven by changing climate (e.g. Gajewski and Atkinson, 2003), the retreat of the Innuitian Ice Sheet(England et al., 2006), and the disappearance, emergence, and growth of local ice features (e.g. Smith,1999). Deglaciation of the Murray Lakes region likely occurred ~6900 14C years BP (~7700 calendar years
BP; England, 1983), with ice retreat continuing until margins close to or behind present conditions werereached by ~5000 14C years BP (~5700 calendar years BP; Smith, 1999). Plateau ice caps at favorable, highelevation locations likely persisted through the mid Holocene (Smith, 1999), but may have subsequently
disappeared and later reformed following the Holocene thermal maximum (Koerner and Paterson, 1974).
Thus the sediments preserved in the Murray Lakes provide a record of lake evolution during a period of
profound environmental change.
The coarse grain size of the basal sediments recovered from Lower Murray Lake (Figures 2.7 and2.8) suggests that they were deposited in a high energy environment possibly associated with discharge

25

from a locally receding glacier. The high rate of sedimentation inferred for the lower portion of the record(below 240 cm) further supports the notion of deposition in the vicinity of locally receding ice, whereas thetransition to a significantly reduced rate of sedimentation in the upper, laminated portion of the record(Figure 2.15) likely indicates that runoff associated with a receding glacier was no longer draining into the
Murray Lakes watershed. A marked contrast between deglacial and postglacial rates of lacustrine
sedimentation is common in many lakes (Desloges and Gilbert, 1991; Gilbert and Desloges, 1992).
Although these studies are based on seismic investigations unverified by core data or age constraints, theconsensus interpretation portrays spectacularly rapid sediment accumulation in the wake of retreating
glaciers followed by much lower sedimentation rates after deglaciation. The near constant sedimentation
rates in Upper and Lower Murray lakes over the past ~5000 years further indicate that major changes in
sediment production were not a significant consequence of changes in the size of local ice caps during thisperiod. The higher mean rate of sedimentation in Upper Murray Lake relative to Lower Murray Lake isconsistent with size of the tributaries draining into to the two lakes and the proximity of the deepest basinsto these tributaries. Two large tributaries flow into the western side of Upper Murray Lake near the deep
basin, whereas the main tributary draining into Lower Murray is located at the southern end of the lake near
the outflow stream and is separated from the deepest basin in the lake by a narrow (and presumably
shallow) constriction.
The down-core record of grain size variation in Lower Murray Lake sediments reflects a
progressive transition between the deposition of coarse material in the early part of the record to thedeposition of fine grained silt and clay particles during the most recent stage of lake evolution (Figure 2.7).
In a proglacial environment characteristic of the early part of the Lower Murray Lake record, hyperpycnal
flows (negatively buoyant density currents) caused by high concentrations of suspended sediment ininflowing stream water are capable of carrying large quantities of sediment into the deepest part of a lake
(Smith and Ashley, 1985). Cold based ice caps in the High Arctic, like those presently adjacent to the
Murray Lakes, are minimally erosive (Paterson, 1969). As a result, continued recession of ice to positions
near or beyond present limits would have altered the production of sediment within the watershed and theconcentration of suspended sediment in inflowing streams. The relatively stable pattern of fine grained silt
and clay deposition which characterizes the upper 240 cm of laminated sediments in Lower Murray Lake

26

likely reflects this transition. Specifically, the last 5,000 years of sedimentation reflect decreased sedimentproduction dominated by fluvial erosion. The resultant decrease in suspended sediment load limited theformation of hyperpycnal flows and deposition became dominated by the settling of finer grained particles
which could be suspended in the upper part of the water column as they traverse the lake.
The importance of anoxia to the preservation of fine laminations in Lower Murray Lake reveals
that anoxic conditions must have prevailed throughout the 5000+ year period in which laminations areobserved. The continuous geochemical data produced from the ITRAX XRF analysis provided a useful fortool for evaluating the long term trends in the dissolved oxygen concentration of Lower Murray Lakebottom waters. Specifically, changes in the redox sensitive elements Mn and Fe (Wetzel, 2001) were used
to investigate paleo-redox conditions (Figure 2.16). The general pattern of Fe variation in Lower Murray
Lake sediments follows a similar pattern to changes in the physical characteristics of the sediment. As
grain-size decreases Fe increases and then remains stable throughout the laminated portion of the record.
Because the relative behavior of Mn and Fe differs under oxic and anoxic conditions, the Mn:Fe ratio iscommonly used as an indicator of paleo-redox conditions (e.g. Davison, 1993; Koinig et al., 2003). Under
oxic conditions Fe and Mn will behave in a similar fashion; in contrast Mn becomes more soluble underanoxic conditions resulting in decreased Mn:Fe ratio in the sediments when conditions are anoxic (Cohen,
2003). Thus the decrease in Mn:Fe ratio concomitant with the decrease in the particle size of Lower Murray
Lake sediments suggests that the same factors contributing to changes in the physical characteristics of thesediments also influenced the dissolved oxygen concentration of the bottom waters.
Evidence for the onset of suboxic or anoxic conditions in Lower Murray Lake becomes clearer byexamining the degree of correlation between Fe and Mn over different portions of the record. Figure 2.16
includes a profile of the correlation coefficient determined between Fe and Mn over a moving window of
101 measurements (10.1 cm). Although there is considerable variability in the profile, Mn and Fe are
significantly correlated below 400 cm. In contrast there is essentially no correlation between Mn and Fe
above 400 cm. This suggests that the onset of anoxia occurred early in the transition between the depositionof coarser sediment in the early part of the record and the fine, laminated deposits characteristic of the more
recent part of the record.

27

Although the exact cause of the presently observed anoxic bottom water in Lower Murray Lake is
not known, low dissolved oxygen concentrations necessitate a process of oxygen removal, such as
respiration and the decay of organic matter, and minimal mixing of the water column. Consequently, theonset of anoxia as indicated by the behavior of Fe and Mn and the preservation of fine laminations in thesedimentary record likely reflects a change in one or both of these factors. A variety of factors including,but not limited to light availability, water temperature, and nutrient loading could lead to an increase inbiologic activity (e.g. Cohen, 2003). Because lake waters remain near the freezing temperature today, it isunlikely that a significant increase in water temperature led to increased productivity. An increase innutrient loading is possible and warrants further investigation. However, given the observed changes in thesedimentary record associated with the onset of anoxia, a simultaneous increase in light availability
provides a reasonable mechanism for increased productivity. Specifically, high levels of suspended
particulate matter significantly influence light penetration (e.g. Wetzel, 2001) and have been shown to
directly influence lake productivity (e.g. Dokulil, 1994). The observed decrease in particle size andsediment accumulation rate were likely accompanied by a decrease in the turbidity of the lake water which
would have promoted biologic activity and possibly initiated oxygen depletion in bottom waters as moreorganic matter was subject to decay. Concomitant with increased productivity, changes in inflow related to
the retreat of local ice could further promoted the onset of anoxia by influence mixing. The amount of
inflowing water is a significant factor influencing the mixing in many lakes (Imboden and Wuest, 1995).
Thus reduced inflow could have led to reduced mixing of the water column and helped maintain anoxic
conditions. Furthermore, reduced inflow, with a lower concentration of suspended sediment, would lead to
fewer hyperpycnal flows and eliminate a primary mechanism for transporting oxygenated surface waters to
depth.

Summary and Conclusions

The climatic setting of the Murray Lakes, characterized by extreme seasonality, and the physicalcharacteristics of the lakes, including an extended ice cover, reduced mixing, and oxygen depleted bottom
waters have led to the formation and preservation of annually laminated sediments (varves). Varved

28

sediments provide a valuable paleolimnologic tool because they provide precise chronological control andcan be used as an indicator of past environmental conditions (Zolitschka, 2006). The physical and chemical
characteristics of the sediments in Lower Murray Lake record the evolution of the lake basin following theretreat of the Innuitian Ice Sheet ca. 6000 14C years BP. These data indicate a period of rapid deposition ofcoarse clastic material during the early history of the lake, followed by a transitional period marked bydecreasing grain size and sediment accumulation. These changes occur simultaneously with the onset ofanoxia in bottom waters attributed to enhanced productivity and reduced mixing of the water column.
Varve deposition began ca. 5200 calendar years BP and continued through 2004 AD. Relative to the earlier
portion of the record, the physical and chemical characteristics of the sediments remain relatively stablethroughout the period of varve deposition, suggesting that weathering, erosion, and sediment transport
processes in the watershed, as well as physical, chemical, and biological conditions within the lake have notundergone major changes during this period.
Due to the much higher quality of the cores recovered from Lower Murray Lake the bulk of the
discussion in this chapter and the following chapter (Chapter 3) focus on these sediments. Nonetheless,radiocarbon dating of organic material found in the sediments of Upper Murray Lake produced an absolutechronology spanning the past ~4500 years, a rarity in high-arctic lakes characterized by extremely low
biologic activity. Although, the degree of deformation in the Upper Murray Lake cores precludes thedevelopment of a high-resolution paleolimnologic record, Upper Murray Lake sediments could potentiallyprovide a valuable record if a suitable proxy was identified.

29

Table 2.1 Main physiographic characteristics of Upper and Lower Murray Lakes.
Characteristic

Upper Murray Lake

Lower Murray Lake

Elevation (m a.s.l.)

107

106

Drainage Basin Area (km2)

184

261

Surface area of glacial ice draining directly
into the lake (km2)94.5Lake Surface Area (km2)

7.5

5Maximum Water Depth (m)

83

46

30

Table 2.2 1971-2000 Climate normals for Alert and Eureka.
Climate Variable

Alert

EurekaMean Annual Temp (°C)

-18

-19.7

Mean Daily Max Temp (°C) – Jun, Jul, & Aug

3.6

6.1

Mean Daily Min Temp (°C) – Dec, Jan & Feb

-35.5

-40.3

Average # of days with max temp > 0°C

77.5

94.2

Total Annual Precip (mm water equivelent)

153.8

75.5

Total Annual Rainfall

16.1

26.2

31

Table 2.3 Key locations discussed in the text.
Description

Location (Lat/Lon)

Elevation (m)Water Depth (m)2005 Upper Murray Lake Core & Hydrolab Site

81.39872° N 69.81638° W-

83

2005 Lower Murray Lake Core & Hydrolab Site

81.34175° N 69.55204° W-

462005 Upper Murray Lake Water Samples

81.39872° N 69.81638° W-

5, 15, 25, 50, 70, 80,
81.5, 83

2005 Lower Murray Lake Water Samples

81.34175° N 69.55204° W-

15, 25, 45

2005 Upper Murray Lake Hydrolab Site

81.3984° N 69.78576 W

-

79.2

2006 Upper Murray Lake Hydrolab Site

81.35953° N 69.54603° W-

252006 Lower Murray Lake Hydrolab Site

81.34615° N 69.52150° W-

32

UML Outlet Stream Water Sample

81.35566° N 69.53293° W

107-

UML Southeast Tributary Water Sample

81.36290° N 69.54940° W

107-

UML Main Tributary Water Sample

81.37767° N 69.63303° W

107-

LML Northeast Tributary Water Sample

81.34999° N 69.50971° W

106-

LML Southeast Tributary Water Sample

81.30428° N 68.96979° W

897-

LML Outlet Water Sample

81.30109° N 69.51566° W

106-Lake Level Air Temperature Logger

81.35492° N 69.53679° W

111-Upper Slope Air Temperature Logger

81.35610° N 69.42322° W

611-

Upper Murray Lake Mooring

81.3987° N 69.81564° W

Lower Murray Lake Mooring

81.3417° N 69.55247° W

32Table 2.4 List of cores collected from Upper and Lower Murray Lakes and associated analyses.
Core ID

Length
(cm)

Start
Depth
(cm)

Photo

LML-05-Ekman1

17.5

0

X

LML-05-Ekman3

18

0

X

LML-05-Ekman4

17

0

X

LML-05-Ekman5

12.5

0

X

LML-05-Ekman6

10.5

0

X

Gamma
Density

Mag.
Susc.

Paleomag.

XRF

X-Ray

X

X

LOI &
Bulk
Density

Grain
Size

Thin
SectionX

X

X
X

LML-05-AR1

35

0

X

X

X

X

LML-05-AR2

56

0

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C1-A1

140

21

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C1-A2

144

161

X

X

LML-05-C1-B1

104

305

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C1-B2

78

409

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C1-B3

85

487

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C1-C1

141

572

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C1-C2

98

713

X

X

X

LML-05-C2-A1

108

5

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X

X

LML-05-C2-A2

144

113

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C2-B1

136

257

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C2-B2

130

398

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C2-C1

127

539

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C2-C2

138

667

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C2-D1

133

805

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C2-D2

143

938

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C2-E1

121

1081

X

X

X

X

X

LML-05-C2-E2

139

1202

X

X

X

X

X

UML-05-Ekman1

10

0

X

X

X

UML-05-Ekman2

9

0

X

UML-05-AR3

22.5

0

X

UML-05-AR4

27

0

X

UML-05-A1-A1

128

3

X

UML-05-A1-A2

127

132

X

UML-05-A1-B1

146

262

X

UML-05-A1-B2

147

408

X

UML-05-A1-C1

137

555

X

UML-05-A1-C2

146

692

X

UML-05-A2-A1

89

0

X

UML-05-A2-A2

58

89

X

UML-05-A2-A3

61

147

X

UML-05-A2-B1

146

208

X

UML-05-A2-B2

145

354

X

UML-05-A2-C1

145

499

X

UML-05-A2-C2

145

644

X

X

X

X
X

33

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Table 2.5 ITRAX analyses of Lower Murray Lake Cores. Cores labeled in bold were used to construct thecomposite geochemical record.
X-Ray
Resolution
(µm)

X-Ray
Exp. Time
(sec)

X-Ray
Voltage(kV)

X-Ray
Current
(mA)

100

800

45

45

30

200

400

45

45

30

30

100

400

45

45

5

30

30

100

400

45

45

1000

5

30

30

100

400

45

45

LML-05-C2-C2

1000

5

30

30

100

400

45

45

LML-05-C2-D1

1000

5

30

30

100

800

45

45

LML-05-C2-D2

1000

5

30

30

100

800

45

45

LML-05-C2-E1

1000

5

30

30

1000

800

45

45

LML-05-C2-E2

1000

5

30

30

100

800

45

45

Sampling
Interval(µm)

XRF
Duration(sec)

XRF
Voltage(kV)

XRF
Current(mA)

LML-05-Ekman1

100

1

30

30

LML-05-Ekman1

1000

10

30

30

LML-05-AR1

100

5

30

30

LML-05-AR2

100

1

30

30

LML-05-AR2

1000

10

30

30

LML-05-C1-A1

100

1

30

30

LML-05-C1-A1

1000

5

30

30

LML-05-C1-A2

100

1

30

30

LML-05-C1-A2

1000

5

30

30

LML-05-C1-B1

1000

5

30

30

LML-05-C1-B2

500

10

30

30

LML-05-C1-B3

500

5

30

30

LML-05-C1-C1

500

5

30

30

LML-05-C1-C2

500

5

30

30

LML-05-C2-A1

200

5

30

LML-05-C2-A2

200

5

LML-05-C2-B2

1000

LML-05-C2-C1

Core

34

Table 2.6 AMS radiocarbon data from Upper & Lower Murray Lakes. Radiocarbon ages were calibratedusing Calib 5.0.1 (Reimer et al., 2004).

Core Section

SectionDepth(cm)

Composite
Depth
(cm)

MaterialLab #Measured Age(years BP)

MedianCalibrated Age(AD/BC)

1 Sig
Lower
Limit

1 Sig
Upper
Limit

UML-05-A1-A2

44

176

Plant MatterUCI-23048

1515±15

557

546

585

UML-05-A2-A1

24

24

Plant MatterUCI-23049

270±15

1646

1644

1647

UML-05-A2-B1

40

248

Plant MatterUCI-23050

2025±15

-23

-44

-36

UML-05-A2-B1

110

318

Plant MatterUCI-23051

2530±20

-683

-772

-761

UML-05-A2-C1

135

634

Plant MatterUCI-23052

3905±30

-2409

-2466

-2453

UML-05-A4

21.5

21.5

Twig

UCI-23053

105±20

1826

1697

1708

UML-05-A4

21.5

21.5

Plant MatterUCI-23054

180±15

1717

1669

1677

LML-05-C2-E2

105

1307

Plant MatterUCI-23055>50800±out of range

-

-

35

Table 2.7 Water sample anion and cation concentrations (mg/L).
Sample

Cl-

NO3-

SO42-

Na+

Mg+

K+

Ca+

Si+

UML 5m depth

0.5

0.1

2.8

0.1

4.2

0.3

25.8

0.3

UML 15m depth

0.5

0.1

2.7

0.1

4.5

0.3

27.3

0.3

UML 25m depth

0.5

0.1

2.6

0.1

4.5

0.3

27.0

0.3

UML 50m depth

0.5

0.1

2.7

0.1

4.5

0.3

27.9

0.4

UML 70m depth

0.5

0.1

2.7

0.1

4.5

0.3

28.1

0.4

UML 80m depth

0.5

0.2

2.6

0.1

4.6

0.3

29.7

0.7

UML 81.5m depth

0.6

0.2

2.4

0.2

4.8

0.3

32.4

1.2

UML 83m depth

0.6

0.8

1.3

0.2

5.0

0.4

35.5

2.5

LML 15m depth

0.6

0.1

3.9

0.2

5.2

0.3

30.7

0.4

LML 25m depth

0.6

0.1

3.9

0.2

5.4

0.3

31.0

0.4

LML 45m depth

0.6

0.2

3.5

0.2

5.8

0.4

36.7

1.6

UML-06 Outlet Stream

0.6

0.1

3.0

0.1

4.7

0.3

27.3

0.3

UML-06 SE Tributary

0.4

0.4

5.8

0.1

5.2

0.3

27.5

0.4

UML-05 Main Delta 1

2.5

0.4

21.0

0.6

8.9

1.6

20.8

0.9

UML-05 Main Delta 2

1.5

0.3

11.2

0.3

8.1

0.9

22.5

0.8

LML-06 NE Tributary

0.4

0.3

5.9

0.1

4.8

0.2

28.0

0.4

LML-06 SE Tributary

0.3

0.2

1.1

0.0

2.6

0.1

21.4

0.2

LML-06 Outlet Stream

0.5

0.1

4.0

0.2

4.8

0.3

26.1

0.3

36

Table 2.8 Chemical composition of Lower Murray Lake sediments based on ICP-AES analysis.
Element/Oxide

LML-05-C1-E1-1

LML-05-C1-E1-2

LML-05-C1-C1-1

Unit

Total

99.76

99.18

99.59

%

Al2O3

12.9

20.5

7.72

%

0.00003

CaO

15.8

2.47

12.9

%

0.000003

Fe2O3T

6.37

7.57

3.12

%

0.00004

K2O

2.29

4.33

1.18

%

0.00001

MgO

4.20

4.44

3.20

%

0.00005

MnO

.0986

.0267

.0478

%

0.000001

Na2O

.915

.626

1.17

%

0.000005

P2O5

.158

.127

.131

%

0.00005

S< 0.01< 0.0094< 0.007%0.00001

SiO2

56.2

58.1

69.5

%

0.00001

TiO2

.72

.84

.50

%

0.000001

As< 122.3< 112.6< 83.5

ppm

0.12

Ba

416

684

206

ppm

0.002

Cd

10

11

<7

ppm

0.01

Co

< 20.426< 13.9

ppm

0.02

Cr

85

158

58

ppm

0.02

Cu

43

127

25

ppm

0.01

Ni

< 50.9

107

69

ppm

0.05

Sc

13

20

7

ppm

0.0005

Sr

159

38

141

ppm

0.002

V

76

135

39

ppm

0.02

Zn

82

128

53

ppm

0.006

Y

33

28

25

ppm

0.004

Zr

205

163

245

ppm

0.006

Pb

< 101.9< 93.9< 69.6

ppm

0.1

La

43

35

30

ppm

0.01

37

Analytical LimitTable 2.9 Correlation coefficients determined between different elemental intensities measured by ITRAX
XRF.
Si

K

Ca

Ti

Mn

Fe

Rb

Sr

Si

1.00

K

-0.11

1.00

Ca

0.56

-0.53

1.00

Ti

0.12

0.62

-0.03

1.00

Mn

0.18

0.12

0.39

0.30

1.00

Fe

-0.20

0.93

-0.54

0.63

0.18

1.00

Rb

-0.32

0.81

-0.73

0.42

-0.08

0.84

1.00

Sr

0.44

-0.62

0.85

-0.19

0.28

-0.64

-0.75

1.00

Zr

0.31

-0.60

0.50

-0.31

-0.06

-0.63

-0.58

0.53

38

Zr

1.00

Figure 2.1 Regional map of the Canadian Arctic showing the location of the Murray Lakes field site on
Northern Ellesmere Island.

