Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Distal volcanic impacts on peatlands: palaeoecological evidence from Alaska

Payne, Richard; Blackford, Jeffrey

Authors

Richard Payne

Jeffrey Blackford



Abstract

Despite the fact that volcanic ash (tephra) layers are found preserved in peat deposits around the world, comparatively little research has investigated the impacts of distal volcanic emissions on peatlands. This study investigates the impacts of several late-Holocene volcanic eruptions on five peatlands in southern Alaska using a palaeoecological approach. Testate amoebae analysis, peat humification analysis and a basic analysis of plant macrofossil components were applied across 11 tephra layers. Changes in macrofossil and testate amoebae assemblages occur across several of the tephra layers. The humification results were considered unreliable because of a methodological problem, a finding which may have implications for other studies using this technique. Redundancy analyses on testate amoebae data show statistically significant changes associated with two tephras. The most likely causes of the impacts are volcanic gases, acidic precipitation or tephra-derived leachates. The finding that some tephras are associated with impacts whereas others are not may relate to the season of the eruption or meteorological conditions at the time of ash fall. These results suggest the sensitivity of peatlands and peatland microbial communities to distal volcanic products and imply that changes in key palaeoclimatic proxies may be caused by a mechanism independent of climate change. Implications of the results for peat-based palaeoclimatic studies are discussed, as are possible directions for future research.

Citation

Payne, R., & Blackford, J. (2008). Distal volcanic impacts on peatlands: palaeoecological evidence from Alaska. Quaternary science reviews, 27(21-22), 2012-2030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.08.002

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 5, 2008
Online Publication Date Oct 19, 2008
Publication Date 2008-11
Deposit Date Nov 13, 2014
Journal Quaternary Science Reviews
Print ISSN 0277-3791
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 27
Issue 21-22
Pages 2012-2030
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.08.002
Keywords Archaeology; Archaeology; Global and Planetary Change; Geology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/470829
Publisher URL https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379108001789?via%3Dihub
Contract Date Nov 13, 2014