Earth’s Cryosphere, 2020, vol. XXIV, No. 3, pp. 22-33
10.21782/EC2541-9994-2020-3(22-33)

ISOTOPE-GEOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ICE WEDGES IN THE SLOPE YEDOMA ON THE KULAR RIDGE AND RECONSTRUCTION OF THE MEAN JANUARY AIR PALEOTEMPERATURE DURING 47,000–25,000 BP

Yu.K. Vasil’chuk, A.C. Vasil’chuk

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography and Faculty of Geology, 1, Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119991, Russia
Tyumen State University, 6, Volodarskogo str., Tyumen, 625003, Russia; vasilch_geo@mail.ru

The isotope composition and hydrochemical properties of the Late Pleistocene ice wedges in the outcrop of flat side of Kular Ridge located in the western part of Yana-Indigirka Lowland have been analyzed. It has been established that variations of the δ18О values in the ice wedges (varying –32.6 ‰ to –31.0 ‰) do not exceed 1.6 ‰. The mean winter and mean January temperature reconstructions have been carried out by means of the palaeogeocryologyical studies of the oxygen stable isotopes contained in ice wedges. In the Kular Ridge area, the mean January air temperature in Late Pleistocene was by 7 °C lower than the current. Besides, the lowest mean winter temperature referred to the 37–32 ka BP.

Key words: ice wedges, Late Pleistocene, palaeotemperature, permafrost, yedoma, oxygen isotopes, hydrochemistry, trace elements, Kular, Northern Yakutia

Please cite as:

Yu.K. Vasil’chuk, A.C. Vasil’chuk Isotope-geochemical composition of the ice wedges in the slope yedoma on the Kular Ridge and reconstruction of the mean January air paleotemperature during 47,000–25,000 BP. Earth’s Cryosphere, 2020, vol. XXIV, No. 3, pp.22-33. DOI: 10.21782/EC2541-9994-2020-3(22-33)