39

Figure 2.2 Map of the Murray Lakes watershed indicating the position of local ice caps, the boundary of
the watershed, and the location of air temperature loggers installed as part of this study. Shown at right is
the general bathymetry of Upper and Lower Murray Lakes and the locations where sediment cores werecollected.

40

Figure 2.3 (Top) Mean daily air temperature recorded at lake level (113 m elevation) and on the upper
slope adjacent to Lower Murray Lake (611 m elevation). Bottom panel indicates the difference between themean daily temperatures recorded by the two loggers.

41

Figure 2.4 Water column properties measured in Upper and Lower Murray Lakes. Solid lines indicate dataobtained in June 2005; dashed lines are from August 2006; dotted lines are from a repeat profile in Upper
Murray in June 2005.

42

Figure 2.5 Profiles of dissolved ion concentrations in Upper and Lower Murray Lakes.

43

Figure 6a Brief description and correlation of the sediment cores recovered from Lower Murray Lake.

44

Figure 6b Brief description and correlation of the sediment cores recovered from Upper Murray Lake.

45

Figure 2.7 Down core variations in grain size, bulk density, and percent loss on ignition (LOI) in Lower
Murray Lake.

46

Figure 2.8 Size distribution plots illustrating the range of particle sizes characterizing different portions of
the Lower Murray Lake sedimentary record.

47

Figure 2.9 Photograph of core LML-05-C1-E1 illustrating fine laminations characteristic of the upper 240
cm of Lower Murray Lake sediments. Boxes indicated the location of sub samples utilized for ICP-AES
analysis.

48

Figure 2.10 Subsection of core photos indicating the major transition to finely laminated sediments at a
depth of 240 cm (core LML-05-C1-A2) and the variable, coarse deposits recovered in the basal core section(core LML-05-C2-E2).

49

Figure 2.11 Percent loss-on-ignition (LOI) results from Lower Murray Lake Sediments. Apparent cyclicity
in the % LOI values reflects errors associated with the placement of samples in the furnace during analysis.
Shaded regions correspond to samples placed on the lower shelf of the furnace that consistently produced
higher percent loss-on-ignition values relative samples on the upper rack.

50

Figure 2.12 Minimum detection limits of the ITRAX X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument for elements ofvarious atomic numbers based on acquisition times of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 sec (original figure provided by
Cox Analytical Systems).

51

Figure 2.13 ITRAX XRF profiles of major chemical elements compared to down core variations in particle
size. Dotted line indicates a break in the timing of sample analysis. Data from below the dotted line wererecorded more than a year after the original analyses were performed, introducing the potential for
analytical bias associated with the desiccation of the cores over time.

52

Figure 2.14 Results from 210Pb and 137Cs analyses of Upper (top panel) and Lower (bottom panel) Murraysediments. Plots on the left depict 210Pb and 137Cs activity versus depth. Plots on the right show 210Pb datainterpreted according to the constant rate of supply (CRS) plotted as age versus depth. The bottom rightplot also shows the raw varve chronology and adjusted varve chronology as described in Chapter 3.
Discrepancies between the 210Pb age mode, the 137Cs stratigraphy, and the Lower Murray varve chronology
reflect likely disturbances in the upper most deposits sediments of the two lakes.

53

Figure 2.15 Age model for Upper and Lower Murray lake sediment accumulation. Lower Murray Lake age
model is based on the varve chronology for the past 5200 years. The dashed line indicates a presumed
increase in the rate of sediment accumulation prior to the varved portion of the record. Upper Murray Lakeage model based on calibrated radiocarbon ages.

54

Figure 2.16 XRF profiles of redox sensitive elements Mn and Fe. The decrease in Mn:Fe ratio above ~ 405
cm likely indicates the onset of anoxia in the bottom waters of Lower Murray Lake. Determination of thecorrelation coefficient between of Mn and Fe over a moving 10 cm (101 point) window highlights thistransition. Under oxic condition Mn and Fe are more likely to behave in a similar fashion, whereas Mn
becomes more mobile under anoxic conditions, leading to poor correlation in the behavior of the twoelements.

55

CHAPTER 3

ORIGIN, CHRONOLOGY, AND CLIMATIC SIGNIFICANCE OF
VARVED SEDIMENTS IN LOWER MURRAY LAKE

Abstract

Sediments in Lower Murray Lake, northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut Canada (81°21’ N, 69°32’ W)
contain annual laminations (varves) that provide a record of sediment accumulation through the past 5000+
years. Annual mass accumulation was estimated based on measurements of varve thickness and sedimentbulk density. Comparison of Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation with instrumental climate data, longterm records of climatic forcing mechanisms and other regional paleoclimate records suggests that lake
sedimentation is positively correlated with regional melt season temperatures driven by radiative forcing.
The temperature reconstruction suggests that recent temperatures are ~2.6°C higher than minimum
temperatures observed during the Little Ice Age, maximum temperatures during the past 5200 years
exceeded modern values by ~0.6°C, and that minimum temperatures observed approximately2900 varve
years BC were ~3.5°C colder than recent conditions. Recent temperatures were the warmest since thefourteenth century, but similar conditions existed intermittently during the period spanning ~4000–1000
varve years ago. A highly stable pattern of sedimentation throughout the period of record supports the useof annual mass accumulation in Lower Murray Lake as a reliable proxy indicator of local climaticconditions in the past.

56

Introduction

The High Arctic, surrounded by sea ice and snow covered much of the year, is a region where
global climate changes are expected to be amplified by positive feedback processes (Holland and Bitz,
2003). The elevated climatic sensitivity of the Arctic makes it an ideal location for examining the causes
and impacts of climate variability in the past, including both recent changes attributed to human activity
and past changes associated with natural forcing mechanisms. However, our understanding of the climate
system in the High Arctic is severely limited by a lack of long-term climate observations. In particular, theinstrumental record is very short, generally less than 60 years in the Canadian Arctic, and provides limited
spatial coverage. Additionally, limited daylight and severe temperatures reduce the potential for
paleoclimate reconstructions based on biological proxies such as tree rings, pollen, and plankton
assemblages. The few long-term proxy records that are available provide limited geographic coverage andtypically demonstrate low temporal resolution (e.g. Gajewski and Atkinson, 2003). Therefore, there is asignificant need for additional high-resolution paleoclimatic data for the High Arctic.
Due to their widespread occurrence, annually laminated (varved) lake sediments are increasingly
being utilized as an important source of paleoclimatic information in the High Arctic. Climate
reconstructions from laminated lake sediments are based on the relationship between the characteristics ofan individual lamination, such as thickness or grain size, and some aspect of the weather during thecorresponding year. Considerable effort has focused on correlating varve characteristics with instrumental
climate records (Hughen et al., 2000; Moore et al., 2001; Francus et al., 2002; Hambley and Lamoureux,2006) and monitoring the meteorological and hydrological processes controlling sediment transfer anddeposition in arctic lakes (e.g. Hardy, 1996; Hardy et al., 1996; Cockburn and Lamoureux, 2007; 2008).
These studies have described and quantified process linkages between climatic conditions, stream flow,
sediment transfer and lake sedimentation. However, they have also highlighted the complexity of theclimate-sedimentation system and the uncertainty associated with paleoclimatic reconstructions based onlaminae characteristics. Because varve-climate correlations are limited by the length of local instrumental
observations and detailed process studies have been limited to only a few seasons of monitoring, one of the57

largest uncertainties in varve records relates to assumptions about the long-term stability of linkages
between climate and sedimentation under varying climatic and geomorphic conditions.
In this paper, we report the results from a study of laminated sediments in Lower Murray Lake in
the Canadian High Arctic, building upon results previously reported by Besonen et al. (2008). The resultspresented here extend the record of annual sedimentation in Lower Murray Lake through the past 5000+
years, making it the longest varve record yet produced from the High Arctic. This paper aims to identify
how sediment delivery to the lake has varied through time and to evaluate the validity of inferred climatesedimentation linkages over long time scales that include changes in external forcing mechanisms related toclimate variability.

Study Area

Lower Murray Lake is a relatively large (~5 km2), deep (~47 m) lake located along the eastern
margin of the Hazen Plateau, northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada (81°21’ N, 69°32’ W; Figure3.1). The region is characterized by an extensive upland plateau that contains several small ice caps at anelevation of approximately 1000 m. Lower Murray Lake is one of two lakes occupying a glacially carved
valley within the plateau region. The lake lies at an elevation of 106 m, which is above the local Holocene
marine limit (England 1983), and most of its surface inflow is derived from the upper plateau. Lower
Murray Lake has a total drainage basin of 261 km2; however, the majority of this area (184 km2) first drains
into Upper Murray Lake, which is connected to the lower lake by a shallow spillway that is less than 1 m
deep. Runoff associated with snow and ice melt in the upland areas drains into the lakes via several short,high-gradient streams. The main tributary into Upper Murray Lake drains a ~55 km2 icecap locatedsouthwest of the lakes. Two small, stagnant ice caps drain directly into Lower Murray Lake at its extreme
north and south ends. Apart from the spillway connecting the two lakes, the largest tributary enters Lower
Murray Lake at its southeast corner, near its outflow stream. The southern portion of the lake is separated
from the central, deep basin by a ~300-m-wide channel of unknown depth.

58

Climatically, the region is a polar desert with a mean annual temperature around -19°C, and meanannual precipitation, which occurs mostly in the form of snow, is less than 150 mm water equivalent(Maxwell 1981). Above-freezing temperatures occur from early June through late August, with daily
maximum temperatures occasionally exceeding 15°C. The extreme seasonality of temperatures produces abrief period of runoff and sediment transfer into Lower Murray Lake and is highly conducive to theformation of annual laminations in the sedimentary record. A 1.5- to 2-m-thick (or thicker) ice cover lasts
throughout much of the year, with open water generally occurring only from mid August through early
September. This brief period of open water reduces wind and wave action and limits mixing of the watercolumn leading to near anoxia at the sediment water interface (Besonen et al. 2008). In combination, thesefactors are highly conducive to the preservation of individual laminations in the lake sediments. Besonen etal. (2008) concluded that individual lamina in Lower Murray Lake were annual, and established a varve
chronology for the past 1000 years from the upper ~55 cm of sediment.

Methods

Field work
Lower Murray Lake was visited in June 2005 and August 2006 to conduct coring and to survey
the lake environment. A suite of cores was collected from the deepest basin (water depth 46.13 m) at
81.34175°N, 69.55204° W. Two overlapping, long cores were collected using an Uwitec piston corer(cores LML-05-C1 & LML-05-C2). Special care was taken to collect an undisturbed record of the uppermost sediment and to preserve an intact sediment-water interface using an Aquatic Research Instruments
gravity corer (cores LML-05-C1-AR1 & LML-5-C1-AR2) and an Ekman dredge-type sampler (cores
LML-05-C1-E4 & LML-05-C1-E5). Both the Aquatic Research and Ekman cores displayed clear water
overlying the sediment, confirming that an undisturbed sediment-water interface was recovered. The
Ekman samples were subsampled by inserting a 6-cm-diameter polycarbonate tube into the sediment andthen sealing the ends of the tube.

59

Core analysis
All cores were split and photographed in the lab in order to identify the most complete andundisturbed sections suitable for further analysis. Dry bulk density of the sediment was measured at fixedintervals of 1 cm in core LML-05-C1-E4, and at 2-cm spacing in all other cores by extracting 1 cc samples
using a cutoff syringe, drying the sediment for 16 h at 105°C, and then measuring the mass. Bulk density
was calculated by dividing the dry mass of the sediment by the initial sampling volume. Organic carbon
content was then estimated by percent loss-on-ignition (LOI) using the same samples analyzed for bulk
density. Dried samples were placed in a preheated 550°C muffle furnace for 4 h, and then allowed to coolin a desiccator. Percent LOI was calculated by dividing the mass difference between the dry sediment
sample and the post-ignition sample by the mass of the dry sample (Dean, 1974; Heiri et al., 2001). Particle
size was analyzed at 1 cm increments after pre-treating samples with a 30% hydrogen peroxide solution todigest organic material. Samples were analyzed using a Beckman Coulter LS200 particle-size analyzer.
Paleomagnetic samples were recovered from the split cores using rigid u-shaped plastic channels with a 2
cm × 2 cm cross section. Paleomagnetic analyses were conducted at Institut des Sciences de la Mer deRimouski, Québec, Canada. In order to analyze and interpret fine-scale laminations, thin sections of epoxyimpregnated sediment slabs were produced in a manner similar to that described by Francus and Asikainen(2001). Slabs of sediment were removed from the split core halves using 18 cm × 2 cm × 0.7 cm aluminumtrays inserted into the sediment. Overlapping the trays provided continuous stratigraphic coverage. The
slabs were then flash frozen in liquid nitrogen, dehydrated in a freeze dryer, and impregnated with epoxy
under vacuum using a low viscosity resin. After the epoxy had cured, the slabs were cut into three subblocks from which 2.5 cm × 7.5 cm polished thin sections were prepared. Cutting the slabs at an angle
across the laminations ensured that none of the sequence was lost to the saw kerf.
Detailed analysis of the laminations was carried out using digital images of the thin sections. Eachthin section was scanned at 2400 dpi under plain transmitted and cross polarized light using an Epson V750
flatbed scanner. A composite sequence of images providing continuous coverage of the sediment record
was created by selecting individual thin sections from the different cores which showed the least
disturbance for that portion of the record (Table 3.1; Appendices 1 and 2). Counting and quantitative
measurement of individual laminae was performed using image acquisition and analysis software60

developed at Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Québec. This software calculates and records
the thickness and depth of individual laminae along a vertical axis. However, down-warping along theedges of the core barrel and/ or misalignment of sediment slabs on the thin sections resulted in laminae thatwere not consistently oriented perpendicular to the measurement axis. In these cases the angle of thelaminae was recorded and used to adjust the thickness measurements. The complete lamination sequence
was counted and measured three times in an iterative manner, where the previous count was used as astarting point for refining further observations. An assessment of the reproducibility of the Lower Murray
Lake lamination record was possible by comparing the results produced during this study withmeasurements previously reported by Besonen et al. (2008) who independently examined a different core,
ML-00, collected at 81.3334° N, 69.54216° W from the same basin in Lower Murray Lake.

Radioisotope analysis
Surface core LML-05-C1-E5 was subsampled for 210Pb and 137Cs analysis by removing 0.5 cm
slices of sediment from the split core tube. Sediment samples were freeze dried and powdered. Twelve
samples spanning the upper 6 cm of the deposit were analyzed by gamma spectroscopy using a Canberra
ultra-low background well-type germanium detector at the University of Florida.

Results

Core stratigraphy
Core LML-05-C2, the longest core recovered from Lower Murray Lake, penetrated ~13.9 m. The
bottom of this core consists of massive 5- to 10- cm-thick units of fine- to coarse-grained sand interspersedwith silt and clay units (Figure 3.2). The large grain size of these basal sediments suggests that they were
deposited in a high-energy environment. We infer that the source of this energy was fluvial discharge froma locally receding glacier. This would suggest that core LML-05-C2 contains a nearly complete post-glaciallacustrine sedimentary sequence from Lower Murray Lake. The sediment sequence consists predominantlyof fine-grained, siltand clay-sized clastic material with very little organic matter. Mean loss-on-ignition was

61

~4.3%, although the actual organic content is likely lower because the dehydration of clay minerals
continues at temperatures above 105°C (Dean, 1974). The upper 245 cm of the core are characterized byfine laminations (<1 mm thick), consisting of alternating silt and clay couplets (Figure 3.3). This upper
portion of the core is punctuated by occasional, thicker units of silt and fine sand that are up to 1 cm thick(Figure 3.3). Below 245 cm, laminations are less distinct and grain size is more variable. We interpret thetransition to laminated sediments to reflect the retreat of glacial ice from the Murray Lakes valley and theevolution of the lake to its current water level. Relatively uniform grain size and lamination characteristics
throughout the upper 245 cm suggest that the lake and its surroundings had reached steady-state conditions
prior to this time. The remainder of this paper focuses only on the upper, finely laminated portion of therecord where lake sedimentation follows a consistent pattern.

