Radiocarbon and Stable Carbon Isotope Ratio Data from a 4.7-m-long Sediment Core of Lake Baikal (Southern Siberia, Russia)

Abstract

A sediment core (VER99G12; core length, 4.66 m) was taken from the Buguldeika Saddle of Lake Baikal in 1999. Radiocarbon measurements of total organic carbon (TOC) and pollen concentrate fractions from the VER99G12 core were performed by a Tandetron accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) system (Model-4130, HVEE) at Nagoya University. The AMS 14C ages showed that the VER99G12 core spans the past ~30 cal ka BP (from the MIS 3 to present), and the average sedimentation rate of this core was calculated to be 13.6 cm/kyr based on the calibrated ages. This means that the time resolution of VER99G12 sediment samples in this study is better than ~70-80 yr/cm. Stable carbon isotope ratios of TOC (13CTOC) in the VER99G12 core varied widely from about 26.6 to 31.3 during the last glacial/post-glacial transition period (about 17-12 cal ka BP). Therefore, a rapid change in the carbon sources in Lake Baikal occurred in the last glacial/post-glacial transition period is concluded.