Chronology
Due to the pronounced seasonality of the processes controlling sediment transfer and deposition in
Lower Murray Lake, and to patterns of sedimentation that are consistent with varved deposits, including
fining upwards laminae topped by clay caps, we hypothesized that the silt-clay laminations observed in thesediments reflected annual units. Indeed, sediment cores collected in 2005 contained five additionallaminae relative to those cores retrieved in 2000, confirming that recent laminae are annual. Further
confirmation of this hypothesis was attempted by comparing 210Pb and 137Cs profiles to the varve
chronology. However, disturbance from turbidity currents, bioturbation or mass movements can influence
the inventory of 210Pb in surface sediments (Wolfe et al., 2004). The application of 210Pb dating in the
Arctic is further complicated by very low 210Pb activities in high-latitude lake sediments. Low radionuclide
concentrations reflect a combination of reduced production because frozen soil retards the release of theparent isotope 222Rn, and reduced deposition because persistent lake-ice cover limits the efficiency withwhich atmospheric 210Pb is transferred to lake sediments (Wolfe et al., 2004). The Lower Murray Lake
210

Pb profile shows low activity levels characteristic of the Arctic, and erratic variations that likely reflect

disturbance of the upper sediments (Figure 3.4a). Visual inspection of the sediment confirms that an erosive
turbidite layer was deposited during varve year 1990 (1.5 cm depth). Modeling of the sedimentation rate
based on the 210Pb profile using the constant rate of supply (CRS) model (Appleby and Oldfield, 1978)62

produces an age depth curve which is inconsistent with the varve chronology (Figure 3.4b). The lowest
sample in the 210Pb age model assigns a date of 1890 to a depth of 3.5 cm, which corresponds to varve year
1944. This discrepancy would suggest large inaccuracies in the varve chronology which we believe are
unreasonable and can more easily be explained by errors associated with low 210Pb inventories in Arctic
lake sediments, and by the erosive turbidite which would have removed and deposited elsewhere a portionof the radionuclide inventory. The anthropogenic radionuclide 137Cs provides two stratigraphic age
horizons, corresponding to the onset of nuclear weapons testing ca. ~1954, and a peak in 1963 associatedwith maximum atmospheric fallout immediately prior to the implementation of the nuclear test ban treaty(Wolfe et al., 2004). The Lower Murray Lake radionuclide profile shows the first occurrence of 137Cs at~2.6 cm and a distinct peak at ~1.7 cm, corresponding to varve years ~1977 and 1988 respectively (Figure3.4). We propose that the discrepancy between the varve chronology and the known timing of these 137Cs
stratigraphic horizons was due to erosion of underlying varves associated with the turbidite in varve year
1990. Consequently the varve located in the middle of the interval of peak 137Cs activity was assumed to bevarve year 1963 and the varve chronology below the turbidite was reestablished from this point. The
number of varves counted between the onset and subsequent peak in 137Cs is consistent with the known ageof these stratigraphic horizons. However, the large sampling interval used for radionuclide measurements
relative to the low sedimentation rate in Lower Murray Lake precludes a precise determination of thenumber of laminae between the first occurrence and peak 137Cs intervals. Counting varves upwards fromthe 1963 varve to the base of the turbidite suggests that varves from ~1970 through 1989 were eroded. Thisfinding is consistent with the previous varve chronology established in Lower Murray Lake by Besonen etal. (2008).
Confident interpretation of the long-term sedimentary record in Lower Murray Lake requires
validation of the consistency of the varve chronology throughout the time scale to be investigated.
However, biological productivity in Lower Murray Lake is low both within the lake and in the surrounding
drainage basin, and no suitable material for radiocarbon dating was identified in the lake sediments.
Consequently, the long-term accuracy of the varve chronology was confirmed by comparing a record of
paleomagnetic secular variation from Lower Murray Lake sediments in core LML-05-C2 with anindependently dated paleomagnetic record from South Sawtooth Lake (Figure 3.5). South Sawtooth Lake63

was cored as part of a separate study by coauthors of this paper. While analysis of the South Sawtoothrecord is ongoing, varve characteristics and limnological and sedimentary processes have been discussed in
Francus et al. (2002; 2008). Despite differing rates of sedimentation, distinctive sedimentary characteristics
and unique magnetic properties for each record, consistent patterns can be correlated among the different
time series. In particular, both records show a large, coeval shift in declination and relative paleointensity
and in-phase variations in the environmental magnetic ratio of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM)
after 30 mT demagnetization to the ARM before demagnetization. These similarities in the timing of
paleomagnetic secular variations and environmental magnetic parameters help to confirm the accuracy of
the individual chronologies.
Sources of error in varve chronologies can result from a number of factors including: (1) technicalproblems associated with coring and sub-sampling of the sediments; (2) unconformities caused by erosive
events; (3) changes in varve preservation; and (4) either very high or very low sedimentation rates, which
often make it difficult to distinguish seasonal events from the annual cycle (Zolitschka, 2007). Technicalproblems in the Lower Murray Lake chronology were minimized by collecting multiple sediment cores andcarefully selecting the least disturbed portions from each core to create a single composite varve sequence.
All of the cores used in the composite record were from the same coring site, within a radius of \5 m, thus
local variations in sedimentation should not be a factor. Although evidence for erosion during the ca. 1990
turbidite is unequivocal, only three other erosive turbidites were identified in the rest of the record.
Additional unconformities may exist, but without further evidence, it seems likely that erosive events occur
infrequently in this part of the lake. If erosive events were a common feature of the record, a continuously
increasing offset would be expected between the timing of paleomagnetic variations in Lower Murray Lake
sediments versus those in South Sawtooth Lake. However, this type of offset is not observed.
An estimate of the uncertainty associated with the subjective nature of varve identification anddelineation was possible because Lower Murray Lake was the site of a previous varve study. Comparisonof the overlapping portions of the varve records established in this study and by Besonen et al. (2008)
demonstrates a high degree of consistency between chronologies established by separate individuals on
different cores (Figure 3.6). Despite relying on different sources of information (plain and cross-polarizedscanned images in this study, and plain-light scans and backscattered SEM images in the previous study)

64the two independent chronologies are offset by only 17 varve years at the end of the 1000 year period.
Close examination of the individual chronologies isolated most of the offset to a single, short (~4 cm)
portion of the record, between varve years 1550 and 1600 AD, where laminae were particularly diffuse anddifficult to distinguish. There was no clear justification for favoring one chronology over the other, and as aresult this discrepancy provides an error estimate of ~2% for the reproducibility of the varve chronology.
The largest remaining sources of chronological error relate to either over-counting of sub-annual laminae,
or under-counting eroded or poorly preserved laminae. Without more precise age control for the longrecord from either radiocarbon or tephra dating it is difficult to precisely quantify the full level ofchronological uncertainty from all sources in the Lower Murray Lake varve record.

Lamina characteristics
A total of 5221 individual varves were identified. After accounting for the estimated ~20 varves
eroded during the ca. 1990 turbidite, but without taking into account the additional uncertainties describedabove, the laminated portion of the Lower Murray Lake record spans the period from varve year 2004 AD
through 3236 BC. No adjustment was made for the three additional erosive events because there was no
way of determining how many laminae were removed. The composite time series of varve thickness isshown in Figure 3.7. Mean laminae thickness throughout this period is 0.46 mm, although the record shows
considerable high-amplitude variability. Typical laminae are characterized by a fining-upward silt unit
topped by uniform clay caps. These units fit the classic description of clastic varves typical of cold
environments (Sturm, 1979; Zolitschka, 2007). Punctuating this sequence are a number of anomalously
thick (up to 1 cm), coarser grained (silt to fine sand), graded deposits, which occasionally contain planar
sub laminae. The larger grain size of these deposits necessitates an alternative, higher-energy transportmechanism relative to the typical varves. The genesis of these deposits is difficult to decipher without
additional process monitoring; however, similar deposits in other arctic lakes have been attributed to turbid
underflows resulting from rain events and elevated stream flow (Lamoureux, 2000; Hambley andLamoureux, 2006; Francus et al., 2008). A total of 124 of these anomalous beds were identified throughvisual inspection of the thin sections. To facilitate the interpretation of variations in mean sedimentation as65characterized by typical varves, the anomalous beds were removed from the time series and replaced by aunit equal in thickness to the series mean after excluding the graded beds (0.34 mm).
Evaluation of changes in sedimentation through time requires that varve thickness measurements
are corrected for varying degrees of compaction. In general, sediment becomes more compacted with depth
as it is compressed by the weight of the overlying material. In addition, differential compaction of
sediments can occur during the coring process as sediment interacts with the surrounding sediment and coretube. This problem was addressed by converting varve thickness measurements to mass accumulation rates(MAR) using measurements of bulk density (Figure 3.7). The average mass accumulation rate for theperiod of record was 0.049 or 0.036 g cm-2 year-1 if the anomalous event beds are excluded. Correcting forvariations in bulk density effectively compensated for the trend toward increasing varve thickness observedin the uppermost sediments. However, comparison of the grain size, bulk density, varve thickness, andmass accumulation records indicate that isolated, coarse-grained deposits are responsible for some of thelargest peaks in mass accumulation. This result highlights the difficulty of relating discrete bulk density
measurements to higher-resolution varve thickness measurements (cf. Besonen et al., 2008). Thus, whencomparing rates of sedimentation between different periods of the record it is important to evaluate how
and why mass accumulation rates differ from varve thicknesses within a given interval.
Varve thickness and mass accumulation data were smoothed with a 25-year running mean filter to
aid identification of periods of consistently higher or lower sedimentation (Figure 3.7). The long-term
record of mass accumulation shows distinct centennial-scale variations in addition to extended periods of
reduced or enhanced mass accumulation relative to the long term mean. Twentieth-century massaccumulation rates fall at the upper end of the scale, and during the last 1000 varve years, were only
exceeded in the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. A minimum in mass accumulation occurred around varve
year 1800 AD; the only comparable period of low mass accumulation occurs from varve year 5200 BC
through 4500 BC. Mass accumulation rates in the middle portion of the record, spanning varve years 2000
BC to 1000 AD, are predominantly near or above the 1000–2000 AD mean, and are characterized byconsiderable variability.

66

Discussion

Climatic controls on Lower Murray Lake sedimentation
Previous studies of High Arctic lake systems have demonstrated various quantitative relationships
between lake sedimentation and meteorological conditions. In many cases, lake sedimentation and varve
thickness are related to temperature during the summer melt season when the melting of ice and snow
provides energy to transport sediment into lakes (Hardy, 1996; Hardy et al., 1996; Gajewski et al., 1997;
Braun et al., 2000b; Hughen et al., 2000; Moore et al., 2001; Francus et al., 2002; Hambley andLamoureux, 2006). In other systems, sediment delivery is controlled more by winter snow accumulation
than by summer-melt conditions (Braun et al., 2000a; Lamoureux and Gilbert, 2004; Forbes andLamoureux, 2005; Cockburn and Lamoureux, 2007). Additional controls on lake sedimentation can include
rain-induced erosion (Lamoureux, 2000; Lamoureux et al., 2001), limited sediment availability (Braun etal. 2000a), spatial and temporal variations in the distribution of sediments within a lake (Lamoureux, 1999),
mass movements (Lewis et al., 2005), variations in sediment availability (Lamoureux, 2002), and a variety
of external catchment and within-lake processes that are often non-linear (e.g. Hodder et al., 2007). We
examined the relationship between annual sedimentation in Lower Murray Lake and climatic conditions bycomparing the time series of mass accumulation to instrumental climate data recorded at the two nearest
permanent weather stations located at Alert, which is 180 km away along the north coast of Ellesmere
Island, and at Eureka which is located 320 km west in a more continental setting. Because the frequency
distribution of annual mass accumulation rates was heavily skewed towards smaller values the data were
log transformed. This process yields a time series consisting of more normally distributed values which are
better suited for correlation with climatic data that typically exhibits a Gaussian distribution (cf. Rittenour
et al., 2000). Only mass accumulation data from the years 1990 through 2004 were used in the statisticalanalysis because the certainty of the varve chronology decreases prior to the ca. 1990 turbidite. Table 3.2
lists r2 values obtained from calculating linear regressions between Lower Murray Lake MAR and various
climatic variables for the period 1990–2004. In general, r2 values generated from correlation with surface
meteorological conditions were very low. However, mass accumulation rates were significantly correlated
to radiosonde measurements (Durre et al., 2006) of mean July temperatures at 600 m at both Alert (r2 =67

0.61) and Eureka (r2 = 0.50; Figure 3.8). Temperature data from 600 m were chosen for the analysis
because this elevation corresponds to the approximate mean elevation of the Murray Lakes watershed.
A positive correlation between summer temperatures and sedimentation rates has been observed inseveral other lakes in the Canadian Arctic (e.g. Hardy et al., 1996; Hughen et al., 2000; Moore et al., 2001).
In particular, Hardy et al., (1996) also identified a strong correlation between 600 m temperatures at Alertand daily sediment flux into Lake C2. Upper-air temperature measurements likely provide a better estimateof regional temperature conditions relative to surface measurements because they are not influenced by
localized low-level temperature inversions which are common throughout the High Arctic. Furthermore,much of the runoff entering Lower Murray Lake is derived from snowmelt in the upper watershed which isat or above 600 m elevation. At other sites on northern Ellesmere Island where streamflow and sediment
flux measurements have been recorded, peak streamflow and the majority of the seasonal sedimenttransport have occurred over a brief period of several days in July (e.g. Hardy et al., 1996; Braun et al.
2000b). Consequently, we suggest that sediment mass accumulation in Lower Murray Lake is dominantly
influenced by July temperatures in the upper watershed which affect snowmelt, streamflow and sedimenttransport into the lake.
Because July air temperature at 600 m altitude at Alert showed the highest correlation with Lower
Murray Lake mass accumulation, this relationship was used to calibrate the long-term record of MAR interms of July temperature using the following equation:

Temperature = 8.49 + 1.95 × ln (MAR)standard error = ± 1.04 °C(1)

The temperature calibration does not change the major features of the mass accumulation record, but
provides a quantitative estimate of the range of past temperature variations at Lower Murray Lake (Figure3.9). The temperature reconstruction is plotted as anomalies relative to the 1001–2000 AD mean in order toaccount for differences in the absolute temperatures at Lower Murray Lake and the Alert calibration site.
The 1001–2000 AD reference period, which is used in all subsequent figures and discussions, was chosen
so that records of shorter duration could be compared to the Lower Murray Lake time series using acommon interval as a reference for baseline conditions.

68

The temperature reconstruction suggests: (1) recent temperatures are ~2.6°C higher than minimum
temperatures observed during the Little Ice Age, (2) maximum temperatures during the past 5,200 years
exceeded modern values by ~0.6°C, (3) minimum temperatures observed approximately 2,900 varve years
BC were ~3.5°C colder than recent conditions. The calibration period used to estimate these temperaturechanges is admittedly short and the distance between Lower Murray Lake and Alert adds additional
uncertainty to the reconstruction that demands caution when interpreting the temperature calibration.
Nonetheless, our confidence in the relationship between temperature and mass accumulation in Lower
Murray Lake is enhanced by the similar relationships observed at Lakes Tuborg and C2 (Hardy et al., 1996;
Braun et al., 2000b). The fact that MAR was significantly correlated to July temperatures at both Alert andEureka suggests that sedimentation in Lower Murray Lake is responding to regional melt season
temperatures. This allows us to compare the Lower Murray Lake time-series to independent proxy climate
records and assess the veracity of inferred linkages between climate and sedimentation over long timescales.
As discussed previously, few high-quality paleoclimate reconstructions exist for the High Arctic.
Therefore the sensitivity of Lower Murray Lake sedimentation to changes in temperature was evaluated bycomparing the sedimentary sequence to records of climate forcing mechanisms known to contribute tochanges in global temperatures (Figure 3.10; Crowley, 2000). Regional climate variations result fromcomplex interactions among a variety of factors; nonetheless, changes in volcanic aerosols, solar output,
and the concentration of greenhouse gases have a significant influence on temperature (Crowley 2000).
Figure 3.10 indicates that periods of above average mass accumulation in Lower Murray Lake roughly
coincide with periods of reduced volcanic activity, increased solar forcing, and increased greenhouse gas
concentrations. In contrast, periods of below average mass accumulation generally coincide with periods ofincreased volcanic activity, reduced solar forcing, and reduced greenhouse gas concentrations. This
relationship suggests that, over the last 1000 years decadal-scale variability in sedimentation in Lower
Murray Lake is positively correlated with changes in regional temperatures that are driven by large-scale
radiative forcing.
Over periods of several decades the relationship between temperature and sedimentation is likely
strengthened by several factors specific to the Arctic. Przybylak (2002) demonstrated that, during the69

instrumental period, increased temperatures coincided with higher precipitation totals in most regions of theCanadian Arctic. Warm periods in the past were therefore likely associated with elevated runoff resulting
from a combination of increased precipitation throughout the year and enhanced melt production in thesummer. In addition, warmer conditions should have increased sediment availability by increasing thedepth of the active layer. Because sediment availability and runoff ultimately limit lake sedimentation, an
increase in these variables due to warmer temperatures should have led to increased sediment accumulationin lakes. Indeed, a positive correlation between temperature and sedimentation rate has been observed inseveral other lakes in the Canadian Arctic (e.g. Hardy et al., 1996; Hughen et al., 2000; Moore et al., 2001).

Is there a consistent regional pattern?
Climatic controls on lake sedimentation were further examined by comparing Lower Murray Lakemass accumulation to other regional records of environmental change (Figure 3.11). Lake Tuborg is thenearest location from which another varve record has been produced (~110 km from Lower Murray Lake;
Figure 3.11), and relative to Lower Murray Lake, likely reflects the most similar climatic setting of theavailable records. Similar patterns in each record, particularly relating to the timing of reduced
sedimentation in each lake are evidence of an external (climatic) forcing mechanism. Process monitoring in
the Lake Tuborg watershed by Braun et al. (2000b) demonstrated a relationship between summer
temperature and sediment transfer to Lake Tuborg that is consistent with our interpretation of the climatic
controls on Lower Murray Lake sedimentation. Although varve deposition in Lake Tuborg has beenpreviously described by Smith et al. (2004), the Tuborg varve series shown here (Lewis et al., 2008) has
not been independently dated past the last 150 years. In contrast, comparison of Lower Murray Lake massaccumulation with Lake C2 varve thickness (Lamoureux and Bradley, 1996) shows much less consistency.
Lake C2 is located along the north coast of Ellesmere Island, adjacent to the Arctic Ocean and in aconsiderably different climatic setting. Thus differences in the two records may reflect either different local
climatic conditions or the unique effects of site specific processes acting within the lakes and surrounding
catchment. Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation, Lake Tuborg varve thickness, and Agassiz Ice Cap
melt percentages (Fisher and Koerner, 1994; Fisher et al., 1995) all show a large increase in the twentiethcentury. Earlier peaks in Agassiz Ice Cap melt percentage frequently coincide with periods of elevated70sedimentation in Lower Murray Lake; however, the relative magnitude and timing of events is not always
consistent. These discrepancies may reflect uncertainties in the chronology of both records, or differencesin the way individual proxies respond to climate forcing. Anderson et al. (2008) identified two periods ofwidespread ice-cap expansion on northern Baffin Island around ~1280 and ~1450 AD (indicated by arrows
in Figure 3.11a). These events coincide with episodes of reduced sediment accumulation in Lower Murray
Lake and support the interpretation that cold periods in the past are associated with reduced sedimentationin Lower Murray Lake.
On longer time scales (Figure 3.11b) the period of extremely low sediment accumulation in Lower
Murray Lake centered around 1800 AD is roughly consistent with the timing of lowest melt percentage andδ18O values observed in the Agassiz Ice Cap (Koerner and Fisher 1990). Although δ18O values in the
Agassiz Ice Cap reflect the combined influence of changes in climate, ice-cap thickness, and windscouring, low δ18O values and melt percentages in the nineteenth century signify the culmination of the‘Little Ice Age’ and likely reflect the coldest period of the last several thousand years in the High Arctic(Koerner and Fisher, 1990; Fisher et al., 1983). Thus, reduced sediment mass accumulation during thisperiod is consistent with the inferred temperature control on lake sedimentation. Identifying the warmest
periods in paleoclimate records from northern Ellesmere is less straightforward. δ18O values and melt
percentages in the Agassiz Ice Cap indicate that the warmest conditions were experienced in the early
Holocene ~8000–10000 14C years BP, with temperatures generally decreasing until the end of the ‘Little
Ice Age’ (Koerner and Fisher, 1990). In contrast, the earliest portion of the Lower Murray Lake record(~5200–4500 varve years) is characterized by extremely low rates of sedimentation. This difference may
reflect regional climatic variability, the local influence of the waning Innuitian Ice Sheet at this time, orboth. Indeed, Smith (2002) examined the abundance of diatoms in a series of lakes ~50 km from Murray
Lake on the Hazen Plateau and identified evidence of a similarly delayed ‘thermal maximum’ ~4200–3000
14

C years BP attributed to the effects of locally retreating glaciers. These differences illustrate the level ofremaining uncertainty in the climatic history of the High Arctic and underscore the need for additional
paleoclimate reconstructions so that local anomalies in individual proxy records can be separated fromregional climatic trends.

71

Stability of the climate-sedimentation system
Quantitative reconstructions of past climatic conditions are strongly dependent on the data
selection and calibration methods used (Esper et al., 2005). In the High Arctic, quantitative relationships
between climate and varve characteristics have been based on either a few years of process monitoring or
correlation of varve measurements with the instrumental record. The general assumption underlying the useof these models is that the relationships observed during the calibration period are stationary through time.
In addition, previously published varve calibrations have largely relied on linear statistical models related
to a single climate variable (e.g. Hardy et al., 1996; Hughen et al., 2000), whereas, the actual climate-varve
process network as defined by Hodder et al., (2007) involves numerous variables which often interact in a
non-linear fashion. Given these uncertainties, it is worth examining the long-term stability of the Lower
Murray Lake system and its reliability as an archive of changing climatic conditions.
Blass et al., (2007) demonstrated that, in a glaciated alpine lake, a calibration model based on
twentieth century observations was not valid for longer-term temperature reconstructions because of largescale changes in the sediment transport system. Failure of the varve-climate calibration was coincident with
distinct changes in mean sedimentation and in the amplitude of interannual variability (Blass et al., 2007).
In contrast, several lines of evidence from the Lower Murray Lake record suggest that linkages within the
climate-varve process network have remained relatively stable throughout the past several thousand years,
including : (1) a reasonably consistent response to climate forcing mechanisms and similarities to otherregional records during the last 1000+ years indicates that major processes linking the climatic conditions
to lake sedimentation have been stable throughout this period; (2) mean sedimentation and the scale ofvariability in the long-term record of mass accumulation are nearly constant throughout the last 5000 years;(3) apart from the anomalous event deposits characterized by thick laminae and increased grain size andbulk density, median grain size is highly consistent throughout the period of record, suggesting that
sediment transport has occurred under steady hydrodynamic conditions.
The apparent stability in the varve-climate process network at Lower Murray Lake has occurred
despite considerable climate variability and substantial changes in the expanse of ice caps within the study
area. Deglaciation of the Lower Murray Lake area occurred ~6900 14C years BP (England, 1983), with ice
retreat continuing until margins close to or behind present conditions were reached by ~5000 14C years BP

72

(Smith, 1999). Plateau ice caps at favorable, high elevation locations likely persisted through the midHolocene (Smith, 1999), but may have subsequently disappeared and later reformed following the
Holocene thermal maximum (Koerner and Paterson, 1974). Similarly, small plateau ice caps on northern
Baffin Island are believed to have existed continuously since at least ~350 AD, and experienced significant
expansion around 1280 AD and again around 1450 AD (Anderson et al., 2008).
Consistent controls on sedimentation in Lower Murray Lake are likely facilitated by several
factors, including: the lake has a simple drainage basin that is characterized by short, high-gradient streams
that lead to rapid transport of sediment from the catchment into the lake basin. Upper Murray Lake traps asignificant portion of the sediment produced within the watershed and likely acts as a partial buffer tochanges in Lower Murray Lake sedimentation. In addition, cold-based ice caps like those adjacent to Lower
Murray Lake are minimally erosive (Paterson, 1969), and even at maximum extent covered less than ~10–
15% of the Lower Murray Lake drainage basin. As a result, changes in ice expanse are not likely to havecaused major changes in sediment production.

Conclusions

Lower Murray Lake varves contain an annual record of sediment mass accumulation spanning thepast 5000+ years. In general, periods of elevated sediment accumulation coincide with periods of presumed
warm conditions in the past. Likewise, suspected cold periods in the past are associated with low rates ofsedimentation in Lower Murray Lake. Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation rates were positively
correlated with mean July 600 m free air temperatures at the two nearest permanent weather stations at
Alert and Eureka, with r2 values of 0.61 and 0.50, respectively. Calibration of the MAR timeseries provided
a quantitative estimate of the magnitude of past temperature variability. These results indicate that decadalscale patterns of sedimentation in Lower Murray Lake are influenced by regional temperatures driven byradiative forcing. The lowest rates of sediment accumulation, and by inference the coldest periods occurred
around varve year 1800 AD and prior to ~4200 varve years ago. In contrast, periods of increased
sedimentation, and by inference the warmest conditions, occurred in the twelfth, fourteenth, and twentiethcenturies, and throughout the middle portion of the record, approximately 1000 to 4200 varve years ago.

73

Lower Murray Lake sediments maintain a consistent pattern of deposition throughout the period ofrecord and respond predictably to presumed climatic conditions in the past. Despite the complexity andinherent uncertainty in the varve-climate process network, the stability of the Lower Murray Lake
sedimentary system supports the use of annual mass accumulation as a proxy indicator of climaticconditions in the past. Nonetheless, discrepancies between the Lower Murray Lake varve record and otherregional paleoclimate records highlight the need to validate varve-based climate reconstructions using
multiple lines of evidence from numerous locations. In the High Arctic, comparison of regional records ishindered by the limited number of high-quality paleoclimate reconstructions of any sort. Consequently, theacquisition of additional climate reconstructions from the High Arctic should be a priority.

74

Table 3.1 Ordered list of thin sections used to create the composite varve chronology from Lower Murray
Lake. (Appendix 1 includes images of each of these thin sections including the marker beds used to tie thesequence between successive thin sections. Appendix 2 includes a list of all thin sections produced from
Murray Lake sediments and a description of their corresponding depth interval.)
Sequence

Thin Section ID

Sequence

Thin Section ID

1

LML-00130

LML-032

2

LML-08031

LML-057

3

LML-00232

LML-058

4

LML-01033

LML-034

5

LML-003

34

LML-059

6

LML-08335

LML-035

7

LML-084

36

LML-036

8

LML-00437

LML-061

9

LML-00538

LML-06210

LML-006

39

LML-040

11

LML-00740

LML-063

12

LML-00841

LML-064

13

LML-00942

LML-065

14

LML-09343

LML-066

15

LML-094

44

LML-067

16

LML-095

45

LML-045

17

LML-024

46

LML-068

18

LML-096

47

LML-046

19

LML-097

48

LML-069

20

LML-098

49

LML-070

21

LML-09950

LML-071

22

LML-100

51

LML-049

23

LML-10152

LML-072

24

LML-02953

LML-073

25

LML-10254

LML-051

26

LML-030

55

LML-074

27

LML-055

56

LML-075

28

LML-03157

LML-076

29

LML-056

58

LML-077

75

Table 3.2 Coefficient of determination (R2) values and their significance (p values) calculated for linear
regressions between log-transformed Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation and assorted climatic data
recorded at the Alert and Eureka weather stations.
Alert

Eureka2r (p value)r2 (p value)

June temp (°C)

0.02 (0.662)

0.01 (0.752)

July temp (°C)

0.15 (0.157)

0.06 (0.409)

August temp (°C)

0.23 (0.479)

0.13 (0.179)

Mean JJA temp (°C)

0.10 (0.240)

0.01 (0.767)

June 600 m temp (°C)

0.00 (0.992)

0.00 (0.961)

July 600 m temp (°C)

0.61 (<0.001)

0.50 (0.003)

August 600 m temp (°C)

0.02 (0.601)

0.02 (0.632)

Mean JJA 600 m temp (°C)

0.16 (0.136)

0.22 (0.080)

June rain (mm)0.01 (0.732)

0.24 (0.023)

July rain (mm)0.03 (0.582)

0.39 (0.017)

August rain (mm)0.01 (0.732)

0.30 (0.041)

Total JJA rain (mm)0.07 (0.446)

0.08 (0.323)

Total Sep-May snow (cm)0.10 (0.102)

0.00 (0.479)

Variable76

Figure 3.1 Map of Lower Murray Lake and surrounding region. The lower right panel shows a close up ofLower Murray Lake, including approximate bathymetry and the location of the coring site. Inset shows
Ellesmere Island and surrounding region.

77

Figure 3.2 Down-core variations in grain size in Lower Murray Lake sediments. The distinct transition that
occurs at ~245 cm depth marks the beginning of the laminated portion of the sequence.

78

Figure 3.3 Scanned image of a thin section under cross-polarized light showing fine-scale laminations
punctuated by coarse grained event deposits (marked X on thin section). Inset shows a sequence of finingupwards silt and clay couplets that are characteristic of typical varves in Lower Murray Lake.

79

Figure 3.4 (a) 210Pb and 137Cs activity versus depth for core LML- 05-C1-E5. The 210Pb minimum between~1 and 1.5 cm depth suggests non-uniform deposition and is consistent with the depth of a turbidite
observed in the sediment. (b) Comparison of the varve chronology with the 210Pb age model (CRS model)
and 137Cs activity. Horizontal error bars are 1 σ uncertainties and vertical error bars represent the samplinginterval. The gap in the varve chronology reflects suspected erosion resulting from a ca. 1990 turbidite,which likely contributes to the discrepancy between the varve and 210Pb chronologies. Shaded regions
indicate the first occurrence (~1954) and peak (1963) horizons of 137Cs activity in the sediment, and theirgeneral agreement with the varve chronology.

80

Figure 3.5 Comparison of paleomagnetic secular variation records in sediment cores from Lower Murray
Lake and South Sawtooth Lake on their independently derived varve-based chronologies. From top tobottom, the records include: the characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) declination; ChRM
inclination; relative paleointensity estimated using the mean of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM)
intensity normalized by anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) over a range of progressivealternating field demagnetization steps; the ratio of ARM after 30 mT demagnetization to the ARM before
demagnetization. See Stoner and St-Onge (2007) for further explanation of these measurements. Due to thehigher rate of sedimentation in Sawtooth Lake, those data have been smoothed with a 20 point runningmean filter.

81

Figure 3.6 Comparison of the independently derived varve chronologies from cores collected in 2005
(LML-05; this study) and 2000 (ML-00; Besonen et al. 2008). Offset between the two records illustrates
the uncertainty in varve delineation and reflects error in both the chronology and thickness measurements.
Total offset after 1000 varve years is <20 years or 2%. Most of the offset can be isolated within a single
portion of the record where laminae are particularly diffuse and difficult to distinguish. Adjusting one
record to match the other is difficult to justify.

82

Figure 3.7 Sedimentological results from Lower Murray Lake. Time-series data are a combination of theleast disturbed sections of multiple cores. Top panel shows raw varve thickness measurements (grey) andvarve thickness after anomalous depositional units have been removed (black). Bottom panel shows varve
thickness (grey) and mass accumulation (black) after the data have been smoothed with a 25 year runningmean filter. Mass accumulation is calculated from the varve thickness and bulk density measurements.
Dotted lines in each panel reflect the series mean value.

83

Figure 3.8 (a) Time-series of Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation and 600 m temperatures recorded byradiosondes at Alert and Eureka. (b) Scatter plot showing the relationship between Alert and Eureka 600 m
temperatures and mass accumulation rates in Lower Murray Lake.

84

Figure 3.9 Lower Murray Lake temperature reconstruction based on the calibration between massaccumulation rate and July 600 m temperatures at Alert. 25 year running mean temperatures are plotted asanomalies relative to the 1001– 2000 AD mean. Shaded gray region reflects ±1.04°C standard error of theregression equation.

85

Figure 3.10 Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation over the past 1000 varve years (black) relative toexternal forcings of global temperatures (Crowley 2000): volcanic forcing (top panel), solar variability(third from top), and greenhouse gasses (bottom panel). Note the different scales for radiative forcing by
the different variables. Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation, radiative forcing from greenhouse gasses,
and solar variability are plotted relative to their 1001–2000 AD mean. Periods of increased massaccumulation in the twelfth to fourteenth centuries coincide with episodes of elevated solar activity andreduced volcanic activity, whereas reduced mass accumulation around 1450, 1700, and 1800 AD coincides
with periods of enhanced volcanism and reduced solar activity. Increased mass accumulation in thetwentieth century coincides with anthropogenic forcing of greenhouse gas concentrations.

86

Figure 3.11 (a) Comparison of the last 2000 years of Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation with Lake
Tuborg (T. Lewis, unpublished data) and Lake C2 (Lamoureux and Bradley 1996) varve thickness andAgassiz Ice Cap melt percentage (Fisher et al. 1995; Fisher and Koerner 1994). Running means (25 year)
are plotted for each record; varve data are log transformed, normalized departures from 1000 to 2000 AD
mean. Arrows indicate periods of widespread ice-cap expansion identified in northern Baffin Island ca.
~1280 and ~1450 AD (Anderson et al. 2008). (b) Long-term, 5,200 year record of Lower Murray Lakemass accumulation compared to Aggasiz Ice Cap melt percentage and d18O (Fisher et al. 1995; Fisher andKoerner 1994).

87

CHAPTER 4

RECENT ADVANCES AND LIMITATIONS IN QUANTITATIVE TEMPERATURE
RECONSTRUCTIONS FROM THE CANADIAN ARCTIC

Introduction

Accurate predictions of future climate changes and their impacts on the environment require athorough understanding of both the processes controlling modern climatic conditions and the causes andimpacts of past climate variability. Instrumental data collected from networks of meteorological stations
provide the basis for our understanding of climate variability on short time scales. In the Canadian Arctic
the instrumental record is severely limited in terms of its spatial coverage and the length of the available
records. All of the permanent weather stations in the Canadian Arctic are located in low elevation, coastal
sites which may not accurately reflect the climatic conditions in inland, high-elevation locations thatcharacterize much of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In addition, continuous instrumental records in the
Canadian Arctic date predominantly to the late 1940s and early 1950s, with only limited data available as
early as the 1920s. These data make it impossible to describe climate variations with periods greater than afew decades and provide only a limited view of the full range of climatic conditions which characterize theCanadian Arctic. Consequently, a longer perspective on climatic variability must be obtained by studying
natural archives that have preserved some aspect of past environmental conditions. Such long-term proxyrecords of climate may be derived from a variety of sources based on the dependence of many physical,
chemical, and biological processes on climatic conditions.
Substantial evidence from both observational data (e.g. Serreze et al., 2000) and proxy
paleoclimate records (e.g. Overpeck et al., 1997) indicate that the Arctic has warmed considerably over the
past few decades. This warming trend is manifested in observations of declining sea ice thickness andextent (Serreze et al., 2007), increases in the duration of ice free conditions on arctic lakes (e.g. Chapter 5;
Mueller et al., in review), negative trends in the mass balance of small glaciers and ice caps (Dowdeswell etal., 1997; Serreze et al., 2000; Braun et al., 2004), the rapid demise of northern Ellesmere Island ice shelves(Mueller et al., 2003; Copland et al., 2007; England et al, 2008), and unprecedented regime shifts in the88

biological communities of arctic lakes (Smol et al., 2005). Although the degree to which these recentchanges can be attributed to human activity is uncertain, the continued accumulation of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere over the next century is expected to produce considerable warming in the future (Solomon
et al., 2007).
Understanding the context of recent warming and accurately forecasting future temperaturechanges require long term records of climatic conditions from which the underlying causes of pasttemperature changes may be evaluated. Specifically, a large network of quantitative estimates of absolutetemperature values in the past are needed to determine the sensitivity of the climate system to different
forcing mechanisms, distinguish patterns of forced climate change from internal variability within the
climate system, and to validate the output of climate models. The varve-based temperature reconstruction
from Lower Murray Lake (as described in the previous chapter) was part of a collaborative initiative withthe stated goal of addressing this need for additional high-resolution, quantitative temperaturereconstructions from the Arctic, the ARCSS 2 kyr project, funded in 2005 by the Arctic System Sciences(ARCSS) Program of the US National Science Foundation. The objective of this chapter is therefore toevaluate advances and limitations in our ability to quantitatively reconstruct past temperature conditions in
the Canadian Arctic and adjacent Greenland in light of recent studies. Specifically, this chapter includes areview of potential quantitative indicators of past temperature conditions that are applicable to arctic
regions and in the process provides a brief summary of our current understanding of Holocene temperature
variability in the region. The records discussed in this chapter are derived from a variety of sources andlocations throughout the Canadian Arctic and Greenland as listed in Table 1 and illustrated in Figure 4.1.

Quantitative Indicators of Past Temperature

Ice cores
The ratio of 18O/16O isotopes in precipitation is largely dependent on the temperature at which it
forms (Dansgaard, 1964). As temperature decreases the isotopic composition of precipitation isincreasingly depleted of “heavy” isotopes of deuterium and 18O. As a result, the accumulation of
precipitation in the form of ice in polar ice caps provides an archive of past temperature conditions.

89Validation of the relationship between temperature and isotopic composition in Greenland Ice cores (Jouzel
et al., 1997) has allowed for the production of long-term, calibrated reconstructions of past temperature
conditions over Greenland (e.g. Figure 4.2; Cuffey and Clow, 1997; Alley, 2000; Johnsen et al., 2001;
Alley, 2004). In the Canadian Arctic, oxygen isotope records are available from ice cores through the
Devon Island ice cap (Figure 4.2; Patterson et al., 1977), the Agassiz ice cap on Ellesmere Island (Figure 2;
Koerner and Fisher, 1990), the Barnes (Hooke and Clausen, 1982) and Penny (Fisher et al, 1998) ice caps
on Baffin Island, and the Meighen Island ice cap (Koerner et al., 1973). In addition, the Hans Tausen ice
cap in northwest Greenland is relevant to the regional paleoclimate history (Figure 4.2; Clausen et al.,
2001; Hammer et al., 2001).
Holocene oxygen isotope records from ice cores in the Canadian Arctic, indicate a general patternof elevated δ18O values during the early Holocene, minimum values between ~1650 and 1900 AD, and a
20th century increase. This pattern indicates that the warmest conditions of the Holocene likely occurred 810 kyrs BP and the coldest as recently as 150 years BP. Koerner and Fisher (1990) estimate a cooling ofapproximately 2.5°C from 9.5 kyrs BP to the present based on the observed 4 ‰ decrease in δ18O in the
Agassiz ice core. This value is comparable with a ~2.0°C cooling suggested by the trend in melt percentage
of annual layers in the same core (Figure 2; Koerner and Fisher, 1990). In general, ice core records fromthe Canadian Arctic have provided considerable insight into past climatic and environmental conditions in
the region. However, interpretation of δ18O values in ice cores of the Canadian Arctic strictly in terms of
past temperature variability is non-trivial. A number of factors, other than temperature changes, can alterδ18O values. These include changes in the δ18O of source precipitation due to changes in atmosphericcirculation (Charles et al., 1994); changes in the seasonality of precipitation (Steig et al., 1994); partial
melting and or ablation of annual layers during warm intervals (Koerner et al., 1973); changes in thesurface elevation of the ice cap over time (Paterson et al., 1977); and the effects of wind scouring andredeposition of snow (Fisher et al., 1983). Consequently continuous, calibrated temperature records havenot been derived from ice cores in the Canadian Arctic.

90

Boreholes
Temperature conditions at Earth’s surface propagate slowly downward into ice sheets or rocks
beneath the surface and modify the subsurface thermal regime. Consequently, the present day subsurface
thermal profile provides evidence of temperature changes that have occurred at the surface in the past (e.g.
Dahl-Jensen et al., 1998; Pollack et al., 1998). An advantage of borehole temperatures reconstructions
relative to other proxy indicators, such as tree rings, ice cores, faunal assemblages, is that they rely on
direct measurements of temperature and thus do not require calibration against independent surface
temperature data (Mann et al., 2003). Majorowicz et al. (2004) evaluated temperature logs from 61
boreholes located between 60° and 82°N in northern Canada and produced a temperature reconstruction
spanning the past 500 years that indicates minimum temperatures occurred around 1800 AD and were
followed by a subsequent warming of approximately 2°C. Dahl-Jensen et al. 1998 produced a temperaturereconstruction spanning the past 100,000 years from boreholes through the Greenland ice sheet (Figure4.2). Reconstructed temperatures during the Holocene indicate maximum temperatures 4 to 8 kyrs BP thatare approximately 1.0 to 1.5°C warmer than present. Neoglacial cooling was interrupted by a significant(+1°C temperature increase lasting ~400 years) warm interval centered around 900 AD and another shorter
warm interval around 1700 AD. Minimum “Little Ice Age” temperatures occurred around 1850 AD andwere ~1.0 to 1.5°C cooler than present (Dahl-Jensen et al., 1998). These borehole records provide
important constraints on the magnitude and timing of past temperature changes and they are particularly
sensitive to long term trends. However, they are limited in their ability to detect temperature changes that
occur over short time periods and their temporal resolution is reduced further back in time (Pollack et al.,1998).

Changes in Ice Extent
Large scale changes in the spatial extent of glaciers, ice caps, and ice sheets offer an additional
indicator of climatic variability. In the Canadian Arctic a number of studies have addressed the impacts ofrecent warming on the behavior of terrestrial ice masses (e.g. Dowdeswell et al., 1997; Burgess and Sharp,
2004; Braun et al., 2004; Burgess et al., 2005; Mair et al., 2005; Shepherd et al., 2007). Determination of
the past configuration of ice masses can provide important information regarding corresponding climatic91

conditions. The maximum extent of Neoglacial ice in the Canadian Arctic (post 4.5 kyrs BP) is widely
regarded to have occurred during the Little Ice Age (LIA; ~AD 1250-1900; England, 1977; Blake, 1981;
Bradley, 1990; Grove, 2001; Miller et al., 2005). The culmination of the LIA is considered the coldest
interval of the Holocene (Bradley, 1990; Koerner and Fisher 1990) and as such provides an importantbenchmark against which recent warming can be evaluated. Wolken (2005) validated the interpretation oflichen free zones around ice caps as an indication of snow and ice expansion during the LIA. Use of remotesensing techniques (Wolken, 2006) allowed the large scale reconstruction of past ice extent andequilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) throughout the Queen Elizabeth Islands (Wolken et al., 2008a).
Comparison of modern (ca. 1960) ELAs with reconstructed LIA ELAs allowed Wolken et al. (2008b) todetermine regional-scale spatial variations in surface temperature trends between the LIA and 1960.
Resulting mean temperature change for the Queen Elizabeth Islands was +1.1°C, and ranged from <0.5°C
along northwestern Axel Heiberg and Ellesmere Islands and western Melville Island, to >2.9°C in localized
areas of Devon and Ellesmere Islands. Some degree of change in ELAs may be attributed to changes inprecipitation and changes in ice-extent provide only a snapshot of temperature conditions during a single
interval in the past. Nonetheless, the regional-scale spatial variations determined through this type ofanalysis provide important insight into synoptic scale patterns of atmospheric circulation and theirinfluence on climate variability.

Dendroclimatology
Dendroclimatology studies have produced extensive records of past climatic conditions,particularly near the northern treeline where tree growth is effectively limited by temperature (e.g. Briffa etal., 1994). North of the treeline however, the application of dendroclimatology is limited by the scarcity ofvegetation. Nonetheless, exploratory studies on Ellesmere Island have demonstrated the potential for
dendroclimatology studies in the Arctic. Woodcock and Bradley (1994) analyzed ring widths of the arctic
ground willow Salix arctica and although the time-series spanned only a few decades, the study
demonstrated the potential to extend the climate record into the past if suitable fossil wood could be found.
Rayback and Henry used retrospective analysis of the widespread evergreen dwarf-shrub, Cassiope
tetragona, to reconstruct average summer air temperatures for Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island from92

1895 through 1994. Their reconstruction accounted for 45% of the variance in the instrumental record andrevealed an increase in summer temperature from ~1905 to the early 1960s, a cooling trend from the mid1960 to the 1970s, and an increase in temperature after 1980. Although dendroclimatology studies in the
Canadian Arctic are unlikely to extend the record of past temperatures beyond the culmination of the LIA,an annual temperature record extending through the 20th century is double the length of the instrumental
record in most arctic locations and provides a valuable data set for calibration of other proxy records.

Lake sediments
Studies of lake sediments have a long history in paleo-environmental analysis (Cohen, 2003) andare particularly relevant in arctic regions because of the common and widespread occurrence of lakes inglaciated landscapes (Wolfe and Smith, 2004). Considerable progress has occurred in the development of
quantitative paleotemperature indicators based on biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of lake
sediments. Andrews et al. (1981) applied a transfer function to polled assemblages from 9 peat and lake
sediment sequences from northern Canada and Baffin Island and estimated an approximately 2 to 3°C
cooling in July temperatures between 6 kyrs BP and present (Figure 4.3). Kerwin et al. (2004)
reconstructed July temperatures from 7 lakes on Baffin Island, most of which showed maximum Holocene
warmth 4 to 6 kyrs BP which was ~1 to 2°C above modern (1951-1980) temperatures (Figure 4.3). Perosand Gajewksi (2008) used pollen assemblages to reconstruct July temperatures on western Victoria Island.
Their data indicate that July temperatures were approximately 4.0°C 10.2 kyrs BP, rose by approximately
2°C between ~8.7 and 9.7 kyrs BP and then gradually decreased to ~4.5°C during the Little Ice Age, before
warming almost 1.0°C during the last 100 years (Figure 4.3). These examples, as well as shorter duration
reconstructions (e.g. Peros and Gajewski, 2009; Figure 4.3), demonstrate the utility of pollen data forquantifying past temperature conditions. However, it should be noted that the limited supply of pollen toarctic lakes and the delayed response of terrestrial vegetation to climate fluctuations limits the ability ofpollen resolve short period climate variations.
Organisms with shorter lifecycles respond more rapidly to climate variations and thus
considerable effort has focused on reconstructing temperatures based on variations in the assemblages ofdiatoms and midges (chironomidae) preserved in lake sediments (Battarbee, 2000). Joynt and Wolfe (2001)

93

analyzed surface sediment samples from 61 lakes across Baffin Island to develop a model linking diatom
assemblage to surface water temperature. Applied to Fog Lake on eastern Baffin Island the model indicates~4.0°C range in summer water temperatures since 5 kyrs BP (Figure 4.4; Joynt and Wolfe, 2001).
Minimum temperatures occured ca. 1400 AD, followed by warm intervals centered around 1100 AD and
400 AD and then increased by ~2.0°C in the past 150 years (Joynt and Wolfe, 2001). Francis et al. (2006)
produced a midge-inferred summer temperature reconstruction extending into the previous interglacialfrom Fog and Brother of Fog Lakes on Baffin Island. The two records indicate that summer temperaturesduring the last interglacial were higher than at any time in the Holocene, and 5 to 10°C higher than present.
The warmest conditions in the Holocene occurred in the first half of the period and have decreased since
about the mid-Holocene. Additional midge studies from Baffin Island have provided further insight into
Holocene temperature variability. Chironomid-inferred July air temperatures from Lakes CF8 and CF3
record peak Holocene temperatures 8 to 10 kyrs BP that are 5°C higher than present (Figure 4.4; Briner etal., 2006; Axford et al., 2009). This early Holocene warm interval is interrupted by abrupt cold intervals (34°C temperature reduction) centered around 8.6 and 9.2 kyrs BP (Axford et al., 2009). Analyses of recent
chironomid trends in Lake CF8 indicate ~2.0°C increase in summer water temperatures over the past 100
years (Figure 4.4; Thomas et al., 2007). The success of the these studies and the widespread distribution of
midges throughout the Arctic, in addition to their ability to rapidly colonize water bodies, suggests thatchironomids may prove to be one of the more widely applicable temperature proxies in the Arctic.
As discussed previously in regards to ice cores, the δ18O of precipitation is highly correlated tomean annual air temperatures (Dansgaard, 1964). In suitable lakes with short residence times the δ18O oflake water is controlled by the δ18O of precipitation and influenced by the temperature at which theprecipitation forms. Consequently, sedimentary records of lakewater δ18O provide a means forreconstructing past temperatures. Lakewater δ18O in Arctic lakes has been inferred from the δ18O of
authigenic calcite (e.g. Anderson et al., 2001), aquatic cellulose (e.g. Wolfe et al., 2001), diatoms (e.g.
Schiff et al., 2009), and chironomids head capsules (e.g. Wooller et al., 2004). Preliminary work by
Wooller et al. (2004) demonstrated the potential for quantitative reconstructions of mean annual air
temperature from chironomid head capsules in two arctic lakes, but additional work is needed to produce a94

continuous paleotemperature record that spans the Holocene. Nonetheless, further pursuit of this proxy is
warranted.
In the marine environment, the UK 37 index of long-chain alkenones has proven a reliable indicatorof sea surface temperatures (Brassell et al., 1986; Prahl and Wakeman, 1987; Muller et al., 1998). Recent
work in Greenland lakes has illustrated the potential for the use of lacustrine alkenones as apaleotemperature proxy in arctic lakes (D’Andrea and Huang, 2005; D’Andrea 2009). D’Andrea (2009)
reconstructed surface water temperatures for the past 6000 years in two lakes in southwestern Greenland(Figure 4.4). The millennial scale trend and some centennial scale variability in D’Andrea’s (2009)alkenone record is consistent with temperature estimates from a Greenland ice core (Cuffey and Clow,
1997; Alley, 2000) and a qualitative record of past temperatures based on loss-on-ignition in anothernearby Greenland lake (Willemse and Tornqvist, 1999). Alkenone peleothermometry offers considerable
potential to provide further quantitative estimates of past temperatures around the Arctic and work iscurrently ongoing to explore alkenone variability in the cores collected from Lower Murray Lake as part ofthis study.
Due to their widespread occurrence and the potential for high temporal resolution, annuallylaminated (varved) lake sediments are increasingly being utilized as an important source of paleoclimatic
information in the High Arctic. Climate reconstructions from laminated lake sediments are based on therelationship between the characteristics of an individual lamination, such as thickness or grain size, andsome aspect of the weather during the corresponding year. Considerable effort has focused on correlating
varve characteristics with instrumental climate records (Hughen et al., 2000; Moore et al., 2001; Francus etal., 2002; Hambley and Lamoureux, 2006) and monitoring the meteorological and hydrological processes
controlling sediment transfer and deposition in arctic lakes (e.g. Hardy 1996; Hardy et al., 1996; Cockburnand Lamoureux 2007; 2008). Although these studies have highlighted the complexity of the climatesedimentation system, they have also illustrated that on a site-specific basis varve records may provide
quantitative estimates of past summer temperature variability (Lamoureux and Bradley, 1996; Hughen etal., 2000; Moore et al., 2001; Smith et al., 2004; Cook et al., 2009; Thomas and Briner, 2009). Because
varve records provide annual resolution they offer the potential to identify short period climate fluctuations
not recorded by other proxies and in particular, to determine the range of interval variability within the95

climate system. However, comparison of the available varve based temperature reconstructions (Figure 4.5)
illustrates a high degree of variability of among the individual records and it is difficult to identify
consistent patterns or trends in the records.

Limitations In our Current Understanding of Past Temperatures

Comparison of the available quantitative temperature reconstructions from the Canadian Arctic
illustrates considerable differences among both those records using similar proxy indicators and those
based on different proxies (Figures 4.2 through 4.5). However, some consistent patterns do emerge andthese patterns are considerably strengthened when combined with the more numerous qualitative records ofpast temperature variability in the arctic (cf. Bradley, 1990; Gajewski and Atkinson, 2003; Wolfe andSmith, 2004; Smol et al., 2005). Consistent features include: warm conditions in the early Holocene (and ingeneral the warmest conditions of the entire period), a period of Neoglacial cooling paralleling the decreasein summer insolation at high latitudes (Figure 4.2), several significant warm intervals within the past 2000
years, and minimum temperatures between 100 and 200 years BP that are followed by considerable
warming in the past century. However, the amplitude and timing of these events varies significantly among
the individual records. Estimates of the range of post LIA warming range from approximately 1 to 3°C.
Similarly, estimates of the Holocene cooling trend also range from approximately 1 to 3°C. Although it isseemingly impressive to be able to identify temperatures variations 10,000 years in the past that were on
the order of 1 to 3°C the discrepancies in the amplitude of past changes are in the order of the total
variability estimated over Holocene. On their own, such poor quantitative constraints on past temperatures
provide little guidance for efforts to model future temperature trends.
Past temperature changes should not be expected to be entirely consistent over an area as vast as
the Canadian Arctic and the wide spatial distribution of the available proxy temperature reconstructions(Figure 5.1) is likely responsible for some of the discrepancies among the records. This is especially true
for the Holocene period in the Canadian Arctic where the gradual retreat of the Innuitian ice sheet would
have had a significant effect on regional atmospheric circulation, ocean currents and sea ice as deglaciationand isostatic uplift influenced the surface albedo, topography, and bathymetry of the region. Consequently,

96the role of local landscape evolution, particularly during the early Holocene, may have impacted regional
climatic conditions on the same order as external forcing mechanism related to radiative forcing.
The instrumental climate record also provides considerable insight into possible spatial patterns oftemperature variability. Between 1966 and 1995 trends in mean annual temperature were positive in thenorthern and western sectors of the Canadian Arctic and negative in the southeastern region (Serreze et al.,2000). Satellite observations of regional temperature conditions on an annual basis indicate that positive
temperature anomalies can occur simultaneously with negative temperature anomalies in different regionsof the Canadian Arctic (Comiso, 2003). Correlation coefficients determined between instrumental
temperature records from the Canadian Arctic and western Greenland as well as a principle component
based index of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO; Hurrell et al., 2003) indicate two distinct regions oftemperature response to changes in synoptic scale circulation (Table 4.2). Correlation coefficients were
determined for mean summer (June-August) conditions because most of the proxy indicators discussed inthis chapter are sensitive only to summer temperature conditions. The results indicate a “seesaw” pattern inthe temperature conditions in the western portion of the Canadian Arctic relative to the northern andeasternmost regions. Specifically, the positive phase of the NAO translates into cooler conditions in thenorthern and eastern regions of the Canadian Arctic and warmer conditions in the southern and westernregions. The positive phase of the NAO is characterized and a strengthened Icelandic low which brings
cold polar air across the northern and eastern portion of the Canadian Arctic (Hurrell, et al., 2003).
Consequently, past changes in the dominant mode of atmospheric circulation are likely to have produced
significant regional differences in the pattern of temperature variability recorded in proxy records.
An important consideration when evaluating proxy temperature reconstructions is to understandthe nature of the proxy indicator’s response to climatic forcing. For example, variations of δ18O in ice coresreflect changes in temperature at the time the precipitation forms, with mean values of δ18O in annual snow
deposits reflecting mean annual temperatures (Jouzel et al., 1997). In contrast, changes in faunalassemblages of diatoms and chironomids reflect summer conditions (e.g. Francis et al., 2006), when theorganisms are actively growing and reproducing. Similarly, the temperature signal in varve records issensitive to conditions during the melt season when sediment is actually delivered to the lakes (Hardy,
1996; Hardy et al., 1996; Cook et al., 2009; Thomas et al., 2009). Given that recent surface temperature97

trends in the Arctic vary widely according to seasons (e.g. Serreze et al., 2000), past temperaturereconstructions based on proxy indicators sensitive to different seasons should not be expected to show
similar patterns in the amplitude or even the sign of the temperature change. In addition, orbital conditionsin the early Holocene produced greater seasonality than at present (Berger and Loutre, 1991), thus theamplitude of reconstructed temperature changes will differ according to the seasonal sensitivity of theindividual proxies.
Even individual proxies that are sensitive to conditions during the same season may responddifferently to similar temperature changes. Although melt percentages measured in ice cores are not aquantitative paleothermometer, they provide a useful example of the limitations of proxy temperature
indicators. The maximum scale of variance in melt percentage measurements ranges from 0 to 100%. If
temperatures remain below freezing for many years, no amount of annual temperature variability will berecorded by melt percentage measurements. Similarly, once temperatures are warm enough to melt 100%of the annual snow accumulation each year (resulting in net ablation) no additional temperature variability
will be recorded. The quantitative temperature proxies discussed in this chapter each have their own
analogous limitations. For example, the maximum response of annual sediment accumulation recorded invarves may be limited by sediment availability. If a watershed is starved for sediment, further melting andrunoff will deliver no additional sediment to the lake and the amplitude of the warmest intervals may beunderestimated by varve measurements. Additionally, little or no sediment may be delivered to the lakes
during cold years in which temperatures remain below fresezing. Proxies that are sensitive to watertemperature (e.g. diatoms and chironomids) may also be expected to have reduced sensitivity to cold
conditions. For example the minimum optimum water temperature for an individual midge taxon in thetransfer function developed by Francis et al. (2006) was 5.4°C, whereas, temperatures in many arctic
presently remain below 4°C throughout the year. Thus, past climatic conditions significantly colder thanmodern conditions are potentially beyond the range of available transfer functions.
The Holocene period in the Canadian arctic is marked not only by significant climate variability,
but also by profound landscape changes as the Innuitian ice sheet retreated in response to climaticconditions. The lakes and biological communities targeted as indicators of past temperature variability
evolved following their emergence from beneath the Innuitian ice sheet. The sensitivity and response of98

these systems to climatic changes during the early stages of their evolution likely differs from their
response as more mature systems. For example, lakes on the Hazen Plateau of north-central Ellesmere
Island were deglaciated ca. 8.5 kyrs BP, but diatom populations did not become established until ca. 5.5 kyr
BP (Smith, 2002). Thus, these lakes show no paleolimnological response to warm early Holocene
conditions as recorded elsewhere in the region.
A considerable portion of the temporal differences in the pattern of past temperature changes indifferent records, and especially the time transgressive nature of the Holocene thermal maximum observedin the early part of most records (Kaufman et al., 2004), is likely a result of the gradual evolution of thearctic landscape in response to deglaciation. Nonetheless, it is important to consider chronologicaluncertainties inherent in paleoclimate reconstructions. The Agassiz ice core record has now been
synchronized to the Greenland GICC05 timescale linking it to the NGRIP, GRIP, GISP2, DYE-3 andRenland chronologies (Vinther et al., 2008). Thus, regional climatic differences recorded in the Agassiz
and Greenland ice cores can be readily identified. In contrast, each of the paleolimnological records
described in this chapter relies on an individual chronology with inherent uncertainties in its absolute age.
Dating of arctic lake sediments using traditional methods is often problematic. In many arctic
watersheds, terrestrial organic matter apparently resides on land for long periods of time before beingtransported into lakes, producing anomalously old radiocarbon dates from organic material recovered fromlake sediments (Abbott and Stafford, 1996; Zolitschka, 1996; Wolfe et al., 2004; Oswald et al., 2005;
Besonen et al., 2008). In additional the low productivity within arctic lakes and in the surrounding
landscape often limits the availability of suitable organic material for successful radiocarbon dating (e.g.
Lamoureux and Bradley, 1996; Cook et al., 2009). Consequently, large inferences are often required toestimate the age of sedimentary deposits between known age horizons, leading to difficulties in thecorrelation of regionally significant climate events between individual records (cf. Axford et al., 2009).
Low productivity in arctic lakes results in very low accumulation rates in non-glaciated lakes(Wolfe and Smith, 2004), the most important consequence of which is low temporal resolution of
paleolimnological reconstructions due to the sample sizes necessary for analyzing fossil pollen,
chrionomids and diatoms, or conducting analyses requiring significant pretreatment (e.g. isotopes in diatom
extracts). Bioturbation of lake sediments further limits the resolution of paleolimnological reconstructions

99and mutes the response to short period events (Cohen, 2003). Although varved sediments offer the potential
for extremely precise age control, varve chronologies are often difficult to verify because lakes conducive
to varve accumulation are often limited in organic matter deposition (e.g. Lamoureux and Bradley, 1996;
Lewis et al., 2008; Cook et al., 2009). Recent efforts using paleomagnetic secular variations to correlate
between individual varve chronologies shows considerable promise (Besonen et al., 2008; Cook et al.,2009) and as more independently dated records become available it should be possible to create a regional
paleomagnetic data set that can be used to date new records. The high precision provided by varve records
means that small errors in chronology will have a significant impact on the correlation of climatic events
between individual records. This factor alone could be responsible for the apparent out of phase behavior
among some of the varve records shown in Figure 4.5. Because it is possible to retrieve more accurate
regional climate signals by stacking cross-dated records (e.g. Vinther et al., 2008), a similar approach may
be appropriate for varve records from the Canadian Arctic. However, additional records are needed before
this approach could be implemented.

Summary and Conclusions

Exciting developments in paleoclimatic studies in the Canadian Arctic have produced quantitative
estimates of past temperature conditions throughout the Holocene period. However, significant
discrepancies exist between the available records in terms of both the timing and amplitude of past climaticfluctuations. The limited number of paleotemperature records from the Canadian Arctic is currently
inadequate to address these discrepancies and identify spatial patterns of past temperature conditions.
Because individual proxies have differing sensitivity to past climatic conditions, paleotemperaturereconstructions should rely on multiple proxies to better capture the full range of climatic variability. Twoclear objectives emerge from this review of current paleotemperature records from the Canadian Arctic: (1)Additional spatial coverage is needed in the distribution of proxy reconstructions. Because lakes are widelydistributed throughout the region, paleolimnological studies likely provide the best opportunity forincreased spatial coverage. (2) Replication of temperature reconstructions is necessary within a given
region. This includes the production of additional records using the same proxies at different sites and new100

records which combine multiple proxies. These records should provide better insight into the full range oftemperature variability, including both long-term trends and short period variations, allowing the amplitudeof past changes to be better constrained. It is important to point out that many of the quantitative proxies
discussed in this chapter are being applied to the Arctic for the first time. As techniques are refined andadditional study sites are located, more consistent patterns are likely to emerge and our ability to truly
quantify past temperature changes will improve. In addition, this discussion has focused only on
quantitative indicators of past temperatures while neglecting numerous qualitative paleoenvironmental
indicators that are vital to our current understanding of Holocene climatic conditions in the Canadian
Arctic. Thus future efforts to quantify past climatic conditions should continue to incorporate qualitative
paleoenvironmental information.
It is somewhat ironic that where the impacts of future climate change are expected to be most
severe (Solomon et al., 2007) we have such a limited perspective on past climatic variability. This is partly
due to the inaccessibility of the region and also due to climatic and environmental constraints on theavailability of many proxy indicators of climate change used elsewhere. Recent studies have demonstrated
considerable potential for refining our understanding of past climatic conditions and quantifying theamplitude of past changes. However, continued effort is needed to utilize these new information sources
through the concentrated development of additional paleoclimate reconstructions.

101

Table 4.1 List of study locations discussed in text and shown on map in Figure 1. Site numbers listed inbold have established quantitative paleotemperature records that have been reproduced in Figures 4.2
through 4.5.
Site #

Site Name

Proxy Type

References

1

GISP2

δ18O (temp calibrated)

Cuffey & Clow, 1997; Alley, 2000; 2004

2

GRIP

borehole temp

Dahl-Jensen et al., 1998

3

Dye-3

borehole temp

Dahl-Jensen et al., 1998

4

Hans Tausen ice cap

δ O

Clausen et al., 2001; Hammer et al., 2001

5

Agassiz ice cap

δ18O, melt percentage

Koerner & Fisher, 1990; Vinther et al.,2008

6

Meighen Island ice cap

δ18O

Koerner et al., 1973

7

Devon Island ice cap

18

δ O

Patterson et al., 1977

8

Barnes ice cap

δ18O

Hooke and Clausen, 1982

9

Penny ice cap

δ O

Fisher et al, 199810

Lake C2

varve

Lamoureux & Bradley, 1990

11

Lower Murray Lake

varve

Cook et al., 200912

Lake Tuborg

varve

Lewis et al., 2008

13

Big Round Lake

varve

Thomas & Briner, 200914

Donard Lake

varve

Moore et al., 2001

15

Lake KR02

pollenPeros & Gajewski, 200816

Lake MB01

pollenPeros & Gajewski, 200917

Lake SLO6

pollenPeros & Gajewski, 200918

Hikwa LakepollenKerwin et al., 200419

Lake Jake

pollenKerwin et al., 2004

20

Iglutalik LakepollenKerwin et al., 2004

21

Patricia LakepollenKerwin et al., 200422

Lake CF3

chironomid

Axford et al., 200923

Lake CF8

chironomid

Briner et al., 2006; Thomas et al., 200824

Dyer LakepollenKerwin et al., 2006

25

Fog Lakepollen, diatoms

Joynt & Wolfe, 2001; Kerwin et al., 2004

26

Kangerlussuaq

alkenones

D’Andrea, 200927

Hazen Plateau Lakes

diatoms

Smith, 2002

18

18

102

Table 4.2 Correlation coefficients determined between June-August temperatures at various stations
around the Canadian Arctic and western Greenland and a principle component based June-July-August
NAO index. Correlation coefficients were determined on 5-year running means of annual June-August
values. Canadian station data is from Environment Canada National Climate Data and Information Archive(www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca). Greenland temperature records are from Vinther et al. (2005). NAO
Index Data provided by the Climate Analysis Section, NCAR, Boulder, USA, Hurrell (1995).
Qaqortoq

Nuuk

Ilulissat

Alert

Baker
Lake

Camb.
Bay

Clyde
River

Coral
HarborEurekaIqualuit Resolute

Nuuk

0.78

Ilulissat

0.75

0.81

Alert

0.47

0.31

0.54

0.03

-0.16

-0.24

-0.30

0.20

-0.11

0.01

0.09

0.83

0.61

0.39

0.56

0.50

0.46

0.75

0.31

0.03

0.10

-0.03

0.88

0.83

0.69

Eureka

0.67

0.49

0.77

0.67

0.05

0.44

0.79

0.33

Iqualuit

0.46

0.33

0.40

0.56

0.18

0.28

0.63

0.60

0.43

Resolute

0.43

0.44

0.66

0.54

-0.05

0.30

0.60

0.20

0.73

0.32

NAO
Index

-0.65

-0.80

-0.78

-0.50

0.43

0.25

-0.27

0.21

-0.51

-0.16

Baker
Lake
Cambridge
Bay
Clyde
River
Coral
Harbor103-0.61

Figure 4.1 Regional map of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland depicting study locations discussed in the
text: (1) GISP2, (2) GRIP, (3) Dye-3, (4) Hans Tausen ice cap, (5) Agassiz ice cap, (6) Meighen Island ice
cap, (7) Devon Island ice cap, (8) Barnes ice cap, (9) Penny ice cap, (10) Lake C2, (11) Lower Murray
Lake, (12) Lake Tuborg, (13) Big Round Lake, (14) Donard Lake, (15) Lake KR02, (16) Lake MB01, (17)Lake SLO6, (18) Hikwa Lake, (19) Lake Jake, (20) Iglutalik Lake, (21) Patricia Bay Lake, (22) Lake CF3,(23) Lake CF8, (24) Dyer Lake, (25) Fog Lake, (26) Kangerlussuaq, (27) Hazen Plateau Lakes.

104

Figure 4.2 Proxy paleotemperature records from ice cores in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland. Shownfrom top to bottom are Agassiz ice cap δ18O (Fisher and Koerner, 1990); Devon Island ice cap δ18O
(Patterson et al., 1977); Hans Tausen ice cap δ18O (Claus et al., 2001; Hammer et al., 2001); Greenland
borehole temperatures from GRIP and Dye-3 (Dahl Jensen et al., 1998); GISP2 temperature reconstruction(Cuffey and Clew, 1997; Alley, 2001; 2004) Also shown are July insolation anomalies relative to 1950
values (Berger and Loutre, 1991); Agassiz ice cap percent melt (Koerner and Fisher; 1990). The main
Holocene trend in temperatures largerly parallels the gradual decrease in summer through the Holocene.

105Figure 4.3 Pollen based paleotemperature reconstructions from the Canadian Arctic. Shown from top tobottom are smoothed composite July temperature anomalies from Baffin Island lakes (Kerwin et al., 2004;
plots reflect the thick black lines in their Figure 5); composite northern Canada temperature anomalies(Andrews, 1991); mean July temperatures from Lake KR02, Victoria Island (Peros and Gajewski, 2009);
and mean July temperatures from Lake SL06, Boothia Penninsula and Lake MB01, Victoria Island (Perosand Gajewski, 2008). Note that temperatures in the top two panels are plotted according to 14C years before
2000, whereas the bottom two records are plotted according to calendar years before 2000.

106

Figure 4.4 Assorted paleotemperature reconstructions from the Canadian Arctic and southwestern
Greenland. Shown from top to bottom are diatom-inferred summer water temperatures from Fog Lake,
Baffin Island (Joynt and Wolfe, 2001); chironomid-inferred July air temperatures from Lake CF8, Baffin
Island (Axford et al., 2009); chironomid-inferred July air temperature (early and mid Holocene) and watertemperature (late Holocene) from lake CF3, Baffin Island (Briner et al., 2006; Thomas et al., 2008); andAlkenone based summer water temperature from two lakes near Kangerlussuaq, southwest Greenland(D’Andrea, 2009).

107

Figure 4.5 Varve records from the Canadian Arctic considered to reflect past temperature variability.
Annual data have been smoothed with a 25 year running mean filter to highlight decadal scale variability.
Varves characteristics in Lower Murray Lake (Cook et al., 2009), Big Round Lake (Thomas and Briner,2009), and Donard Lake (Moore et al., 2001) have all been correlated to summer temperatures. Lake C2(Lamoureux and Bradley, 1996) and Lake Tuborg (Lewis et al., 2008) varve characteristics have not beencalibrated to temperature values, but are considered sensitive to past temperature variability.

108

CHAPTER 5

PAST AND FUTURE CHANGES IN THE ICE COVER OF HIGH-ARCTIC LAKES:EVIDENCE FROM UPPER & LOWER MURRAY LAKES, ELLESMERE ISLAND, CANADA

Abstract

Space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data provide a record of the rate and timing of annual ice melt
on high-latitude lakes. Here, we use SAR data for Upper and Lower Murray Lakes (81°20’N, 69°30’W) in
the Canadian High Arctic to demonstrate its utility in assessing changes that have taken place over the last
decade, and use these observations to assess likely effects of rising temperatures on lake-ice conditions in
the future. Under current climatic conditions the Murray Lakes average several weeks of ice-free conditions
in August and early September, although in some years a partial ice cover persists throughout the year. The
relationship between summer temperature and ice melt at Upper and Lower Murray Lakes suggests thatrecent warming in the High Arctic has forced the lakes across a threshold from a state of perennial ice
cover to seasonal melting. Projected future warming will significantly increase the duration of ice freeconditions on Upper and Lower Murray Lakes. Ice-out is predicted to occur between 6 and 28 days earlier
for every 1°C of warming.

109

Introduction

The duration of ice cover on lakes is of fundamental importance to physical, chemical, andbiological processes in lake systems. Specifically, ice cover limits the exchange of water, nutrients, gases,
and light and heat energy between a lake and its surroundings (Adams, 1981). In high-arctic lakes, changes
in ice cover are believed to be a dominant factor controlling shifting biological communities (Smol, 1983;
Smol, 1988; Douglas and Smol, 1999), and a number of studies have attributed recent changes in thesedimentary records of high-arctic lakes to changing ice conditions (e.g. Perren et al., 2003; Besonen et al.,2008; Tomkins et al., 2009). On a larger scale, changes in lake-ice duration influence the regionalhydrologic-cycle and can affect the regional surface energy balance (Jeffries et al., 1999).
The timing of lake ice formation and break-up are highly sensitive to climatic conditions, with thedominant factor being surface air temperature (Palecki and Barry, 1986; Vavrus et al., 1996; Weyhenmeyer
et al., 2004). As a result, records of lake-ice phenology have proven to be a useful indicator of climaticchanges (e.g. Assel and Robertson, 1995; Magnuson et al., 2000). In the Arctic, where instrumental climate
data are limited, remote sensing of lake-ice conditions can provide valuable insight into climatic conditions
and how lake systems respond to climate change. Observational and proxy climate records indicate thatrecent temperatures in the Canadian High Arctic are the warmest of the last century (e.g. Kalnay et al.,
1996; Rayback and Henry, 2006) and likely the warmest of the past several hundred years (e.g. Overpeck etal., 1997; Cook et al., 2008). Projections of future temperature change in the High Arctic indicate thepotential for continued warming in excess of 5°C by the end of the 21st century (Christensen et al., 2007).
Recent climate warming is likely to have produced significant changes in Arctic lake-ice
conditions, with even greater changes in lake- ice conditions expected due to future warming. Yet, despite
the importance of ice cover to lacustrine environments, our understanding of lake-ice conditions in theHigh Arctic has been limited by a lack of regular observations. Notable exceptions to this are studies by
Heron and Woo (1994), Adams et al. (1989), and Doran et al. (1996). Consequently, this study aimed to
improve our understanding of the sensitivity of lake ice cover to both past and future changes in climaticconditions by using remote sensing data to evaluate recent changes in the ice cover of Upper and Lower
Murray Lakes in the Canadian High Arctic.

110

Study Area

Upper and Lower Murray Lakes are long, narrow fjord-like lakes on northeastern Ellesmere Island,
Nunavut, Canada (81°20’N, 69°30’W, Figure 5.1; Figure 5.2). Upper Murray Lake (UML) has a surface
area of ~7.6 km2 and a maximum depth of 83 m. Lower Murray Lake (LML) has a surface area of ~5 km2
and a maximum depth of 46 m. The two lakes occupy a narrow, glacially carved valley with a maximum
relief of approximately 1000 m. The Murray Lakes valley trends north-south along the length of the lower
lake and northwest-southeast along the length of the upper lake. The surrounding land rises most steeply
along the western shore of the lower lake where the slope rises >700 m over a distance ~1 km providing a
local horizon ~35° above horizontal. Consequently, significant shading of Lower Murray Lake occurs in
the afternoon and early evening when the sun is in the west (Figure 5.2). In other directions and aroundmost of the upper lake, the local horizon is generally less than 20° and shading is much less of a factor.
Climatically, the region is a polar desert with a mean annual temperature around -19°C, and mean annual
precipitation (mostly in the form of snow) < 150 mm water equivalent (Maxwell 1981). Temperatures
above freezing occur only from early June through late August. Maximum daily temperatures during thesummer typically range between 0 and 10°C and occasionally reach as high as 20°C. The combination of along, cold winter and a brief summer melt season currently leads to the development of a thick ice coverand limited ice-free conditions. Ice thickness at the start of the melt season in early June 2005 ranged from
~1.5 to 2.2 m.

Data and Methods

Changes in lake-ice coverage were analyzed using space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
data from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) RADARSAT-1 satellite. The combination of an orbitalgeometry and beam positions that provide a 1-2 day revisit cycle at high northern latitudes and the ability toreturn data regardless of sun or cloud conditions make the RADARSAT-1 satellite particularly well suited
to monitoring changes in the ice cover of arctic lakes. Archived SAR data for the period 1997 through 2007
were provided by the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF). A total of 115 images, including RADARSAT-1 fine111

and standard beam and ScanSAR Wide B images (8, 25, and 100 m resolution, respectively) provided
approximately weekly coverage of ice conditions during the melt season of each year in the record.
The difference in the amplitude of the SAR backscatter signal produced by open water anddecaying lake ice allows the two features to be distinguished in SAR imagery (Figure 5.3). Calm, open
water has a low backscatter signal due to a lack of internal reflectors and produces a dark, textureless tonein the SAR imagery. In contrast, decaying ice has a higher backscatter signal and produces a gray, textured
tone in the SAR imagery. For example, the increase in the area of the dark, textureless region in thesequence of SAR image sub-scenes in Figure 5.3 reflects the increase in the area of open water on Upperand Lower Murray Lakes during the year 2000 melt season.
The rate and timing of ice decay was quantified by measuring changes in the area of ice coverrecorded in the sequence of SAR images from each melt season. SAR byte-scaled amplitude images were
geocoded to an Albers equal area projection and then analyzed using image analysis software. A polygon orseries of polygons outlining regions of open water in each image were digitized and then the area of thepolygons relative to the total surface area of the lake was used to calculate the percentage of ice coverremaining. The end of ice break-up, or simply ice-out as used herein, was defined as the time when the lake
was 100 % ice free. The ice-out date was estimated by interpolating between the date of the last SAR
image depicting partial ice cover and the date of the first ice-free SAR image based on the trend in the rateof ice cover reduction observed in the preceding images. Because of the low backscatter contrast between
open water and newly formed ice, the precise timing of lake freeze-up proved more difficult to identify in
the SAR imagery. Consequently, ice formation is not discussed further. However, temperatures at the
Murray Lakes typically fall below freezing by the end of August and it can be assumed that ice growth isinitiated shortly thereafter.
Instrumental climate data were obtained from two permanent weather stations operated byEnvironment Canada that are located at Alert and Eureka, Nunavut (Figure 5.1). In addition, reanalysis data
were obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction / National Center for AtmosphericResearch (NCEP/NCAR; Kalnay et al., 1996). These data provide a daily mean surface air temperature
value for a 2.5 x 2.5 degree grid box based on the blending of a combination of a global numerical weather
prediction model and observational data. Upper and Lower Murray Lake fall within the grid box centered112

on 82.5°N 70°W, but are very near the southern boundary of this box (Figure 5.1). Consequently reanalysis
data from the adjacent grid box centered at 80°N 70°W was also acquired. Fourteen months (June 10, 2005
through August 4, 2006) of surface air temperature measurements were recorded at the Murray Lakes fieldsite with an Onset Computer Corporation HOBO Pro Temp H08-030-08 temperature logger. According to
the manufacturer, the stated accuracy of the logger is better than ± 0.5°C for temperatures between 0° and
40°C and between 0° and -40°C accuracy decreases to approximately ±1.25°C. No additional verificationof the accuracy of the temperature loggers was conducted. The temperature logger was placed in a solar
radiation shield 2 m above the ground surface and sited on the isthmus between Upper and Lower Murray
Lakes at 81.35492°N 69.53679°W. This site was approximately 50 m north of the Lower Murray Lake
shoreline. Temperature was recorded at 1 hour intervals from which mean daily temperatures were
calculated.
The local observational data were used to evaluate the reliability of the various long-term
temperature records in terms of their ability to accurately reflect daily temperatures at the field site.
Specifically, we compared the Murray Lake observational data with mean daily temperature records from
Alert, Eureka, and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data from grid boxes centered on 82.5°N 70°W and 80°N
70°W. Prior to comparison, low frequency (seasonal) variability was removed from each record by
producing a spline curve that fit the individual record and then calculating residual daily temperatures
relative to the spline value (Figure 5.4). Correlation coefficients were then calculated between each of theregional records and the Murray Lake record using the residual temperature values. Results of thecorrelation analyses indicate that daily temperatures at Murray Lake are most accurately predicted by the
NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data from the grid box centered at 82.5°N 70°W (R = 0.770; Table 1). However,comparison of the reanalysis data and the Murray Lake data indicates that the reanalysis data systematicallyunderestimates local Murray Lake temperatures during the months of May through September (Figure 5.5).
This discrepancy may be a consequence of the location of the grid box relative to the Murray Lakes and thelarge geographic and topographic variability within the grid box which includes much of the upland,
glaciated interior of northern Ellesmere Island as well as several hundred square kilometers of the Arctic
Ocean. In order to account for the temperature difference during the months of May through September, a113linear regression was calculated between the reanalysis and Murray Lake records using only the data fromthose months (Figure 4). The equation of the regression line,

Murray Lake Temp = 3.146 + (0.958 × Reanalysis Temp) (R = 0.922)

was then used to adjust the daily reanalysis temperature data from the months of May through September ineach year of the record (Figure 5.5). All further use and discussion of the reanalysis temperature data refers
to the adjusted record. Cumulative melting degree days (CMDD) were calculated on an annual basis bycalculating a running total of daily reanalysis temperatures for each day where the mean temperature wasabove 0°C.

Results and Discussion

Annual ice break-up
Observations of ice coverage on Upper and Lower Murray Lake during the period 1997 through2007 show a wide range of variability in both the rate and timing of ice break-up (Figure 5.6). Ice melt
likely begins in early June when temperatures start to exceed 0°C, however a decrease in total ice surface
area was not discernable in the SAR imagery until early July. Ice-out dates typically ranged from earlyAugust through early September with the mean date of ice-out August 16 on Upper Murray Lake andAugust 24 on Lower Murray Lake. However, ~50 to 75 % of the ice cover on Upper Murray Lakeremained throughout the 1999 and 2004 melt seasons and ~30 to 80 % of the ice cover remained on Lower
Murray Lake throughout the 1997, 1999, and 2004 melt seasons.
Air temperature during the preceding days, weeks, or months is generally considered the dominant
climatic variable affecting the timing of ice breakup (Palecki and Barry, 1986; Vavrus et al., 1996;
Weyhenmeyer et al., 2004). The timing and length of the interval over which air temperatures influence ice
break-up is highly dependent on the region of interest (Palecki and Barry, 1986). The dominant time period
controlling ice break-up at Upper and Lower Murray Lakes was evaluated by calculating Pearson productmoment correlations between the Julian dates of ice-out and mean air temperatures over a variety of time114

periods (Table 2). The highest correlation was associated with mean temperatures from June through July
(R = -0.786 for UML and R = -0.791 for LML), although June temperatures on their own produce nearly as
strong a correlation. The negative coefficient indicates that higher mean temperatures in June and Julycorrespond to earlier ice break-up. The two month interval over which air temperatures strongly influence
ice break-up reflects the length of time required to melt the thick ice-cover of Upper and Lower Murraylakes.
In general, the timing of ice out on Upper and Lower Murray lakes closely tracks mean June andJuly temperatures (Figure 5.7). Early (late) ice-out dates coincide with higher (lower) June and July
temperatures. However, deviations from this pattern and uncertainty in the relationship between air
temperatures and ice decay stem from two sources. The first source of uncertainty stems from variations inlocal temperature conditions relative to the reanalysis temperature record used in this study. Another sourceof uncertainty stems from the complexity of the processes influencing ice formation, growth, and decay
throughout a given year. The melting of ice occurs at a rate controlled by the energy balance of the ice
sheet (e.g. Ashton, 1983; Heron and Woo, 1994; Liston and Hall, 1995; Duguay et al., 2003) with the rateof ice break-up further influenced by dynamic processes related to wind and water currents (Ashton 1980).
If the rate of melting and ice break-up remain constant, the timing of ice out will vary according to ice
thickness at the start of the melt season which in turn varies in response to winter temperature and snow
conditions.
Snow accumulation interacts with the underlying ice sheet in a complex, nonlinear manner which
can both increase the overall ice thickness and/or slow its growth and decay (Vavrus et al., 1996).
Specifically, the accumulation of snow can lead to the formation of superimposed snow-ice when the ice
sheet gets depressed below the hydrostatic water level and the snow cover becomes water saturated andthen freezes (Adams and Roulet, 1980, Duguay et al., 2003). On the other hand, snow cover insulates theunderlying ice sheet, limiting conductive heat loss from the lake to the atmosphere in autumn and reducing
warming in spring. As a result, lakes with a thicker snow cover will tend to have thinner ice and an earlier
break-up date relative to similar lakes that have less snow cover (Vincent et al., 2008). Field observations
by the authors of completely clear ice (ie. lacking a layer of superimposed snow-ice) on the Murray Lakes
in 2005 and other Ellesmere Island lakes including Lake Tuborg, South Sawtooth Lake, and Lakes C1, C2

115

and C3 suggests that the formation of snow-ice is not a significant process on these large, high arctic lakes,
although further observations are required to confirm this. Limited snow-ice formation may reflect low
winter snow accumulation, which is typically less than 150 mm weq, relative to the thick (~2 m) ice coveron these lakes. Variations in snow accumulation during the study period are not known, limiting our ability
to fully evaluate the role of snow accumulation on the timing of ice break-up.
Physical processes related to wind and water currents play a significant role in delaying the onsetof ice formation during autumn and enhancing ice break-up during spring, with the influence of wind
generally being more pronounced on lakes with a larger surface area (Ashton 1980). Comparison of SAR
images corresponding to the initial break-up period on the Murray Lakes highlights the role of dynamic
processes in ice break-up. Observations of the initial break-up of ice cover in mid to late July of each year
for which data are available reveal a consistent pattern of ice break-up, with open water initially forming in
the center of Upper Murray Lake and in the south end of Lower Murray Lake (Figure 5.8). These regions
correspond to the locations of the inlets of the main tributaries draining into each of the lakes, and likely
reflect the influence of warmer inflowing water and/or the physical break-up of the ice sheet by water
currents. Consequently, some of the variability in the timing of ice break-up in the Murray Lakes likely
results from non temperature-related, mechanical processes.
An interesting feature of the Murray Lakes ice decay record is the consistent delay in the timing of
ice out on Lower Murray Lake relative to Upper Murray Lake. On average Lower Murray Lake ice out
occurs ~8 days after ice out on Upper Murray Lake. Because the two lakes are essentially responding to thesame climatic forcings, other factors must be responsible for the difference in the timing of ice out. Allother factors being similar, ice out on deeper lakes typically occurs later as some of the energy that would
go to melting ice is lost to the heating of the underlying water column (Vincent et al., 2008). However,Upper Murray Lake is considerably deeper than Lower Murray Lake (83 m versus 46 m maximum depth),
so lake depth cannot be the controlling factor. Instead, it seems likely that the significant afternoon shading
which occurs on Lower Murray Lake (cf. Figure 5.2) reduces surface air temperatures over the lake andlimits the absorption of solar radiation, which in turn reduces the rate of ice decay. Astronomical tables canbe used to determine the angle of the sun above the horizon at different times of day at the Murray Lakes
field site (Figure 5.9; http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/AltAz.php; last accessed December 31, 2008). As

116

the local horizon to the west of Lower Murray Lake is ~35° above horizontal, the sun would be below the
local horizon for much of the afternoon and evening, whereas the much lower local horizon around theupper lake indicates that shading is much less of a factor on Upper Murray Lake. Differences in the surface
area of the two lakes may play an additional role as the larger surface of the upper lake provides a larger
fetch and increases the potential for physical breakdown of ice by wind and wave action. Consequently, thecombination of reduced sunlight and limited wind action likely delays the rate of ice break-up on Lower
Murray Lake. Furthermore, it is possible that differences in ice growth on the two lakes, which is also
influenced by lake volume, surface area, and shading, leads to different initial ice conditions at the onset of
the ice melt in the spring. Consequently, the combination of these factors adds additional uncertainty to therelationship between air temperature and ice decay.
The current pattern of ice cover on Upper and Lower Murray lakes, characterized by a very brief
period of open water and the occasional occurrence of ice cover throughout the year, suggests that the
Murray Lakes are presently in a marginal climatic setting where slightly colder climatic conditions could
lead to the establishment of a perennial ice cover. Perennial (multiyear) ice covers have been observed atseveral other locations in the High Arctic and also in parts of Antarctica. In particular, Lakes A, B, C1, C2,
and C3 along the northern coast of Ellesmere Island have typically maintained year round ice covers in thepast (Belzile et al., 2001; Lenormand et al., 2002; Jeffries et al., 2005), and Colour Lake on Axel Heiberg
Island has occasionally maintained an ice cover through the summer, although not in consecutive years(Adams et al., 1989; Doran et al., 1996). Doran et al., (1996) suggested that an ice cover that lasted throughthe summer at Colour Lake effectively trapped water that had been warmed during that summer and led toelevated water temperatures the following spring, limiting the tendency of a multiyear ice cover to persist.
This interpretation is consistent with observations at Upper Murray Lake which show early ice-out dates in2000 and 2005, the two years following residual ice years. Ice out in 2000 (on August 4) was the earliest
observed in the record and occurred during a year characterized by abnormally low ice-cover on othernorthern Ellesmere Island lakes (Jeffries et al., 2005), suggesting that changes in the ice cover on the
Murray Lakes are consistent with regional conditions.

117

Past ice conditions
Observational and proxy climate records indicate that recent temperatures in the Canadian High
Arctic are the warmest of the last century (e.g. Kalnay et al., 1996; Rayback and Henry, 2006; Figure 9)
and likely the warmest of the past several hundred years (e.g. Overpeck et al., 1997; Cook et al., 2008). The
impact of recent warming on the ice cover of the Murray Lakes was evaluated based on the relationshipbetween the area of ice cover remaining and the cumulative melting degree days (CMDD) at that time
(Figure 5.11). Figure 5.11 includes all of the ice cover data points from Figure 5.6 plotted as a function of
CMDD instead of time. As melting degree days accumulate there is a clear decreasing trend in the area of
ice cover remaining. During the period 1997-2007 a minimum of 286 and a mean of 325 CMDD wererequired to reach complete ice out on Upper Murray Lake and a minimum of 294 and a mean of 353
CMDD were required to reach complete ice out on Lower Murray Lake (Table 3).
Cummulative melting degree days provide a reasonable approximation of the energy available formelt processes (Billelo, 1980). As ice decay evolves and ice becomes weakened and is able to move about
the lake surface, dynamic processes become increasingly important to ice break-up (Michel et al., 1986).
Thus, the increase in the size of the envelope of ice-cover values as CMDDs increase likely reflects theincreasing importance of dynamic processes to ice-breakup as well as variations in initial ice conditions
resulting from differences in winter ice growth. Nonetheless the trend of the ice cover-CMDD relationshipcan be used to evaluate the influence of changing climatic conditions on ice decay and the envelope ofvalues provides an indication of the range of internal variability within the system.
A mean cumulative melting degree day curve was determined from mean daily temperaturesduring the period 1997-2007 (Figure 5.11). Also determined were CMDD curves calculated based on
0.5°C, 1.0°C, and 1.5°C reductions in mean daily temperatures, which result in 295, 257, and 221 total
CMDD, respectively (Figure 5.11). The total CMDD based on mean 1997-2007 temperatures (336 CMDD)
is only slightly above the mean number of CMDD needed to reach ice out on Upper Murray Lake (325
CMDD) and below the mean number of CMDD needed to reach ice out on Lower Murray Lake (353
CMDD) during the observation period. Consequently a temperature reduction of less than 1.0°C, relative tothe 1997-2007 mean, would produce a CMDD total well below the minimum value required for ice out oneither Upper or Lower Murray Lakes during the period of record.

118

These results suggest that only a minor change in mean temperature is required to shift the Murray
Lakes system between states characterized by 100% open water conditions or significant residual ice coverat the end of the melt season. Furthermore, comparison with 20th century observations of summer
temperature changes (Figure 5.10) suggests that recent warming in excess of 1.0°C may have forced Upper
Murray Lake across a threshold leading away from a state of perennial ice cover. A similar transition has
been observed at other lakes along the north coast of Ellesmere Island (Lakes A, B, C1, C2, and C3) whichhave traditionally been covered by a perennial ice cover (Belzile et al., 2001; Lenormand et al., 2002;
Jeffries et al., 2005), but have recently been experiencing ice free conditions during the summer (D.
Mueller, personal communication). Transitions in ice-cover of this nature are consistent withpaleolimnological observations from other High Arctic lakes in which recent, unprecedented shifts inbiological communities have been attributed to changes in the duration and extent of summer ice cover(e.g. Perren et al., 2003; Smol et al., 2005). In fact, analysis of a 1000 year sedimentary record from Lower
Murray Lake identified the first appearance of diatoms in the lake as recently as 1998 (Besonen et al.,1998), supporting our interpretation that significant changes in the lake system have occurred in recent
years.

Future Ice conditions
Projections of future temperature change in the High Arctic indicate the potential for mean annual
temperatures to increase by as much as 5°C by the end of the 21st century (Christensen et al., 2007).
Although warming is expected to be highest in winter (>7°C), summer warming is likely to exceed 2°C(Christensen et al., 2007). The relationship between ice-out dates and mean June and July temperatures wasused to evaluate the impact of future warming on the ice-cover of Upper and Lower Murray Lakes (Figure5.12). As noted previously, surface air temperatures for the period spanning June and July showed thestrongest correlation with the timing of ice out (cf. Table 2). A linear regression between mean June andJuly temperatures and ice-out dates indicates that for each 1.0°C increase in temperature the timing of iceout will be ~14 days earlier for Upper Murray Lake and ~ 18 days earlier for Lower Murray Lake.
Consequently, future warming in the High Arctic will result in significantly longer periods of ice freeconditions on these lakes. The standard errors associated with these regressions (±7.7 for UML and ±9.8119LML) reflect the limited data set and the influence of non temperature-related processes on ice decay.
Given this range of uncertainty, the expected rate of change in the timing of ice-out on the Murray Lakes
varies anywhere from ~6 to 28 days per 1.0°C change in temperature, although the actual rate is likely
closer to the observed trends at the two lakes.
Recent work has suggested that the timing of ice out may not respond linearly to changes intemperature (Weyhenmeyer et al., 2004), thus the 14 and 18 day per 1.0°C relationships determined in thisstudy may change as temperatures shift beyond the range of observations. By comparison, historical trends
in the ice cover of lower latitude lakes have shown a mean shift in the timing of ice out by ~5 days per
1.0°C temperature change (e.g. Assel and Robertson, 1995; Magnuson et al., 2000). In a comprehensive
study of past ice conditions on Swedish lakes, Weyhenmeyer et al. (2004) observed ice breakup dates thatwere 4 to 17 days earlier following a temperature increase of 0.8°C. The largest changes were observed in
the warmest locations, thus Weyhenmeyer et al. (2004) concluded that future changes in ice conditions due
to increased warming are likely to be less drastic in colder regions, which is inconsistent with the large
temperature dependence of ice out identified in this study. However, the coldest site examined by
Weyhenmeyer et al. (2004) had a mean annual air temperature near -1.0°C, whereas mean annual
temperature at Upper Murray Lake is -19°C. Consequently, it is possible that the climatic conditions at the
Murray Lakes, near the threshold necessary for perennial ice cover, lead to an amplified change in thetiming of ice out for a given change in temperature. Quantitative relationships between air temperature andice break-up are applicable only within specific geographic and climatic settings (e.g. Palecki and Barry
1986; Weyhenmeyer et al., 2004). In addition morphometric characteristics of individual water bodies (ie.
depth, surface area) further influence ice decay (Stewart and Haugen, 1990; this study). Consequently,
caution must be used when applying the results of this study to other lakes. Nonetheless, the magnitude of
the ice-out response to temperature changes as reported here highlights the impacts of future warming on
High Arctic lake systems and emphasizes the need for continued study of ongoing environmental changes
in the Arctic.

120

Conclusions

Space-borne synthetic aperture radar data have provided a valuable tool for interpreting theclimatic sensitivity of the ice-cover on remote high-arctic lakes. Comparison with reanalysis air
temperature records allowed for quantification of the relationship between ice cover and climaticconditions. The summer temperature conditions necessary for the complete melting of the ice covers on
Upper and Lower Murray Lakes are very near current mean climatic conditions, suggesting that the twolakes are at or near a threshold between a state of perennial ice cover and regular seasonal melting of theirice covers. Recent (20th century) warming has likely forced the Murray Lakes across this threshold, andprojected future warming due to anthropogenic causes will further increase the duration of ice freeconditions on these lakes. Although the exact response of lake ice to temperature changes will vary
according to the local geographic and climatic setting as well as the characteristics of the individual lake,
the results presented here indicate that profound changes in the ice cover of high-arctic lakes have recently
occurred and that even greater changes should be expected in the future. Given the significance of thetiming of ice out and the length of open water conditions to so many physical, chemical, and biologicalprocesses acting both within and beyond the lake, future changes in lake ice cover are likely to have asignificant impact on high-arctic environments.

121

Table 5.1 Results of correlation analysis between the mean daily temperature record at the Murray Lakes
and the available long-term regional records.
Temperature Series

Correlation Coefficient – r

Significance – p value

Alert

0.752

<0.001

Eureka0.704<0.001

Reanalysis (82.5°N 70°W)

0.770<0.001

Reanalysis (80° N 70°W)

0.631<0.001122

Table 5.2 Pearson product moment correlation results between the timing of ice-out on Upper (UML) andLower (LML) Murray Lakes mean temperatures over various time intervals. Significant correlations are inbold.
Temperature Variable

Correlation Coefficient – r

Significance – p value

UML

LML

UML

LML

Mean June Temp

-0.716-0.7770.030

0.0233

Mean July Temp

-0.501-0.426

0.170

0.293

Mean August Temp

-0.152

0.196

0.697

0.641

Mean Annual Temp (Sep – Aug)-0.499-0.425

0.172

0.294

Mean Winter Temp (Sep – May)

-0.418-0.332

0.263

0.422

Mean June & July Temp

-0.786-0.791

0.012

0.0193

Mean June, July, August Temp

-0.612-0.586

0.080

0.127

123

Table 5.3 Ice-out dates and the total cumulative melting degree days (CMDD) required to reach ice out on
Upper and Lower Murray during each year of the record. Missing values indicate complete ice-out did notoccur.
Time Period

Upper Murray Lake

Lower Murray Lake

Ice-Out Date

CMDD to Ice-Out

Ice-Out Date

CMDD to Ice-Out

1997

240

286

-

-

1998

222

354

228

374

1999

-

-

-

-

2000

217

301

218

305

2001

218

284

231

348

2002

232

326

247

351

2003

217

351

226

402

2004

-

-

-

-

2005

222

342

228

355

2006

248

292

264

294

2007

239

391

243

396

1997-2007 Mean

228

325

236

353

124

Figure 5.1 Regional map showing the location of Upper and Lower Murray Lakes as well as other high-arctic
lakes mentioned in the text. Also shown is the grid box associated with NCEP/NCAR reanalysis temperature
data used in this study.

125

Figure 5.2 Aerial photograph looking north across Lower Murray Lake in the foreground and Upper Murray
Lake which wraps behind the hill to the left in the background. Note the significant shadow across much ofLower Murray Lake which occurs in the afternoon.

126

Figure 5.3 Sequence of RADARSAT-1 SAR image sub-scenes showing an increase in the percentage ofopen water (dark, textureless tone) on Upper and Lower Murray Lakes during the year 2000 melt season. The
original RADARSAT-1 data (©Canadian Space Agency – CSA) were provided by the Alaska Satellite
Facility (ASF).

127

Figure 5.4 Comparison of mean daily surface air temperature observation at the Murray Lakes field site withthe available long term regional temperature records. Plots along the left show mean daily temperatures (inblack) and the spline curve (in grey) fit to each time series in order remove seasonal variability. Plots along
the right show residual daily temperatures relative to the spline value.

128

Figure 5.5 (left) Mean daily temperature at Murray Lakes compared to the reanalysis temperature data fromthe grid box centered on 82.5°N 70°W. The reanalysis data systematically underestimated May-September
temperatures at the Murray Lakes. Consequently, the reanalysis temperature record was adjusted based on alinear regression of the May through September temperature data (right). The adjusted reanalysis temperatureseries is plotted in red on the upper panel and shows much better agreement with the local observations.

129

Figure 5.6 Annual record of ice decay on Upper and Lower Murray Lakes showing changes in the area of thelake covered by ice during each summer from 1997 through 2007.

130

Figure 5.7 Plot showing mean June and July temperatures anomalies (relative to 1997-2007 mean) and iceout dates for the each year of the record. Note that the ice-out date scale has been reversed in order toemphasis the consistent relationship between summer temperatures and the timing of ice-out.

131

Figure 5.8 RADARSAT-1 SAR image sub-scenes showing initial ice break-up on Upper and Lower Murray
Lakes. Note the consistent pattern of open water first occurring near the center of the Upper Murray Lake andthe south end of Lower Murray Lake. The original RADARSAT-1 data (©Canadian Space Agency – CSA)
were provided by the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF).

132

Figure 5.9 Seasonal variations in the angle of the sun above the horizon for different times of day at the
Murray Lakes field site.

133

Figure 5.10 Recent summer temperature anomalies (relative 1961-1990 means) from Ellesmere Island,
including annual and 11-yr mean June and July reanalysis temperature records (Kalnay et al., 1996) and 11 yr
mean reconstructed July-September temperatures from Alexandra Fiord (Rayback and Henry, 2006).

134

Figure 5.11 (top) Percent ice cover remaining on Upper and Lower Murray Lakes plotted as a function of
cumulative melting degree days (CMDD). Plots include all data from 1997-2007, with each data pointreflecting the percentage of ice cover remaining and the total CMDD on the date the SAR image was
acquired. (bottom) Cumulative melting degree days calculated based on mean daily temperatures during
1997-2007 and 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5°C reductions from this mean. Comparison of the top and bottom panels
indicate that complete melting of Upper and Lower Murray Lakes is unlikely to occur if temperatures are
reduced by 1.0°C, resulting in an end of melt-season total of only ~250 cumulative melting degree days.

135

Figure 5.12 Plots showing the relationship between the timing of ice out and mean June and July surface airtemperatures. Linear regression lines indicated that ice out occurs ~14 and ~18 days earlier on Upper andLower Murray Lakes, respectively, per 1.0°C temperature increase.

136

CHAPTER 6
SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONSThis study was initially motivated by uncertainties related to projections of future changes in the
global climate system. Knowledge of how the Earth system has responded to various forcing mechanisms
in the past provides a useful baseline for assessing how the Earth may respond to anticipated changes in the
future. By focusing on climate and environmental change in the High Arctic, this study examined a region
that is particularly sensitive to global climate change – a region that is likely to have experienced largechanges in the past and which should demonstrate the first telltale signs of ongoing and future changes.
Because of the high sensitivity of the Arctic to climate change, the impacts of global warming on humans
and the environment are likely to be particularly severe. While global surface temperatures are projected torise by 1.1 to 6.4°C during the 21st century (Solomon et al., 2007), warming in the Arctic is expected to be
two to three times this global average (Holland and Bitz, 2003).
Despite the potential impacts of climate change on the Arctic, and the significance of the Arctic to
the global climate system, our understanding of the Arctic climate system has been severely limited by alack of information pertaining to past climatic conditions. Consequently, this study was designed with theoverarching goal of improving our understanding of the nature, causes, and impacts of past climaticconditions in the High Arctic and to evaluate the potential impacts of future climatic warming. These goals
were addressed by focusing on Upper and Lower Murray Lakes (81° 21’ N, 69° 32’ W) on northern
Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. The sedimentary archives preserved in these lakes were used toreconstruct past environmental conditions in the High Arctic and the response of these lakes to ongoingclimate change was evaluated using recent observations derived from remotely sensed satellite data. The
results described herein present critical new insight into past environmental change in the High Arctic andprovide important details about ongoing changes to arctic lake systems. Specifically, this study produced
the longest annually resolved, quantitative temperature reconstruction yet recovered from the high Arctic
and documented recent changes in the characteristics of the ice cover of arctic lakes.
The climatic setting of the Murray Lakes, characterized by extreme seasonality, and the physicalcharacteristics of the lakes, including an extended ice cover, reduced mixing, and oxygen depleted bottom

137

waters have led to the formation and preservation of annually laminated sediments (varves). Varved
sediments provide a valuable paleolimnologic tool because they provide precise chronological control andcan be used as an indicator of past environmental conditions. The varved sediments in Lower Murray Lakewere used to evaluate the first two hypotheses outlined in the introduction to this study:
1.

The physical characteristics of annually laminated sediments in high Arctic lakes are asensitive indicator of past climate variability.

2.

Changes in summer climate in the High Arctic are related to shifts in radiative forcing caused
by variations in solar irradiance, explosive volcanism, and the concentration of greenhousegases in the atmosphere.

The physical and chemical characteristics of the sediments in Lower Murray Lake record theevolution of the lake basin following the retreat of the Innuitian Ice Sheet ca. 6000 14C years BP. These
data indicate a period of rapid deposition of coarse clastic material during the early history of the lake,
followed by a transitional period marked by decreasing grain size and sediment accumulation. Thesechanges occur simultaneously with the onset of anoxia in bottom waters attributed to enhanced productivity
and reduced mixing of the water column. Varve deposition began ca. 5200 calendar years BP andcontinued through 2004 AD. Relative to the earlier portion of the record, the physical and chemical
characteristics of the sediments remain relatively stable throughout the period of varve deposition,suggesting that weathering, erosion, and sediment transport processes in the watershed, as well as physical,
chemical, and biological conditions within the lake have not undergone major changes during this period.
Lower Murray Lake varves contain an annual record of sediment mass accumulation spanning thepast ~5200 years. In general, periods of elevated sediment accumulation coincide with periods of presumed
warm conditions in the past. Likewise, suspected cold periods in the past are associated with low rates ofsedimentation in Lower Murray Lake. Lower Murray Lake mass accumulation rates were positively
correlated with mean July 600 m free air temperatures at the two nearest permanent weather stations at
Alert and Eureka. Calibration of the MAR timeseries provided a quantitative estimate of the magnitude ofpast temperature variability. These results indicate that decadal-scale patterns of sedimentation in Lower
Murray Lake are influenced by regional temperatures driven by radiative forcing mechanisms including
variations in solar irradiance, explosive volcanism, and greenhouse gas concentrations. The lowest rates of138

sediment accumulation, and by inference the coldest periods occurred around varve year 1800 AD andprior to ~4200 varve years ago. In contrast, periods of increased sedimentation, and by inference thewarmest conditions, occurred in the twelfth, fourteenth, and twentieth centuries, and throughout the middle
portion of the record, approximately 1000 to 4200 varve years ago.
Lower Murray Lake sediments maintain a consistent pattern of deposition throughout the period ofrecord and respond predictably to presumed climatic conditions in the past. Despite the complexity andinherent uncertainty in the varve-climate process network, the stability of the Lower Murray Lake
sedimentary system supports the use of annual mass accumulation as a proxy indicator of climaticconditions in the past. Nonetheless, discrepancies between the Lower Murray Lake varve record and otherregional paleoclimate records highlight the need to validate varve-based climate reconstructions using
multiple lines of evidence from numerous locations.
Quantitative estimates of past temperature variability are now available from a variety of proxy
indicators. However, significant discrepancies exist between the available records in terms of both thetiming and amplitude of past climatic fluctuations. The limited number of paleotemperature records fromthe Canadian Arctic is currently inadequate to address these discrepancies and identify spatial patterns ofpast temperature conditions. Because individual proxies have differing sensitivity to past climaticconditions, paleotemperature reconstructions should rely on multiple proxies to better capture the full rangeof climatic variability. Two clear objectives emerge from this review of current paleotemperature records
from the Canadian Arctic: (1) Additional spatial coverage is needed in the distribution of proxyreconstructions. Because lakes are widely distributed throughout the region, paleolimnological studies
likely provide the best opportunity for increased spatial coverage. (2) Replication of temperaturereconstructions is necessary within a given region. This includes the production of additional records using
the same proxies at different sites and new records which combine multiple proxies. These records should
provide better insight into the full range of temperature variability, including both long-term trends andshort period variations, allowing the amplitude of past changes to be better constrained.
The possibility exists for continued work on the Murray Lakes which may provide further insight
into past environmental change in the region. Although the nature and preservation quality of the sedimentcores recovered from Upper Murray Lake were not conducive to a varve analysis, a reasonably robust139

radiocarbon chronology was derived from these sediments. Should a suitable proxy be identified, thesesediments could produce a valuable paleoenvironmental record based on a chronology completely
independent of the varve and paleomagnetic chronology used in this study. One possible proxy indicator
includes the UK 37 index of long-chain alkenones. Alkenone peleothermometry offers the potential toprovide an independent, quantitative estimate of past temperature from the Murray Lakes which could becompared with the varve-based record from Lower Murray Lake. Ongoing work by William D’Andrea at
the University of Massachusetts is currently exploring the potential for alkenone peleothermometry in the
cores from Lower Murray Lake.
Recent environmental changes in the High Arctic are evident within the observational period ofsatellite and instrumental measurements providing a means of evaluating the third hypothesis outlined in
the introduction of this study: Ice cover on high arctic lakes is sensitive to small temperature changes andrecent warming has caused a significant reduction in the duration of ice cover on high arctic lakes. Spaceborne synthetic aperture radar data were used to interpret the climatic sensitivity of the ice-cover on Upperand Lower Murray Lake. Comparison with reanalysis air temperature records allowed for quantification of
the relationship between ice cover and climatic conditions. The summer temperature conditions necessary
for the complete melting of the ice covers on Upper and Lower Murray Lakes are very near current mean
climatic conditions, suggesting that the two lakes are at or near a threshold between a state of perennial ice
cover and regular seasonal melting of their ice covers. Recent (20th century) warming has likely forced the
Murray Lakes across this threshold, and projected future warming due to anthropogenic causes will further
increase the duration of ice free conditions on these lakes. Although the exact response of lake ice totemperature changes will vary according to the local geographic and climatic setting as well as thecharacteristics of the individual lake, the results presented here indicate that profound changes in the ice
cover of high-arctic lakes have recently occurred and that even greater changes should be expected in the
future. Given the significance of the timing of ice out and the length of open water conditions to so many
physical, chemical, and biological processes acting both within and beyond the lake, future changes in lake
ice cover are likely to have a significant impact on high-arctic environments.

140

APPENDIX 1

THIN SECTION PHOTOGRAPHS

141

Appendix 1 Ordered sequence of thin section images used in the construction of the Lower Murray Lakevarve chronology. Labeled features denote marker beds used to tie the sequence together between
successive images.

4
1
5
2

2

1

3
4

3

5

8

6

9

7

6

7

8

9
10

142

(Appendix 1, continued)

12
11

13

14

10

13
15

12
14
11

15

19
16
18

17

17
16
18

143

19

20

(Appendix 1, continued)

22
20

21
23

24

25
24
21

22

23

28
25
26

29
29

27

30

28

26
27

144

(Appendix 1, continued)

31

30
33

34
32

31
33

34

35

32

37
36

38

35

36
38
39

39

37

40

145

(Appendix 1, continued)

40

43
42
41
44

45

44

42

43

41

46
48

49

47
45
47

46

48

50
49

146

(Appendix 1, continued)

52

53

50

51

51

54
55

52
53
54

57
55

56

57
56

147

APPENDIX 2

INDEX OF THIN SECTIONS

148

Appendix 2 Index of all thin sections produced from Upper and Lower Murray Lake Sediments.
Thin
Section ID

Core Section

Depth Interval
w/in section (cm)Thin
Section ID

Core Section

Depth Interval
w/in section (cm)LML-001
LML-002
LML-003
LML-004
LML-005
LML-006
LML-007
LML-008
LML-009
LML-010
LML-011
LML-012
LML-013
LML-014
LML-015
LML-016
LML-017
LML-018
LML-019
LML-020
LML-021
LML-022
LML-023
LML-024
LML-025
LML-026
LML-027
LML-028
LML-029
LML-030
LML-031
LML-032
LML-033
LML-034
LML-035
LML-036
LML-037
LML-038
LML-039
LML-040
LML-041
LML-042
LML-043
LML-044
LML-045
LML-046
LML-047
LML-048
LML-049
LML-050
LML-051

LML-05 Ekman4
LML-05 Ekman4
LML-05 Ekman4
LML-05 Short Core 2
LML-05 Short Core 2
LML-05 Short Core 2
LML-05 Short Core 2
LML-05 Short Core 2
LML-05 Short Core 2
LML-05 Short Core1
LML-05 Short Core1
LML-05 Short Core1
LML-05 Short Core1
LML-05 Short Core1
LML-05 Short Core1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A1
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2

0-7
6-11.5
10.5-16
19-26
25-32
31-38
37-44
43-50
49-56
0-6.5
6.5-12.5
12.5-19.5
16-23
22-28
27.5-35
0-7
6-13
12-19
18-25
24-31
30-37.5
37.5-4444-50
50-56.5
56-63
62.5-69.5
68.5-74.5
74-81
81-87
87-94
93-99.5
99.7-106.2
106.5-112.2
111.7-118.7
118.5-125
124.5-131
125-130130-135.5
136-1400-7
7.5-1313-19
18.5-2525-31
31-37.5
37-43.5
43.5-50
49.5-56
55-61.5
61-67
67.5-74

LML-052
LML-053
LML-054
LML-055
LML-056
LML-057
LML-058
LML-059
LML-060
LML-061
LML-062
LML-063
LML-064
LML-065
LML-066
LML-067
LML-068
LML-069
LML-070
LML-071
LML-072
LML-073
LML-074
LML-075
LML-076
LML-077
LML-078
LML-079
LML-080
LML-081
LML-082
LML-083
LML-084
LML-085
LML-086
LML-087
LML-088
LML-089
LML-090
LML-091
LML-092
LML-093
LML-094
LML-095
LML-096
LML-097
LML-098
LML-099
LML-100
LML-101
LML-102

LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C1-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05 C2-A2
LML-05-Ekman 5
LML-05-Ekman 5
LML-05 Short Core 2
LML-05 Short Core 2
LML-05 Short Core 2
LML-05 Short Core 2
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1
LML-05-C2-A1

73.5-80
80-85.5
85.5-91.5
0-7
6-13
12.5-19.5
18.5-25.5
24.5-3131-37
36.5-43
42.5-49
49-55.5
55-62
61.5-68
67.5-74.5
73-80
80-86
86-92
91-97.5
98.5-104
104-110109-115.5
116-122122-128
125.5-132
132-138
138-1440-6.3
5.8-12
0-7
6-13
9-16
15.5-230-7
6.5-1313-19.5
19-24.5
24.5-31.5
31-37.5
37-43.5
43.5-49.5
50-56.5
55-62
61.5-68
67.5-74
73.5-79.5
79.5-85.5
85.5-92
89.5-95.5
95-101.5
101-107.5

149

(Appendix 2, continued)
Thin
Section ID

Core Section

Depth Interval
w/in section (cm)UML-001

UML-05 Grab A-1

0-5.5

UML-002

UML-05 Grab A-1

4.5-10

UML-003

UML-05 AR-1

0-7

UML-004

UML-05 AR-1

6-13

UML-005

UML-05 AR-1

12-19

UML-006

UML-05 AR-1

15.5-22.5

150

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